Glamis...... Mention the word to Southern California off-roaders and then watch their eyes. Some will open wide, some will narrow, and some will just sort of glaze over as they recall their experiences at this legendary off-road playground. Glamis is the center of action in the Algodones Sand Dunes. On weekends from Halloween to Easter the area fills with sometimes 100,000 people driving every imaginable off-road toy. Quads, 4x4's, sand rails, Baja Bugs, motorcycles, desert race trucks, ATV's, and even ultralite aircraft all contribute to the worlds largest motorized happening.

Long holiday weekends bring the biggest crowds. Thanksgiving, New Years, and Easter being the top draws. From as far away as Oregon dunatics of all descriptions head for Glamis. Thanksgiving tends to draw the most dense crowds as the week between Christmas and New Years has groups coming and going at all times.

The Algodones Dunes is the largest dune area in the western hemisphere. Located in Imperial County, they run northwesterly for 35 miles from the Mexican border and are 20 miles wide at the southern end. Even with the massive crowds there is plenty of space for a good wide open dune ride. Some of the highest dunes rise 500 feet above sea level and provide excellent opportunities for hillcimb competition.

The days start early in Glamis as the duners are up with the sun. By 7:00 the sounds of engines fill the air. Maybe a pre-breakfast ride or maybe a trip to the Glamis Beach Store for a hot coffee. Food, beer, ice, gas, souvenir t-shirts, and even a parts corner are available at the Glamis Store. Everything needed to supply this city in the sand. The Boardmanville Trading Post also caters to the off-roader's needs and has a pool table for indoor competition.

After breakfast, a cruise into the big dunes is in order after a stop at Vendor's Alley to shop for t-shirts, maybe a new dune whip for safety, or just a quick fill up of your Nitrous bottle. Even a couple of welding trucks spend the weekend at Glamis to help out those who "exceeded" the limits of their rig.

On to the dunes. Spend hours exploring the seemingly endless expanses of sand. Run the big bowls by maintaining enough speed to keep your rig on the banks like a NASCAR stocker at Daytona. Run the Sand Highway south to Gordon's Well and then follow the whoop road by the railroad tracks back north again . Regardless of your route, make a stop by Oldsmobile Hill sometime during the day to watch the horsepower on display. 4x4's of all makes. Tube framed, Fiberglass bodied, rat motored Jeeps. 500cid Cadillac powered sand dragsters. A VW engine burning methonol, aided by Nitrous Oxide, pushed into the motor by a turbo in 700lbs of aluminum framed sand rail . Sand rails with Acura V-6, Mazda rotary, Nissan Z, and regular ol' Chevy small blocks can be seen racing up this 500' pile of sand. Quads and ATC's with Kawasaki 2 - stroke triples. Motorcycles with paddle tires. By early afternoon, hundreds of sand toys are lined up at the bottom of the hill to wait their turn or just enjoy the action.

On the right hand face of the slope, lanes have been set up for a timed drag. A scoring tent is stationed a the base of the hill with trophies lined up for the winners. All types of rigs compete in a run-whatchu-brung grudge match to show who's really bad. The action runs through out the afternoon slowly eliminating the weaker in a series of some tight contests and some door-blowers.

The crazies on the paddle-tired dirt bikes show off by getting air off a knife edge dune crest. These are the guys that rightfully wear the NO FEAR t-shirts. They follow that up by riding wheelies all the way up the face of Olds Hill.

Duning can work up an appetite and Glamis has plenty of places to eat. Vendor Alley has several burger and dog stands. Bar-be-que, pizza, pastrami sandwiches, sodas, cotton candy, and fried checken are also available. The Glamis Beach Store has a snack bar if indoor dining is preferred. A quick ride over to The Boardmanville Trading Post can satisfy the hunger as a wide variety of foods are available there. Enjoy a frosty beverage on the patio with dozens of fellow duners during your meal.

After a late lunch, head back into the dunes and enjoy the changing colors of the desert as the sun works different angles on the shifting sands. Find a high dune and watch the shadows lengthen on towards night when Glamis takes on a whole different look. No longer are the dunes visible as headlight trails seem to levitate in space while sand toys prowl the darkened dunes. Just as Olds Hill draws duners in daylight, Competition Hill attracts the machinery at night. Located just off the Sand Highway that parallels State Hwy 78, Comp will be the scene of many an uphill battle on weekend nights.

New Years Eve at Comp has been billed as the World's Largest Sound and Light Show. Each rig is decorated with its own individual combination of lighted buggy whips, strobe lights, halogen headlights and running lights of every color in the rainbow. Sand rails have been strung with Christmas lights and some 4x4's sport a neon glow from the bottom of the bed. There is no such word as "tacky" at Glamis. Its open season to get yourself noticed. The glow of 60 campfires, fireworks and aerial parachute flares combine with the sound of high horsepower to overwhelm the senses. The ground actually shakes with all the action going on at Comp Hill. You can feel it in your gut. There is something special happening here.

As midnight draws near the crescendo rises and at the stroke of twelve the roar is deafening. Horns blare and firecrackers pop as they do worldwide but the collective revving of engines only happens in Glamis. Corks pop and hugs are passed around between old friends and new. A new year brings the chance for more time in the dirt. A new chance to improve on last years rig. Another racing season will start soon.

The crowd thins quickly as the revelers find their way back to their own camps to sit around the fire and look back on the days duning and the events at Comp that evening. The sound of a quad can still be heard off in the distance. At no time is there total silence during the weekend. Someone is always running another bowl, or climbing another hill.

As dawn breaks on a new year, heads gingerly poke out of sleeping bags. Camp coffee is started and this mobile metropolis again starts to stir. For most, it is time to pack up for the journey home. For some the fun has just begun. For all it is an experience to remember.

For More Glamis Info See: Sand Toy Capitol of the World