Algodones Dunes is a sand dunes in Imperial County, California. The nearest town is Holtville, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Algodones Dunes lies ENE of town).
The Algodones Dunes is a large sand dune field, or erg, located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of California, near the border with Arizona and the Mexican state of Baja California. The field is approximately 45 miles (72 km) long by 6 miles (9.7 km) wide and extends along a northwest–southeast line that correlates to the prevailing northerly and westerly wind directions. The name "Algodones Dunes" refers to the entire geographic feature, while the administrative designation for that portion managed by the Bureau of Land Management is the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (sometimes called the Glamis Dunes). In 1966, Imperial Sand Hills was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service. The Algodones Dunes are split into many different sections. These sections include Glamis, Gordon's Well, Buttercup, Midway, and Patton's Valley. Although...From the Wikipedia article “Algodones Dunes”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Algodones Dunes the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 61° ENE | 7:53 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:38 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:40 AM | 118° ESE | 4:38 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 58m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Dunes need low sun: ripples and ridgelines only appear when side-light casts shadows, so shoot within an hour of sunrise or sunset.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 13m |
| February | 5:59 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:59 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:51 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:27 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 51m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 14h 19m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 07m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:20 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:33 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 5:46 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:06 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 59m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Algodones Dunes, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:09 AM – 4:59 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:21 AM – 5:21 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:17 AM – 4:37 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:18 PM – 3:58 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:33 PM – 3:43 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:29 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:57 PM – 12:17 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:11 PM – 10:11 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:30 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.66 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (40%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 88 | 94 | 99 | 106 | 114 | 123 | 123 | 120 | 119 | 109 | 98 | 88 |
| Low °F | 27 | 27 | 36 | 42 | 49 | 55 | 64 | 61 | 55 | 42 | 33 | 31 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this sand dunes
- Sand surfaces get extremely hot in summer afternoons.
- Walk along ridges rather than across faces to avoid leaving footprints in your future compositions.
- A telephoto isolates S-curves and layered ridges.
- Wind erases tracks overnight — mornings have the cleanest sand.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring and autumn for comfortable temperatures; full moon nights give soft light on the sand.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lens blower, Sun protection, Water. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Algodones Dunes, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Keyhole Campground5.8 km (3.6 mi)
- Gecko Campground5.9 km (3.6 mi)
- Roadrunner Campground6.1 km (3.8 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Algodones Dunes?
What time is golden hour at Algodones Dunes?
Where does the sun rise and set at Algodones Dunes?
Can you see the Milky Way from Algodones Dunes?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Algodones Dunes?
How far is Algodones Dunes from Holtville?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.