Directions to Glamis from Phoenix
Take 1-10 West out of Arizona and as you pass Blythe, California look for the California Hwy 78 exit (Neighbors Blvd.). Exit here and at the top of the ramp turn left (South).
Continue South on Hwy 78 through the farming communities of Ripley and Palo Verde. Watch your speed, there are two 35 mile per hour slowdown areas patrolled regularly by the Imperial County Sheriff's Department. You'll see mileage signs counting down the 50 miles to Glamis and in one hour or less, you'll be at the Beach Store!
Lots of hoop-de-do's on this stretch and you'll see Desert Tortoise habitat protection fencing on your right as you come in. Glamis Flats turnoff is just past the Beach Store or you may continue on Hwy 78 west about 5 miles to Gecko/Roadrunner campground area.
Directions to Glamis from Los Angeles
10 FWY PAST PALM SPRINGS AND PAST INDIO (if you don't know how to get to Palm Springs area from LA/Orange county maybe you shouldn't go out on the dunes)
JUST PAST INDIO, THE OFF RAMPS ARE NAMED AFTER DECEASED PRESIDENTS. JUST PAST JACKSON THERE IS THE 86S EXPRESSWAY CUTOFF TO BRAWLEY/ EL CENTRO - LATER SIGNS SAY MECCA AND COACHELLA - FOLLOW TO END (10 TO 15 MILES)
AT END, (STOP SIGN AND TEE IN ROAD) YOU CAN GO ONLY LEFT OR RIGHT - MAKE RIGHT TURN – YOU ARE ON 195 AFTER RIGHT TURN.
FOLLOW FOR APPROX. 1 MILE
MAKE LEFT AT NEXT STOP SIGN TO STAY ON 195 – SIGNS INDICATE 195 ROUTE
FOLLOW FOR 3 OR 4 MILES
COMES TO HWY 86 – MAKE A LEFT AT THE STOP SIGN THERE.
FOLLOW THIS FOR THE NEXT 1.5 HOURS PAST SALTON SEA - TURNS INTO 4 LANE DIVIDED HWY IN APPROX. 3 MILES (YOU CAN SEE THE SALTON SEA ON YOUR LEFT AFTER A WHILE).
HWY 78 JOINS HWY 86 JUST PAST SALTON CITY - DON’T BLINK OR YOU’LL MISS SALTON CITY - THE HWY NUMBERS (78 & 86) RUN CONCURRENT FROM HERE TO BRAWLEY
CONTINUE PAST WESTMORELAND (4-WAY STOP SIGN); PAST BRAWLEY (8 SIGNALS) - GET FUEL AND GROCERIES HERE - LAST CHANCE.
DO NOT CONTINUE ON 86 OUT OF BRAWLEY - STAY ON THE STREET YOU CAME INTO TOWN ON AND FOLLOW IT OUT OF TOWN (HWY 78).
EVENTUALLY, HWY 115 JOINS 78 AND BOTH RUN CONCURRENT.
AS HWY 115/78 MAKES A BIG SWEEPING TURN (90°) TO THE RIGHT, HWY 78 MAKES A REVERSE BANK TURN TO THE LEFT. TAKE THIS VERY SLOW - THERE IS A SIGN HERE SAYING GLAMIS AND PALO VERDE TO THE LEFT AND HWY 8 TO THE RIGHT. (SEE MAP) MAKE THE TURN TOWARD THE CATTLE YARD (LEFT) GOING OVER THE OLD RAILROAD THAT HAS HAD A SECTION REMOVED THAT CROSSES THE HIGHWAY. DO NOT HEAD TOWARD HWY 8!! CATTLE YARDS ARE ON LEFT AFTER TURN IS MADE. YOU’RE ON THE HOME STRETCH NOW. ABOUT 19 MILES TO GO.
CONTINUE 78 TO THE DUNES, YOU’LL SEE THEM LONG BEFORE YOU GET THERE IF IT IS LIGHT.
YOU NEED TO TURN RIGHT ON GECKO ROAD, IT IS WELL MARKED WITH SIGNS. IT IS JUST AS YOU START TO MAKE THE MAJOR CLIMB OVER THE DUNES.
GO PAST THE RANGER STATION ON THE RIGHT. THERE IS A PHONE JUST PAST THE STATION ON THE RIGHT IF YOU NEED IT.
THERE ARE VARIOUS PADS AND CAMPGROUNDS YOU WILL PASS – GECKO IS THE LARGEST AND BEST KNOWN – THERE IS A SIGN ON THE LEFT MARKING IT.
ROADRUNNER IS DEEPEST INTO THE DUNES AND THE FARTHEST FROM THE STORE. IF YOU WANT TO CAMP THERE, STAY ON THE MAIN ROAD FOR ALMOST EXACTLY 5 MILES - ALL THE WAY TO THE END
AT THE END YOU WILL ENTER ROADRUNNER CAMPGROUND - YOU’LL SEE THE SIGN. BEAR TO THE RIGHT – IT IS A ONE-WAY ROAD AROUND THE CAMPGROUND.
Directions to Glamis from San Diego
Take I-8 east to El Centro
Take the Hwy. 111 exit & head north
(You may continue on Hwy. 111 all the way to Hwy. 78, but there's lots of traffic & signals to deal with.)
To avoid the traffic on Hwy. 111, turn right (East) on S-80 right after you exit I-8
Turn left (North) on Hwy. 115
Turn right (East) on Hwy. 78
