Imperial Sand dunes
 

Has anybody been to the Imperial Sand Dunes? Is it worth a visit since we'll be staying in San Diego for a couple of days?

Thanks so much!

If you're only going to be in San Diego for a couple of days then it's not worth it. It's a two and a half hour drive to get there and then unless you take desert "toys" with you, there's nothing to do. There's not much to see along the way, but there is a California Highway Patrol plane that will catch you speeding. On the weekends, thousands of people drive out there with their off-road vehicles, motorhomes, etc and the traffic is awful. I think Thanksgiving is the worst.

Thanks Barbara for your tip!

Would you recommend instead to visit the Anza Borrego Desert instead?

It depends what time of year you will be here. In the summer - now - the temperature in the desert is over 100F every day. It is not a good environment to do much walking. In the cooler times of year, it is a fascinating area to visit and in the spring it is amazing to see how many flowers there are in such an arid place.

Anzzo Borrego State Park is awesome! But....we were there in April and it was HOT! Also - it is a long drive from San Diego.