Imperial County Travel Guide

California

Welcome to Salvation Mountain. Please make sure you follow the yellow brick road as you walk through this man-made masterpiece. ------------- Salvation Mountain is a hillside visionary environment created by local resident Leonard Knight in the California Desert . As his tribute to God and his message to the world that "God is Love". ❤🙏
this is the vast yuha desert near calexico, ca.
Located in the southeast corner of California, the Imperial Sand Dunes are the largest mass of sand dunes in the state. Formed by windblown sands of ancient Lake Cahuilla, the dune system extends for more than 40 miles in a band averaging 5 miles wide. Widely known as "Glamis" and a favorite location for off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts, the dunes also offer fabulous scenery, opportunities for solitude, and a home to rare plants and animals.
Istel is the founder of Felicity and the town’s longtime mayor, having been elected, almost 30 years ago, to an apparent lifetime term. The vote was unanimous: Istel voted for himself and so did Felicity’s other resident, Istel’s wife, Felicia. The town, established in 1986, consists of the Istels’ home and a half-dozen other buildings that the couple built on 2,600 acres in the middle of the desert near Yuma, Ariz., just off Interstate 8. At the north end, up an imposing staircase, sits the Church on the Hill at Felicity — inspired by a little white chapel in Brittany — that Istel built in 2007. The church is gorgeous and serene and looks eerily out of place, though less out of place than the 21-foot-tall stone-and-glass pyramid on the opposite end of town. The pyramid is there to mark the exact center of the world.
Winterhaven sand dunes -- boondocking, buggy and quad haven/heaven. (Feb 2017)

Popular cities in Imperial County

El Centro
El Centro
Known for Dining, Shopping and Deserts
Trip time! Discover the desert views, local cuisine and seaside in El Centro.

Reasons to visit

  • Pioneers' Park Museum
  • Broken Spoke Country Club
  • Lakeview Golf Course
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Crop view of woman walking barefoot on sand dune, Algodones Dunes, Brawley, USA
Brawley
Known for Deserts, Small town and Family-friendly
Experience trendy Brawley: its cafes, desert views, golf and more!

Reasons to visit

  • Warner Park
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Drone panorama over Ivanpah solar thermal power plant in California during daytime sunshine
Thermal
Known for Casinos, Mountains and Nature
Escape to Thermal! Enjoy its casinos and mountain views.
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Panoramic view of the Imperial Sand Dunes in the Sonoran Desert of California, USA, featuring tire tracks from dune buggying
Imperial
Known for Budget, Deserts and Hunting
Imperial awaits: its desert views, festivals, monuments and more!
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El Centro, California, USA - May 27, 2022: Afternoon sunlight shines on the urban downtown core of El Centro.
Calexico
Known for Family-friendly, Business and Shopping
Come to Calexico and enjoy its desert views, cafes and adventures.
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Horizontal panorama desert sand dunes and blue sky
Winterhaven
Known for Family-friendly, Shopping and Dining
Escape to Winterhaven! Enjoy its dining and museums.
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