Explore the Bentonite Hills at Sunset
ScenicEasySpringYear-round
Watch the otherworldly blue and purple mounds near Cathedral Valley transform into a psychedelic landscape as the light fades.
Itinerary tips
- 1Plan for at least a two-hour round trip from Torrey, accounting for slow speeds on the unpaved Hartnet Road.
- 2Bring a high-clearance 4WD vehicle to navigate the sandy washes and potential mud along the Cathedral Valley loop.
- 3Pack a high-powered headlamp or flashlight for the trek back to your vehicle, as the desert becomes pitch black immediately after the sun drops.
- 4Download offline GPS maps before heading out, as cellular service is non-existent once you leave the highway.
- 5Check the weather forecast at the visitor center for flash flood warnings, as the bentonite clay becomes impassable when wet.
- 6Park in designated pull-offs along the road to avoid damaging the fragile biological soil crust surrounding the mounds.
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