Yuma Sand Dunes

Yuma serves as the gateway to one of the nation's largest mass of inland sand dunes, which extend for more than 40 miles along the eastern edge of California Imperial Valley. Now a national recreational area, this natural sand box acts as a magnet for off-road enthusiasts in all but the hottest months and welcomes more than one million visitors every year (go to the BLM website for a short video introduction with manager Neil Hamada). Just 20 miles from Yuma, the dunes also have served as a movie location since the silent-picture era. Moviemakers first filmed here in 1913, and pictures have been made here in every decade since, including "Star Wars" and more recently, "Jarhead" and "Scorpion King."