Imperial Sand Dunes: Cement Flats is closed to camping until February 2028, and Osborne Overlook bans overnight camping for four holiday weeks

Two camping areas along Highway 78 in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area are off limits this season. Cement Flats is closed to camping through February 2028. Osborne Overlook stays open for day use but bans overnight camping for four holiday weeks, starting Monday, October 26. Both orders come from the BLM’s El Centro Field Office, and we read them on October 18, 2026.

Cement Flats: closed for the whole season, and the next one

The order dated September 8, 2026 closes Cement Flats “to camping and recreational use for no more than 18 months.” The dates line reads “September 8, 2026, through February 2028.” The reason is construction. The BLM vacated the old Cahuilla Ranger Station in April 2026 so it could be demolished, and the new one is due “no later than spring of 2028.” Until then, Cement Flats, off Highway 78 at Gecko Road, is the temporary ranger station and an on-site sales point for dune permits.

The BLM says it picked Cement Flats partly because of “the relatively limited camping in the area, compared to other locations.” So the order takes out a small area, not a big one. But if Cement Flats was your usual spot, it is gone for two seasons.

Osborne Overlook: four holiday weeks

The order dated September 17, 2026 prohibits overnight camping at Osborne Overlook, which sits on Highway 78 about halfway between the Cahuilla Ranger Station and the Glamis Beach Store. “Day-use of the area will not be restricted.” The dates:

• Halloween: October 26 to November 1, 2026
• Thanksgiving: November 23 to 29, 2026
• New Year’s: December 28, 2026 to January 3, 2027
• Presidents’ Day: February 8 to 15, 2027

The stated reason is emergency access: the overlook is kept clear for law enforcement and medical crews and as “a safe landing zone for medical airships.” The order cites 43 CFR 8364.1, and the penalty line allows a fine and up to 12 months in jail.

Permits are still required

The BLM’s Imperial Sand Dunes page says permits are required from October 1 through April 15. They cost $55 a week bought in advance, $70 a week bought onsite, and $185 for the season. The page links isdpermits.net for online sales.

What to do

If you are planning a Halloween trip, pick a camp other than Osborne before you drive in, because the restriction starts on the Monday before the holiday weekend, not on the Friday. Do the same for the other three weeks. And treat Cement Flats as closed until 2028.

The orders say they are posted on the El Centro Field Office website and at the field office. On the dunes, the signs and the rangers have the final word over any website, including this one. Call 760-337-4400 if a boundary is unclear. Fire rules on the dunes change this month too: the California Desert District’s seasonal fire order, which covers Imperial County, ends October 29 at 23:59 unless the BLM ends it sooner. Our California free camping page covers the state.