As you hike up to the top of Kelso Dunes you might just find that the dunes sha-boom, sha-boom, sha-boom for you. Geologists speculate that the extreme dryness of the East Mojave Desert, combined with the wind-polished, rounded nature of the individual sand grains, has something to do with their musical ability.

Except for the sha-booming dunes, the Kelso Dunes are absolutely quiet. Often hikers find they have a 45-square-mile formation of magnificently sculpted sand, the most extensive dune field in the West, all to themselves.

After years of restoration efforts, Kelso Depot Information Center is now open. The historic depot, which once served as a train station, lunch room and employee dormitory has been transformed into Mojave National Preserve’s chief information center.