Desierto de Altar - Schuk Toak | Informal Campsite

December 17th, 2022 by Hubert on Tour

Closed on a Saturday lunch time, we drove around the fence and appears to be completly closed or at least for the seasion. No signs about the closure.

December 10th, 2022 by 3weltreisen.de

it is closed on a saturday, we dont know why, should be open from Thursday to sunday 9 to 5.

April 14th, 2022 by iguana.panamericana

Ok. So there was little information online and when we went to the visitor center they told us the ONLY access point to the craters is on highway 2 between Mexicali and Sonoyta at km52. It's also a private road, but they allow people to enter for about $100mx. I uploaded screenshots of the most recent info they provide.

April 12th, 2022 by iguana.panamericana

Be aware, gate only opens Thursday to Sunday. We arrived on a Tuesday hoping to be able to camp or explore ourselves, but this is not possible (at least not if you want to enter through the main road).

January 9th, 2022 by robert.ullman

A wonderful museum and visitor's center. It is Mexico's largest public self-sustained off-grid building. A theater and museum with some trails. 60 pesos.

May 12th, 2021 by flymikey1

entrance gate closed open Thursday till Sunday . No idea if it due to Covid.

February 3rd, 2020 by lyndsay1986

We wanted to check out the lava craters, but the road is inaccessible due to a dispute between the reserve and a local who owns property in the area. We camped out near the trailhead to the dunes in an area with a firepit. Nice views of the Sierra Blancos. We were the only people there and hiked out to the dunes in the morning when we woke up. There was garbage from the locals left behind, so we cleaned it up and took it with us. If we all pitch in hopefully we can keep these places in good shape.
There are no amenities here, so take out your trash and bury your poop far away from the campsite or drive the 2 km back to the visitors center to poop.
The fee to enter the reserve is 60 pesos per person. This is the fee whether you camp or not. There is no additional charge for camping, but it isn't "free" to camp.
The road in from the visitors center is a dirt one. It's a little washboarded, but any can will make it just fine. There's a slightly steep and rough slope at the very beginning of the road as you drop into the plains, but it's very passable. Enjoy!

January 29th, 2020 by mzrunner17

Make sure you arrive prior to 5PM. We arrived to a closed gate leading to the visitor center.

January 28th, 2018 by forwardfcc

Register at the Nice visitor center which is 7 km drive from the highway (good paved road). There you have small trails and a pic-nic area with shade. Then drive 2 km dirt road to the first parking Area this is the dunes trail start. you can stay for the night if you have filled the overnight permit at the visitor center before.
Great hike 2,5km one way to the dunes.Wonderful view from top of the Dunes.

December 30th, 2017 by mary ellen

Dry camped with tent for 5 days at the El Tecolote campground within the Biosphere. Some have mentioned entrance is free but everyone has to enter at the Biological Station on Highway 8 at KM 52. There is a museum to visit before going north to the Biological Station. There are 2 places to camp, El Tecolote & Cono Rojo; Cono Rojo requires a high-clearance vehicle. Unfortunately on weekends and holidays the locals from Puerto Penasco treat this place as a recreation park (rather than a Biosphere) so I would advise not to visit on weekends when people are everywhere at the Tecolote campgrounds. The info on the websites says no pets but they do allow them as several people (including myself) had a dog. There are no stores nearby so if camping you need to have sufficient supplies before entering the property.

November 5th, 2017 by americaravana.com

Sleep on the middle of the desert near sand dunes. Perfect to see the both sunrise and sunset. Need to register and pay the entrance to the park at the visitor center nearby. Access through a sand road, no problem for us with out RV. Quiet and limited mobile coverage.