Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
Italy • 9 days, 8 nights
Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The exterior of the Hall of Records.
Atlas Obscura Mailbag: Urban Exploration, Illegal Carvings, and Repeat Vacations
1 day ago
Biosphere 2 campus (2016)
Biosphere 2: How Volunteers Survived for 2 Years in an Airtight Habitat
2 days ago
Places like Forest Grove linger on the edge of wilderness and civilization.
Listening for Echoes of the Forest Grove Sound
2 days ago
Longwood House, where Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final years.
The Longwood House: Napoleon Bonaparte’s Beautiful Prison
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California Tecopa Dumont Dunes North Pole

Dumont Dunes North Pole

Peek inside this sandy mailbox and you'll spot kids' letters to Santa.

Tecopa, California

Added By
Lucas Gomes
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The North Pole sign.   LukeyLux / Atlas Obscura User
The North Pole sign.   LukeyLux / Atlas Obscura User
Dumont Dunes   BLM California / Public Domain
Dumont Dunes   BLM California / Public Domain
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Dumont North Pole has always been a popular place where you can find quaders relaxing and taking a break from a dune ride. But you'll also find something much more whimsical.

The pole, which is located at the northeasternmost tip of the dunes, consists of a heavy-base pole with an attached mailbox. Peek inside the mailbox, and you'll find letters to Santa from kids, as well as random notes from adult visitors. Most of the time, you'll find a magic marker inside the mailbox that some off-roaders use to sign their name on the box.

In January of 2020, the North Pole was burned down in what appeared to be an intentional act. But it wasn't long before a new North Pole was erected at Dumont Dunes, with a large crowd in attendance. 

Related Tags

Holidays With A Twist Santa Claus Dunes Mail Letters

Know Before You Go

Any off-road travel beyond the north pole out into the desert is prohibited! The area surrounding the dunes is closed to off-road use. Even if you find tracks leading out to other areas of the desert, do not follow them. Those trails are out of bounds and you will be fined for riding out there.

Cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management on this matter will make life easier for everyone. Be a responsible duner and only ride in allowed areas. At a decent pace, it is about a 10-to-15 minute ride from the camp area. Kids love the North Pole, but it is a rather long ride for small quads. On a holiday weekend, you can usually find quite the crowd out there

Community Contributors

Added By

LukeyLux

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

March 14, 2019

Updated

November 23, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Dumont Dunes North Pole
Dumont Dunes
Tecopa, California
United States
35.686667, -116.176833
Get Directions

Nearby Places

China Ranch Date Farm

Tecopa, California

miles away

Villa Anita in Death Valley

Tecopa, California

miles away

Pholisma sonorae aka "Sand Food"

Tecopa, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tecopa

Tecopa

California

Places 4

Nearby Places

China Ranch Date Farm

Tecopa, California

miles away

Villa Anita in Death Valley

Tecopa, California

miles away

Pholisma sonorae aka "Sand Food"

Tecopa, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tecopa

Tecopa

California

Places 4

Related Places

  • Santa’s village.

    Rovaniemi, Finland

    Santa Claus's Main Post Office

    Roughly 17 million letters to Santa have found their way to this Arctic Circle post office.

  • Just a few of the quirky mailboxes along Wilmot’s letterbox trail.

    Wilmot, Australia

    Wilmot Novelty Letterbox Trail

    In Tasmania's "Valley of Views," dozens of novelty mailboxes add a quirky element to the landscape.

  • Saya Kubota, the creator of Missing Post Office.

    Mitoyo, Japan

    Missing Post Office

    A unique art exhibit home to letters addressed to those unable to receive them.

  • Columbus, Texas

    Santa Claus Museum

    An entire home filled with over 3,000 pieces of Santa memorabilia in glass cases, walls, on Christmas trees, and even in the bathroom.

  •  Santa’s Workshop in North Pole, New York.

    Wilmington, New York

    Santa's Workshop

    A hamlet full of permanent Christmas spirit holds one of the earliest theme parks in the United States.

  • Santa Claus House

    North Pole, Alaska

    Santa Claus House

    A trading post in the North Pole where children send letters.

  • Burning on land and from the heavens

    Lutcher, Louisiana

    Bonfires on the Levee for Papa Noel

    A Cajun-style Christmas on the river also involves sky-high pyres and explosives.

  • Santa Claus, Indiana sign

    Santa Claus, Indiana

    Santa Claus, Indiana

    You thought Santa Claus didn't exist, but it turns out you were wrong.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.