50 years ago some jeepers headed to the desert and went wheeling. They returned a year later and again the next. Their little trip became an event that grew faster than a rolling snowball in the desert. Like sand through the holes in a rusty floorboard, the years have passed on until 2012 brought the amazing 50th anniversary of the Tierra Del Sol Desert Safari.
The Tierra Del Sol Desert Safari should be on every wheeler’s bucket list. You can attend
The Tierra Del Sol Desert Safari (or “TDS,” as participants refer to it) is a Mecca for western off-roaders, especially those in the southern corner. Though it’s scheduled for the first weekend in March, it seems to draw wheelers from as early as Tuesday and as late as the following Tuesday for some desert R&R in the dirt near the Salton Sea in California. The vehicles range from Jeeps old and new to UTVs, Azusa mud trucks, and every other make and model of 4x4, be they buggies, tubed-out Toyotas, or expedition-ready rigs equipped with tents, coolers, and a plethora of gear.
The terrain offers trails for every level, and the man-made off-road playground that was revealed last year is a place for daredevils looking to attempt extreme obstacles close to camp. Plus, this past year the Tierra Del Sol Four Wheel Drive Club of San Diego rounded up $165,000 worth of raffle prizes and fired off one of the best fireworks shows ever to celebrate their many years of desert fun.
Though next year may not be the blowout party this year was, there will still be plenty of awesome wheeling, so sign up early by visiting www.tds4x4.com. We’ll see you there.
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The natural playground of the Truckhaven off-road area is often referred to as the Notchos
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We imagine that 50 years ago the first Desert Safari attendees drove their Willys Jeeps to
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This Jeepster Commando epitomizes the Desert Safari experience. It’s a beginner project th
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XJs are awesome in the dirt, and TDS was crawling with these great budget off-roaders. Thi
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If slow creepy crawling isn’t for you then head for a high-speed romp down a desert wash.
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The main camp has a huge vendor show where companies can display their wares, but you’ll a
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The manmade Truckhaven 4x4 Training Facility has a variety of concrete ramps, ditches, cli
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Fullsize Hummer H1s and nimble little Jeeps can be found at the TDS Desert Safari, as the
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The giant tire pile is deceiving. Many well-built wheelers attempted it only to find the l