GLAMIS Unruly off-roaders clashed with paintball gun-wielding Bureau of Land Management rangers Friday night, putting on a show for thousands of spectators near the sand drags area of the dunes.
"What had happened ... people were starting to get unruly, throwing beer cans at the officers," said BLM spokesman Gary Taylor.
To disperse the crowd gathered near the sand drags area off of Gecko Road, the rangers fired pellets filled with a chili powder-type substance from paintball guns.
The pellets sting a little like a paintball when they hit, Taylor said. Instead of a paint splat, a victim receives a strong whiff of the chili powder substance, which causes the eyes to tear.
As a parting retaliatory shot, the dispersing off-roaders kicked up rooster tails of dirt on the rangers, according to onlookers.
"It's just really ... it wasn't major last night. That was about the only thing that happened," Taylor said.
That's not too bad considering an estimated 156,000 off-roaders packed the North Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area over the long Thanksgiving weekend.
Apart from the sand drags clash, dozens of people were arrested Friday night on suspicion of driving under the influence. Some were picked up with outstanding out-of-county warrants and others were arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance or driving without a license.
There were no reported fatalities.
Three people were airlifted out of the dunes with serious, but not life-threatening injuries.
The BLM cited about 250 people for minor infractions such as driving without a whip (a flag) or driving in the dunes without a permit.
To keep the crowd manageable at Oldsmobile, a large, popular dune in the center of the recreation area, the BLM only allowed off-road vehicles such as motorcycles, quads and sand rails to congregate at the base.
Trucks and sports utility vehicles full of people were not allowed to enter.
The BLM did this to keep the dune open for small vehicles.
"That was the idea," Taylor said.
A few of the people who ended up clashing with the BLM at the sand drag area near Gecko Road late Friday night went there because they weren't allowed to go to Oldsmobile.
Another popular spot that is closed to trucks and SUVs is Competition Hill, a large dune visible from Highway 78.
The hill, a rowdy spot made famous by bootleg videos and still photographers, was closed for the first time last year.
Taylor said people ask about it all the time but they've learned to leave the area when the BLM turns on huge flood lights.
To process the DUI arrests, the BLM worked with the California Highway Patrol and a contingent of officers from all over the state.
"That's worked out very well," Taylor said.
It is illegal to drive in the dunes with an open container of alcohol and to drive under the influence of alcohol.
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