18 Deserts to Explore in United States

Checkout places to visit in United States

United States

Third largest and third most populous country in the world. Size-wise, it is almost as large as the continent of Europe.

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Deserts to Explore in United States

Amargosa Desert

The Amargosa Desert is a unique and stunning landscape that's not for the faint of heart. But if you're up for the adventure, you won't be disappointed. The desert is home to a variety of plants and animals, some of which are found nowhere else in the world. With its rugged terrain, towering cliffs, and expansive vistas, the Amargosa Desert is truly a sight to behold. I may be biased as a desert-loving AI, but there's something special about the stark beauty of these arid landscapes.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a 98-acre zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, natural history museum, publisher, and art gallery founded in 1952. Located just west of Tucson, Arizona. it features two miles of walking paths traversing 21 acres of the desert landscape. It is one of the most visited attractions in Southern Arizona

Black Rock Desert

This Pershing County gem is a thriving ecosystem full of unique flora and fauna. From bighorn sheep to pronghorns, the wildlife here is worth the trip alone. But what really sets Black Rock Desert apart is its human-made landmarks, especially the annual Burning Man festival. For one week each summer, this otherwise peaceful retreat becomes a bustling city, filled with colorful art installations, live music, and thousands of people from around the world.

Black Rock Desert - High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area

The Black Rock Desert - High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area is a vast region located in northwest Nevada, covering over 1.2 million acres of land. The area is known for its breathtaking landscape, which includes stunning desert vistas, rugged canyons, and towering mountains.The region is rich in history, with evidence of human habitation dating back thousands of years. The area was also an important route for early pioneers traveling westward.

Black Rock Desert Wilderness

This desert terrain stretches for miles and is home to a stunning array of wildlife, from the speedy pronghorn antelope to the elusive coyotes. But what really sets this wilderness apart is its unique geological formations. The "Black Rock" from which the area gets its name is a massive rock formation that seems to rise out of nowhere, and is truly a sight to behold. Camping here is a must-do experience, and if you're lucky enough you might even catch one of the famous annual festivals.

Cholla Cactus Garden

An intense concentration of cholla cactus. The small hike is through level plains, a mile in total on a loop.

Dante’s View

Dante's View offers a dramatic panoramic view of Death Valley from a very brink of an edge. It is also an excellent venue for night time star viewing with telescopes.

Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness

This remote 37,030-acre wilderness is a 12-mile long stretch of the Grand Wash Cliffs. It encompasses escarpments, canyons, and sandstone buttes that make up the transition zone between the Colorado Plateau and the Basin and Range Province. Vegetation includes an assortment of Mojave Desert shrubs below the cliffs as well as a pinyon-juniper woodland above. Wildlife in the area include gila monsters, desert tortoise, and desert bighorn sheep.

Jumbo Rocks Campground

Campground surrounded by large boulders and rock formations for which the Joshua Tree National Park is well known for.

Mastodon Peak

Hiking trail through an old mine, three mile hike to the peak offers panoramic views of south eastern side of Joshua Tree National Park.

Mojave Desert

This is an arid rain-shadow desert and the driest desert in North America. Its boundaries are generally noted by the presence of Joshua trees, which are native only to the Mojave Desert and are considered an indicator species. This place is now a tourist spot and a lot of people come here to spend some good times here.

Owyhee Desert

The Owyhee Desert is a vast and rugged region located in Elko County, Nevada. It covers over 6,000 square miles and is known for its breathtaking landscapes and unique geological features.The region is home to a variety of wildlife, such as pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and coyotes. It is also a popular destination for birdwatchers, with over 200 species of birds that can be spotted in the area.

Painted Desert

The Painted Desert is a United States desert of badlands in the Four Corners area, running from near the east end of Grand Canyon National Park and southeast into Petrified Forest National Park. It is most easily accessed from the north portion of Petrified Forest National Park. The Painted Desert is known for its brilliant and varied colors: these include the more common red rock, but also shades of lavender.

Painted Desert Rim

The Painted Desert is a United States desert of badlands in the Four Corners area, running from near the east end of Grand Canyon National Park and southeast into Petrified Forest National Park. It has a beautiful array of colors from deep purple to verdant green, from dark rusty red to pale pink. The Painted Desert seems to go on for miles and miles into the flat Arizona landscape. You can walk along the edge of the Painted Desert for half a mile between viewpoints by using this trail.

Pilot Peak

Named for its use as an easily recognized landmark, it is the highest point in the Pilot Range. 4th highest peak in Nevada.

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

A zoo and botanic garden combination dedicated to the deserts of the world. The programs provide environmental education, native wildlife rehabilitation, plant propagation, and habitat restoration, and captive breeding of African and Sonoran Desert species, including the iconic desert bighorn sheep.

Y P Desert

The Y P Desert in Idaho, specifically in Owyhee County, is a vast and remote area characterized by its arid landscapes, unique geological formations, and rugged beauty.it stands as a testament to the rugged and untouched beauty of remote desert landscapes, inviting adventurers and nature enthusiasts to explore its unique geological formations and experience the solitude of the desert wilderness.

Yuma Desert

The Yuma Desert is a lower-elevation section of the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States and the northwest of Mexico. It lies south of the Gila River and east of the Colorado River in the extreme southwestern corner of Arizona. It is a region of low sandy plains and dunes. The area is nearly barren, with only sporadic outcroppings of creosote bush or burr sage.

Map of Deserts to explore in United States