Explore 345 Deserts Collections - Atlas Obscura
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The first photo of the woolly devil made a stir among botanists when Deb Manley uploaded it to iNaturalist in March 2024.
flora

A Devilish New Species Discovered in Big Bend National Park

This tiny, fuzzy sunflower relative has been hiding in plain sight—it represents the first new genus identified in a U.S. national park in nearly 50 years.
Andrew Coletti March 4, 2025
List

From Desert Waterfalls to Wind-Carved Hoodoos: Dive Into Utah’s Wild Dreamscapes

Eight mind-blowing destinations and scenic drives your whole family will love.
Turns out the Pacific Ocean and Utah desert have a lot in common.
space exploration

How Cold War Spying From Space Connected the Galaxy to Utah

NASA and the private space sector are now turning to technology used for a top-secret 1960s mission.
Danny Robb February 27, 2025
Mount San Jacinto offers beautiful vistas.
Itinerary

California’s Unbelievable Landscapes: A Guide to Nature’s Masterpieces

Volcanic craters, out-of-this-world rock formations, and wild twisting trees, all in one state.
In California, every season is adventure season.
Itinerary

Explore California on Foot: Nature’s Year-Round Playground

Walks, hikes, and strolls that show off the state’s splendor.
Jazeera, Somalia

Merka Red Dunes

A stark contrast between red sand dunes and the white sand beach immediately next to it can be seen along the southern Somali coast.
The Oasis Trail at the Agua Caliente Cultural Center.
Itinerary

Atlas Obscura’s Guide to Palm Springs

Bathe in the waters of a sacred hot spring, hike in a desert paradise, or take a tram straight up a mountain—Palm Springs will never stop surprising you.
Santa Fe, New Mexico

El Rancho de Las Golondrinas

Step back in time at an outdoor living history museum where New Mexico's cultural traditions come alive.
Santiago, Mexico

Santa Rita Hot Springs

Tucked away in a secluded canyon, this hidden hot spring’s thermal waters have been soothing soakers for generations.
Kozłów, Poland

Pustynia Kozłowska

How did this desert wind up in the middle of a Polish forest?
Mountain Home, Idaho

Bruneau Dunes

This Idaho state park boasts the tallest single-structured sand dune in North America.
The Malki Museum's annual Agave Roast Native Food Tasting keeps the culinary tradition alive.
deserts

The Indigenous Communities Preserving the Ancient Art of Roasting Agave

Now more famous as a distilling ingredient, agave has been a traditional food in Southern California for millennia.
Sarah Lohman August 1, 2024
Glamis, California

Algodones Dunes

This vast and otherworldly landscape is one of the largest dune complexes in North America.
Villaspesa, Spain

Rambla de Barrachina

The geomorphology of the Turia Valley could easily be mistaken for Utah or Arizona.
space exploration

Podcast: A Rogue Trip with Amir Siraj

Travel with us to the Atacama Desert in search of a unique observatory.
The Podcast Team May 22, 2024
Not many souls around here to bear witness to the incredible desert superblooms of Chile.
nature

Witness the Stunning and Ephemeral Desierto Florido

Every five to seven years, Chile's Atacama Desert shows its true colors.
Miles Griffis May 10, 2024
deserts

Why You Should Visit Turkmenistan, Land of Contrasts

An expert guide to Central Asia’s most fascinating country.
The fearsome cryptid is said to grow up to six-feet-long and spit deadly poison.
cryptozoology

Inside the Decades Long Hunt for the Mongolian Death Worm

Some say the true death worm has already been found—slithering beneath the sands of the Gobi.
Mark Hay April 30, 2024