The Eureka Dunes lie in an enclosed basin at Death Valley National Park in California and cover an area that’s only 3 miles long and 1 mile wide. At first glance, they appear desolate. However, some plants and animals have adapted to survive on the shifting sands. Eureka dune grass is often the only plant found on the higher slopes of the dunes. Its dense root system catches and holds drifting sand, forming stable hummocks. Stiff, spiny leaf tips protect the plant from being disturbed by herbivores. Listed as an endangered species in 1978, the species is on the road to recovery as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service moved the species to threatened in 2018! Photo by Connie Rutherford, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Like a mirage, dazzling white sand dunes shimmer in the tucked-away Tularosa Basin in southern New Mexico. They shift and settle over the Chihuahuan Desert, covering 275 square miles - the largest gypsum dunefield in the world. So much more than monochrome dunes, White Sands National Park can be hard to describe. Photographer Mitch Warnick says, “Disorienting and beautiful come to mind - the air can be hot, but the contrasting cold sand balances it out. The sand becomes a cool blue as the sky’s warm colors fade during the sunset. The nearest visible landmark could be a few hundred feet away or a few thousand. This is a place that must be experienced to be understood.” Photo by Mitch Warnick (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Water sweeps over sand, reaching for the dune ridges along the banks of Indiana Dunes National Park. Hugging 15 miles of the shoreline along the southern tip of Lake Michigan, the park is nothing short of enchanting. Winter brings its canvas of snow, perfect for exploring trails while cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. The park protects a diverse array of habitats, from the dunes and to the eastern deciduous forest and prairie. It offers something for everyone throughout the year. Photo by Rafi Wilkinson, National Park Service.

Sunset in the desert is a special moment. Distant mountains glow with color and shadows spread over the curving dunes. Mesquite Flat Dunes are the best known and easiest to visit in Death Valley National Park in California. The highest dunes rise to about 100 feet and spread out like waves on a dry sea. Visitors can learn about how these massive sand formations are created and explore three types of dunes: crescent, linear and star shaped. Photo by
David Kiene (www.sharetheexperience.org).

Propelled by relentless ocean waves and strong onshore winds, small grains of sand accumulated to form the impressive dunes of Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge in California. Stretching inland from the Pacific Ocean, the migrating dunes are home to a unique ecosystem of plants and animals, like the northern elephant seal, the western snowy plover and the California red-legged frog. Two remote hiking areas offer visitors a chance to explore this dynamic landscape in peace and solitude. Photo by Ian Shive, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Sunset at Death Valley National Park in California is a magical time. The retreating sun mutes the shadowed ripples and graceful curves of the sand dunes while the day’s last light focuses on the mountaintops. Here, a rogue white cloud wanders in to enjoy the view. Photo courtesy of Sandra Slead.

Strolling by the water at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in Indiana is a serene experience. The sun sparkles on the water and the breeze blows your troubles off your shoulders. Whether you enjoy scouting for rare species of birds or flying kites on the sandy beach, the national lakeshore’s 15,000 acres will continually enchant you. Even seeing the Chicago skyline 35 miles away across Lake Michigan makes it seem like the rest of the world is far away. Photo by National Park Service.

In this rare sight, a rainbow (we like to call it a “blob-bow”) brightens the dunes following an afternoon storm at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado. Summer thunderstorms at the park are common and bring cool winds, heavy rain and lightning. When storms approach, be sure to come down off the dunes, as lightning often strikes the dunefield. The electrical current fuses or melts sand particles together, resulting in a “fulgurite” (Latin for lightning rock). Photo by Patrick Myers, National Park Service.

Lightning rips through the sky over White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world’s largest gypsum dunefield. Photo courtesy of Donald Palansky. 

Green cottonwoods flourish by Medano Creek at the edge of the dunefield in Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve in Colorado. The tallest dunes in North America spread across 30 square miles, creating a unique high-altitude desert environment and a place of extremes. The sand surface can reach 150 degrees on a summer afternoon, or drop to minus 20 degrees on a winter night. Surfing the dunes is a fun summer activity. Photo by Patrick Myers, National Park Service.