White Sands National Monument, New Mexico Here in the Tularosa Basin are the largest gypsum sand dunes in the world. The basin has no outlet to the sea, so gypsum washed down from the surrounding mountains stays in the basin, forming selenite crystals.
Death Valley National Park I love the folds in the badlands around Zabriskie Point, especially shortly after sunrise. These are the eroded sediments from a lake that disappeared 5 million years ago. You won't have this place to yourself, but you can find something of interest in almost any direction.
Zabriskie Badlands, Death Valley National Park The first light on the badlands at Zabriskie Point. Erosion caused by infrequent but heavy rains creates the gullies in the badlands surrounding Zabriskie Point.
