The American Southwest is Full of Deserts. You Should Visit Every One of Them.

It’s no secret that I love the desert. Can’t get enough of it. The Arabian Desert, the Sahara, the Kalahari… all breathtaking! But the American Southwest is FULL of deserts as well- amazing deserts, beautiful deserts, rocky and rugged deserts. And you should visit every single one of them.

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The American Southwest is full of deserts - the Mojave, the Sonoran, the Chihuahuan, and the Great Basin.

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The American Southwest is Full of Deserts. You Should Visit Every One of Them.

The American Southwest is nothing short of amazing. The landscapes dotted with cacti and yuccas, the wildlife that live on rugged terrain, and the wild-west kind of feel keep me coming back for more.

Sure, deserts are harsh. But that’s part of why I love them. The flora and fauna that thrive in the desert are astounding, beating all odds and living in a place that receives less than 10 inches of rain per year. Absolutely amazing.

So what deserts live in the Southwestern United States, and what makes them so special? Below I will dive into each and every desert in the American Southwest… and exactly why you should visit every single one of them.

Map of the states containing the four deserts.

What Deserts Are Found in the United States?

The short answer is, it depends who you ask.

In general, most people separate the US deserts into four separate regions; the Mojave Desert, the Sonoran Desert, the Great Basin Desert, and the Chihuahuan Desert.

Categorized inside of these four large regions are smaller desert regions, like the Colorado Desert and the Painted Desert. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on the main four.

Monica in the Mojave landscape - one of The American Southwest deserts. — Standing in the rugged Mojave. @thisrareearth

1. The Mojave Desert

The Mojave Desert covers over 43,000 square miles of land. Most of it lies within Southern California and Nevada, but small pockets spill cross into Utah and Arizona.

Though this is considered the smallest and driest desert, it is definitely one of my personal favorites. The Mojave Desert is home to such unique plant life and geology that it seems almost like another planet.

Both Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley National Park have large portions of land inside of the Mojave Desert boundaries. Both feature mountainous backdrops and rugged, rocky terrain. Sand is fairly common inside of this desert.

The Mojave Desert is home to hundreds of endemic plant species that are not found in any of the surrounding deserts. The most notable of these is the wild and spindly Joshua Tree. This plant, as well as many others, requires the specific elevation found in the Mojave – typically between 3,000 – 6,000 feet.

2. The Sonoran Desert

One fun fact about me – I have lived in both the Mojave Desert region in California and the Sonoran Desert region in Arizona. I’d be hard-pressed to say which one I prefer.

Much like the Mojave, the Sonoran Desert is home to very distinct flora – mainly, the giant Saguaro cactus, which is found to the east of the Sonoran Desert. The Saguaro is dwarfed only by it’s cousin the Cardon cactus, the tallest of all cactus species in the world.

This desert covers 100,000 square miles of land, and it is known as the hottest of all four deserts. Triple digits can last all through the summer months. Warm winters are a big draw for tourists in this region, in comparison to other parts of the United States. However, monsoon rains and even frost is not unheard of.

This desert stretches all the way south into Mexico and the vistas look like no other! Those tall and proud cacti make the landscape unforgettable.

3. The Chihuahuan Desert

The stunning Chihuahuan Desert lives mostly in Mexico but spills over into the US, too. It primarily can be found in New Mexico, but also sits partially in Texas and Arizona.

This desert is not characterized by tall Saguaros or the wild Joshua Trees. Instead, low lying brush and desert shrubs scatter across the floor. Prickly pears and ocotillos are plentiful. But its the land itself that impresses me here.

White gypsum sand, found in White Sands National Park, stretches across the southern border. Some of the wildest rock formations I’ve ever seen sit in the Bisti Badlands and the Navajo Reservation.

One surprising feature; the little rainfall that this desert receives typically falls during the summer months. Winter temperatures are cool, though, and in true desert form, the summers are extremely hot.

4. The Great Basin Desert

The Great Basin Desert is the largest desert in the USA. It covers a whopping 190,000 square miles of land – almost double the sprawl of the Sonoran Desert. Portions of Great Basin sit in California, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and even a tiny bit bleeds into Idaho.

It is the coldest desert in the United States, as it sits both higher north and higher in elevation than the others. Great Basin sits adjacent to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, home of the beautiful Alabama Hills.

The Great Basin Desert is the only one that receives snow fairly regularly. To see Arches covered in snowfall is a stunning sight!

The American Southwest is Full of Deserts. You Should Visit Every One of Them.