Kingston Range in the Silurian Valley. Photo by John Dittli, Courtesy Campaign for the California Desert.

Gazing across the California desert, one is rewarded by a startling beauty found nowhere else on earth. It is a rare landscape, painted in ever-changing hues from soft lilac to fiery crimson, its palette shifting as the sun tracks across the ancient lakebeds, volcanic fields and rugged peaks. It’s also a refuge where springs, waterfalls and year-round rivers support oases brimming with life. Read more