California is the United States’ poster child for sun-kissed skin and summer settings. Located on the west coast of the country, these are the three deserts of California.
The United States offers a million shades of scenery and atmospheres, depending on personal preference. It is also home to three main stretches of sand that offer tonnes of attractions. This is all you need to know about the three deserts of California.
California is perhaps one of the country’s most popular states, boasting a sunshine climate that makes it an ideal destination year-round.
Home to boundless coastlines, pristine beaches, dynamic cities, and colourful inhabitants, there’s much to see and do in California.
WBL’S top 5 fun facts about Deserts in California
- Death Valley, located in the Mojave Desert, is the hottest and driest place in North America. It holds the record for the highest recorded temperature in the world at 134 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Despite the harsh conditions, California’s deserts experience spectacular wildflower blooms after winter rains. The Anza-Borrego Desert, for example, is known for its vibrant displays of desert wildflowers.
- The desert tortoise is a threatened species that inhabits the Mojave Desert. These slow-moving reptiles have adapted to desert life and can live up to 80 years.
- The Salton Sea is a large saline lake located in the Colorado Desert. It was accidentally created in 1905 when the Colorado River breached its banks and flooded the area.
- The deserts of California are rich in Native American history and contain numerous petroglyphs—rock carvings made by Native American tribes.
3. The Great Basin Desert – the country’s only ‘cold’ desert
Nestled between the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Range in western America is the mighty Great Basin Desert. This desert covers the states of Nevada, Idaho, Utah, and eastern California.
It is different from the other entries on our list of the three deserts of California as it is deemed the only ‘cold’ desert in the United States. This means that while summer is dry and hot, winter sees most of its precipitation in the form of snow. This is a sight to behold, we tell you!
The desert in question results from a natural phenomenon called the ‘rainshadow effect’. This is where the wind blows in from the Pacific Ocean and passes over the Sierra Nevada.
During this process, the winds lose most of their moisture via rainfall, and by the time they reach the other side of the mountain range, the winds are dry resulting in the Great Basin Desert.
A whopping 33 summits stand tall in this desert, with some stretching 9,800 feet (3,000 metres) to the sky. The valleys are also elevated, and the terrain ranges from pinyon-juniper forests to low salty dry lakes.
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2. The Colorado Desert – for desert resorts and star-studded festivals
Located in California is the Colorado Desert. This expanse is, in fact, part of the larger Sonoran Desert. The Sonoran Desert is a 260,000 square-kilometre (100,000 square-miles) stretch of land that touches Arizona, Mexico, and California, of course.
The Colorado Desert is one of the three deserts of California, and it occupies approximately 7 million acres (which translates to about 28,000 square kilometres).
Unlike the other entries on our list of Californian deserts, the Colorado Desert boasts a unique climate. With more summer days than its competitors, little to no frost (even during winter), and two rainy seasons (one during summer and another during winter), its climate distinguishes it from all others.
The Colorado Desert has become increasingly popular in recent years. This is because it is home to Coachella Valley, where a star-studded music and arts festival takes place annually.
In this desert, resort cities like Palm Springs thrive. Favoured by the rich and famous as a respite from the busy city life of LA, a trip to the Colorado Desert can be quite the experience after all.
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1. The Mojave Desert – the Californian desert for attractions
Arguably the Mojave Desert is one of America’s most famous desert destinations for native and international tourists. It is located mainly in California, with areas stretching into Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.
Much like the aforementioned Great Basin Desert, the Mojave Desert is a result of the ‘rainshadow effect‘. Spanning 124,000 square kilometres (47,877 square miles), the region’s most iconic species is the Joshua Tree. This tree is solely indigenous to the Mojave Desert.
Sparsely populated with temperatures that can soar above 40°C (104°F), this harsh climate makes it a challenge for life to prosper. It is widely uninhabited, aside from its small-town settlements that dot the landscape. The largest city in the Mojave Desert is Las Vegas, although this is not in California but in Nevada.
Aside from Las Vegas, however, there are tonnes of reasons to visit this amazing desert.
Joshua Tree National Park, a hidden gem in the USA in spring, Death Valley National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve are key attractions for those who love the great outdoors. Ripe with mountain hikes, outdoor excursions, impressive backdrops, and stunning landscapes, there is, in fact, much to keep you curious in this Californian desert.
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Your questions answered about the deserts of California
If you’ve made it to the end of our article on deserts in California and still have questions, we’ve got you covered! In this section, we have answered some of the most commonly asked questions about this topic to us and from our readers online.
Are there desserts in California?
There are three main deserts in California, the Colorado Desert, the Mojave Desert, and the Great Basin Desert.
What is the main desert in California?
The Mojave Desert is the main desert in California and also reaches sections of Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, occupying more than 25,000 square miles of land.
How much of California is desert land?
25% of the total surface area of California is made up of desert terrain.
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