The Oceano Dunes District of California State Parks is spreading hay across parts of the dunes to try to prevent blowing dust and sand.

“What we do is we put a cover of hay on the ground and then we seed native dune seed and, as well as sterile cereal grain for something to germinate quickly to hold the sand down,” explained Jon O’Brien, Oceano Dunes District Superintendent.

“Otherworldly” is often thrown around to describe beautiful places across the globe, from driftwood beaches and volcanic wonders to polar landscapes and multicolored rock formations. But the term encapsulates the scene you’ll find at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in southwestern Utah.

Just an hour from Chicago, Indiana Dunes National Park stretches along Lake Michigan’s southern shore—its 15,000 acres of beach, forest, and wetland feel far removed from the city. And even though it’s one of the lesser-known national parks, it’s one of the most biodiverse landscapes in the country.

At 6:47 AM on November 12, 2025, golden light touches the crest of Star Dune while snow glows on Sangre de Cristo peaks 8 miles away. This is Great Sand Dunes National Park, where 750-foot sand mountains rise impossibly at the base of 13,000-foot Rocky Mountain summits.

Each year, over 400,000 visitors explore its diverse habitats, hoping to catch a glimpse of the rich wildlife that calls the park home. Whether you hike, camp, or just enjoy the ever-changing light on the dunes, prepare for encounters with animal species that might surprise you.

“Otherworldly” is a word that’s thrown around to describe a number of places around the globe—from driftwood beaches and volcanic wonders to polar landscapes and rock formations with a stunning array of colors.

In some places, sand dunes protect shorelines from the onslaught of ocean waves. In other places, the dunes themselves are on the move, and threaten human structures.

Spending time in Wyoming’s vast Killpecker Sand Dunes deserves a spot on anyone’s bucket list. It feels like visiting another planet — a place where the sand sings to you.

The desert gets a pretty unfair rap. Hollywood may want us to believe every desert is a barren expanse of cactus-pocked flatland, or perhaps an endless sea of shifting yellow sand, but there’s much more to this fascinating biome than we’ve been taught to expect. Case in point: New Mexico’s one-of-a-kind White Sands National Park.