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.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is inviting all motorists to use the state’s trails, scramble areas, county, state forest and national forest roads during Free ORV weekend Aug. 16-17.

In a stunning display of endurance, teamwork and sheer determination, one Michigan high school team has captured national attention and gone viral in the process after tackling the legendary Sleeping Bear Dunes in a way few would dare attempt — especially considering rescue would cost $3,000.

Indiana Dunes features over 50 miles of diverse trails, from short strolls through the sand to long hikes through wetlands.

Rising out of the Tularosa Basin in south-central New Mexico is one of the country’s most underrated wonders: waves of pure white sand spreading as far as the eye can see. At first glance, it looks like a vast expanse of snowdrifts, but step out of your car and you’ll find it crunches underfoot.

Architect Murray D. Heatherington designed the Cypress Log Cabin for the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago as a model of cypress design and construction.

Located way up north, along Noatak National Preserve’s southern border and within spitting distance of Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, not only is Kobuk Valley a land of sand dunes in addition to rivers, forests, and mountains, but it’s also where 250,000 caribou pass twice a year on an annual migration between their summer and winter grounds.