Desert Solitaire:
The Great Basin

Flags l. to r.: Utah, Nevada, Oregon, California.

Bonneville Salt Flats, Black Rock Desert, and Death Valley (and other sites in the vicinity):

The Black Rock Desert in Northwestern Nevada is one of the most incredible unspoiled deserts I've ever been to. It's full of history and fascinating places to explore. I first read about the BRD in a book back in the early '80s, and have wanted to go there ever since. Well, after being overseas in the former Yugoslavia, I decided that, come hell or high water, I was going to go as soon as I got back to the USA. I did, and it was great. Here are just a few pictures from my travels there...

On the way, I stopped in the Bonneville Salt Flats in Western Utah, and took the "self portrait" above...

Below: Another view of the Great Salt Lake Desert/Bonneville Salt Flats.

Above: A view of the Black Rock Range from the floor of the Desert. The "actual" Black Rock Desert (as opposed to merely the regions around it) is a playa, or dry lake, about 8-10 miles wide and 80 miles long. Most of it looks like this, flat, sun-baked, alkali desert. Note the similarity to the picture above. The only difference is the material that composes the desert floor: Dried mud in the Black Rock and Salt in the Bonneville.

Below: A view of the Black Rock Desert from my campsite. The thin yellowish streak in the center is the dry lake bed (the desert proper.)

Above: Approaching the BRD from the East, you get this view. The small formation at the center-left of the photo is called Pulpit Rock, because of its appearance.

Below: My Mighty Mitsubishi Montero, AKA the "Urban Gorilla" takes on the Black Rock.

Above: Campsite in the Black Rock Desert

Below: Thunderstorm blowing across a valley in the arid country of Southeastern Oregon, near the Nevada state line.

Above: Old bank building in the Nevada Ghost Town of Ryholite (near Death Valley.) Probably the most photographed building in Nevada outside of Las Vegas.

Below: Dante's View, el. 5475' above Mean Sea Level (MSL) (1669m) is situated directly above Badwater, el. -282 MSL (-86m.) In the background, you can see the Park's highest point, Telescope Peak, el. 11,049 MSL (3368m.) I would compare the view from Dante's to that from the rim of the Grand Canyon.

Above: Another shot from Dante's View, this time looking to the North.

Below: My attempt (not real successful) to get a panoramic shot of Ubehebe Crater in the Northern part of the park. Ubehebe Crater was formed about 4,000 years ago when a rising column of magma (molten rock) hit a pocket of underground water, instantly converting it to steam, which exploded like an atom bomb. For scale, see the small arrow at the left. The tiny white speck it is pointing to is my car!

All images © by Martin Albright, 1998-2001. All rights reserved.