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Tucked away in the Tularosa basin, these dazzling White Sand dunes take the title of the largest gypsum sand dunefield in the world. The dunes cover 275 square  miles and are all protected by the National Park service! The sand itself was left behind by the Permian Sea millions of years ago.  Steady and strong southwest winds keep the sand moving and piling up year over year. This constant movement gives the sand it's wavy appearance (as pictured above). Vegetation peaks through the dunes to provide both food and shelter for the park's wildlife. Thanks to this vegetation, there is...

In southern Arizona, tucked into the dry desert, you'll find Saguaro National Park. The park is named after the largest cacti species in the world: the saguaro. In the park, these cacti tower over the desert floor in thousands. These cacti can grow up to 70 feet tall and live up to 200 years. However, on average, they grow to around 40 feet. Saguaros grow very slowly and will only grow 1-2" in their first 8 years of life. Their branches tend to appear at 50-70 years old.  The park itself is split into 2 districts. The west side has a denser population of Saguaros...

In 1949, a group of pioneers got lost in a desert valley. Only one of the pioneers died, however, they all assumed the valley would be their grave. After being rescued, one of the men turned around and said, “Goodby Death Valley,” and that’s how the valley came to be known! Devil's Golf Course Death Valley is the LARGEST national park in the continental US at 3.3 million acres. In the park you'll find the lowest point in North America: Badwater Basin at 282 ft below sea level. This is also where the hottest temperature on earth ever was recorded at...

OTAK spent a weekend in Joshua Tree National Park and have some amazing photos, fun insight and tips to share with you!