North American Deserts · Zones 5–10
Deserts & Dry Basins
The Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts and the Columbia and Snake River plateaus: sun, low humidity and cold nights.
Sagebrush steppe, creosote and saguaro flats, canyon country, ephemeral washes and a few big reservoirs and tailwaters.
Get your local guide
Places in this region
Gardening
Shade cloth, deep mulch and drip; a winter vegetable garden in the low desert, a short intense summer season in the high desert; dates, figs, pomegranates and citrus in the south.
About gardening guides →Fishing
Largemouth and striped bass in the reservoirs (Mead, Powell, Roosevelt), trout in tailwaters and mountain streams, catfish and crappie.
About fishing guides →Foraging
Prickly pear fruit and pads, mesquite pods, cholla buds, saguaro fruit (with permission), piñon nuts, wild grapes in canyons and desert chia.
About foraging guides →The weekly note for the Deserts & Dry Basins
Enter your email and we'll tune it to your area once you look up a location.