Desert mountains, sand dunes, desert shrubs, Death Valley National Park

Scrappy little trees

Mountains fill the upper half of our photo while dunes dominate the lower, but it's those sand-rooted scrub trees that give both landforms their name. The Mesquite Mountains tower behind Mesquite Flat, a dune field that despite its dryness is home to hardy clusters of—you guessed it—mesquite trees. Believe it or not, humans have thrived in this tough environment too: Death Valley National Park is a traditional land of the Timbisha Shoshone, who once relied on mesquite bean pods as a winter foodstuff.