#desert escape

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[yellowmanula]

[americasgreatoutdoors]

Take a walk through the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness in New Mexico, and you'll feel like you've crossed over into another world. The natural elements have etched strange rock formations made of interbedded sandstone, shale, mudstone, coal and silt. With a myriad of unusual forms and shadows, this area is a photographer's dream. Just be sure to come prepared with water and GPS or hire a guide. It's important to come prepared, so the only way you get lost is in wonder. Photo by Jim Mangum (www.sharetheexperience.org).

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[putting-to-flight]

[yellowmanula]

[americasgreatoutdoors]

The mornings and evenings are alive with the songs of birds and other wildlife at Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, a vital oasis in the high desert of Nevada. Located 75 miles from Reno, it’s some of the only water around, providing a refreshing marsh for a variety of birds and other wildlife. Egrets, herons, hawks, owls, waterfowl and shorebirds all thrive there and you may even see coyotes, mule deer, or pronghorn as you explore the area. Photo by Marie Nygren, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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