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The Mojave Desert is classified as a 'rain-shadow' desert because the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi mountains block moisture-laden storms from the coast. Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty ImagesImportant Points to Remember
- High deserts aren't always hot and sandy; they're marked by extreme dryness and can be found at high altitudes across the globe.
- The Great Basin Desert in the U.S. stands out as the largest 'cold desert', known for its vast temperature swings and significant elevation range.
- These desert regions can still receive precipitation, often in the form of snow, which helps shape their distinctive ecosystems and climates.
When you think of a desert, you might picture vast stretches of sand and scorching temperatures. But not all deserts are covered in sand, and they certainly aren't all hot.
According to the definition, a desert is any large, arid region with minimal vegetation. This means deserts can also be found in polar areas, where snow dunes replace their sand counterparts. In fact, the two largest deserts on Earth are located at the North and South Poles.
So, where can we find the highest deserts? Among the roughly 32 major deserts on Earth, five rise above 3,000 feet (914 meters) in elevation, and we’ve got them on our radar. Get your hiking boots ready and let's dive in.
1. The Mojave
The Mojave is a rain-shadow desert that spans southeastern California and southern Nevada, with smaller sections extending into Utah and Arizona. Famous for recording the hottest air and surface temperatures on Earth, the Mojave is known as the smallest and driest desert in North America. It covers about 50,000 square miles (129,500 square kilometers), with elevations ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 feet (915 to 1,828 meters) above sea level.
Fun fact: California's Death Valley, located in the northern Mojave, is home to both the highest point (11,049 feet [3,367 meters], Telescope Peak) and the lowest point (282 feet [86 meters] below sea level, Badwater Basin) in the U.S.
2. The Great Basin
The Great Basin Desert is the largest desert in the U.S. It covers roughly 190,000 square miles (492,097 square kilometers) and is bordered by the Sierra Nevada Range to the west, the Rocky Mountains to the east, the Columbia Plateau to the north, and the Mojave and Sonoran deserts to the south. Known as the only cold desert in the U.S., temperatures can soar in the summer and plummet in the winter. Due to the rain shadow effect created by the Sierra Nevada Mountains, rainfall is minimal. Its lowest elevation starts at 3,000 feet (914 meters), with common elevations ranging from 4,000 to 6,500 feet (1,219 to 1,981 meters).
Fun fact: The Great Basin experiences extreme temperature shifts, with a difference of up to 30 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius) between day and night.
The Great Basin Desert is the largest desert in the United States. Classified as a 'cold desert', it receives most of its annual precipitation (ranging from 7 to 12 inches) in the form of snow.
National Park Service3. The Katpana Desert
Nestled in the Himalayas, the Katpana Desert, also known as the Cold Desert, is located near Skardu in northern Kashmir, Pakistan. The desert features expansive sand dunes, which are often covered in snow during the winter months. Sitting at an elevation of around 7,500 feet (2,286 meters), it is one of the highest deserts in the world. Although the desert technically stretches from the Khaplu Valley to Nubra in Indian-administered Ladakh, the largest portion is found in Skardu and Shigar Valley, both within Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Fun fact: Katpana holds the title of the highest cold desert in the world.
During the winter, Pakistan's Katpana Desert can experience extreme cold, with temperatures plummeting to as low as -13 degrees Fahrenheit (-25 degrees Celsius).
Wikimedia/(CC BY-SA 4.0)4. Qaidam Basin Semidesert
The Qaidam Basin Semidesert is one of the most fascinating deserts on our list. Located about 8,530 feet (2,600 meters) above sea level, it lies between the Tibet Plateau, the Altun Mountains, and the western Qilian Mountains in China. What makes this desert especially unique is that it is becoming wetter. Satellite images indicate that groundwater levels are rising in the Qaidam Basin, which may be due to more rainfall, the melting of permafrost, or reduced evaporation — all potentially linked to climate change.
Fun fact: China is also home to one of the world’s lowest deserts, the Turpan Depression, which is situated 492 feet (150 meters) below sea level.
The Qaidam Basin, located on the Tibetan Plateau, is the largest terrestrial basin in the region. Still largely unexplored, it remains one of the "last frontiers" for paleontological research.
Dr. Yang Wang, Florida State University5. The Atacama
Chile's Atacama Desert holds the title of the highest nonpolar desert on Earth. This vast desert stretches across the southern border of Peru, lying between the coastal Cordillera de la Costa mountain range and the majestic Andes Mountains. At an average elevation of around 13,000 feet (4,000 meters), the Atacama is not only the driest but also the oldest desert on the planet.
Fun fact: The soil samples from the Atacama Desert closely resemble those found on Mars, which is why NASA uses this desert to test instruments intended for missions to the red planet.
Approximately one million people reside in the Atacama Desert, where they herd alpacas and cultivate crops suited for dry climates, such as olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty ImagesThere are between five and eight distinct types of deserts, depending on the classification system, each home to specialized plant and animal species that have adapted to survive in their extreme conditions. Some of the most fascinating types include rain-shadow, coastal, monsoon, and paleodeserts.
