White Sands National Park

The western United States protects some of North America's most diverse natural landscapes. From the layered canyons of Canyonlands in Utah to the white gypsum dunes of White Sands in New Mexico, this region spans multiple climate zones and geological formations. Visitors find national parks, Pueblo archaeological sites and natural phenomena that document millions of years of Earth's history.The collection includes the ruins of Mesa Verde, where Ancestral Pueblo communities built cliff dwellings into sandstone alcoves from the 6th century until the late 1200s. Dinosaur National Monument preserves one of the world's most significant fossil beds, with more than 1,500 exposed dinosaur bones. Colorado's Great Sand Dunes rise to 750 feet (229 meters), making them the tallest dunes in North America. Carlsbad Caverns extends through 30 miles (48 kilometers) of underground passages with more than 120 known caves.The region's geology appears in the 2,000-foot (610-meter) depths of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and the petrified tree trunks in Petrified Forest that date back more than 200 million years. Monument Valley presents sandstone formations rising 400 to 1,000 feet (122 to 305 meters) above the valley floor. Utah's Mystic Hot Springs feeds natural mineral pools at temperatures around 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit (71 to 82 degrees Celsius). Wolf Creek ski area records an average annual snowfall of 465 inches (11.4 meters).

The southwestern United States encompasses desert landscapes, sandstone formations and archaeological sites from several pre-Columbian cultures. The region spans Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, featuring geological structures shaped over millions of years by wind and water erosion. National parks such as Canyonlands and Capitol Reef display canyons, mesas and rock spires in shades of red, orange and ochre. The area preserves evidence of the Ancestral Puebloans, who built cliff dwellings and communal structures between the 12th and 14th centuries. Sites like Bandelier National Monument and Gila Cliff Dwellings provide access to these habitations. Chaco Culture National Historical Park documents a pre-Hispanic trading center with multistory stone complexes. Petroglyphs at locations such as Three Rivers and the petrified trees of Petrified Forest National Park offer additional historical records. The Navajo Nation administers Monument Valley and the Navajo Zoo, while Hubbell Trading Post operates as a functioning 19th-century trading post. Volcanic features mark Sunset Crater and El Malpais, while White Sands covers more than 275 square miles (700 square kilometers) of gypsum dunes. Glen Canyon and the man-made Lake Cochiti provide water access in this largely arid region. Elevation differences range from the Organ Pipe Cactus Desert to Great Basin National Park with its ridges above 13,000 feet (3,900 meters).

New Mexico combines geological formations with historical sites spanning multiple periods. The region includes cave systems such as Carlsbad Caverns, extensive gypsum fields at White Sands, volcanic landscapes at El Malpais National Monument, and unusual rock formations in the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness. The territory also preserves evidence of pre-Columbian and Spanish settlement, including pueblo ruins, cliff dwellings, and seventeenth-century mission complexes. Sites range from ancient petroglyphs at Three Rivers to military installations like Fort Union. Natural attractions include hot springs at Jemez Springs, the volcanic crater of Valles Caldera, and the deep blue waters of Blue Hole. The collection features archaeological monuments such as Chaco Culture and Bandelier, geological curiosities like the hoodoos at Tent Rocks, and historic pueblos including Taos, which has been continuously inhabited for over a thousand years.