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58 Unbelievable Things People Stumbled Upon In The Desert That Nobody Can Quite Explain
Have you ever considered that in our culture, sand often symbolizes time? This is not only because sand was used to fill hourglasses in ancient times, but also because desert sand perfectly preserves old buildings and other objects abandoned by people many years and centuries ago.
People often travel through deserts, despite the sheer difficulty of survival there, and sometimes they make the most incredible discoveries. From artsy statues to abandoned diners, from rusted car skeletons to whole forgotten towns – here’s a brilliant collection of such discoveries, especially for you!
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#1
Found This Guy In The Desert. Ran Across My Boot And Stopped
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#2
This Is A Strong Contender For My Best Lightning Shot Of The Year
#3
Desert Owl Knows How To Shelter In Place. Tucson, Arizona
Deserts occupy approximately 14% of the planet’s land area, and frankly, this area is only increasing over time. Deserts exist on every continent, from the gigantic Sahara in Africa and the Gobi Desert in Asia to the relatively small Mojave and Atacama Deserts in North and South America. And, well, human activity over the past centuries has directly contributed to the increase in desert areas.
Deserts existed long before humans, and they will continue to exist long after us. Generally speaking, two factors contribute to the emergence of deserts: high mountains nearby or a cold current near the coast. Indeed, if you look at a map, you will see that deserts are always found near mountains.
#4
Did You Guys Know How Big Cactus Can Get? That’s Me At The Bottom
#5
Someone Built A Hand In The Desert In Chile
#6
Another Great Day In The Arizona Desert. Not Processed. Just Washed. Came Straight Out Of The Ground. Thank You, Mother Earth
The point is that high mountains (or old mountains that were once high) block rain and winds, and so on one side, facing the ocean, there’s almost always excess precipitation and moisture, while on the other, a lifeless desert begins.
A classic example is the Himalayas and Tibet in Asia, which block the moist winds blowing from the Indian Ocean. Therefore, northeastern India, Bangladesh, and other neighboring countries are covered in rainforests, while to the north of the mountains stretches a broad belt of hot, almost lifeless deserts.
#7
Desert Roses In Socotra
#8
Springtime In The Sonoran Desert
Lee Gilliland 1 hour ago
A lot of people have no idea how fecund the desert actually is. This is dead normal after e en a short shower. As they say, "Spit and the desert blooms."
#9
Statue In The Desert
The same applies to the largest desert on our planet, the Sahara. The Atlas Mountains in northern Africa are very old and were once significantly higher, blocking the sea winds. Where cold ocean currents approach the coast, such as the Namib Desert in Africa or the Atacama Desert in Chile, precipitation is virtually nonexistent.
However, the Sahara wasn’t always a vast expanse of sand. Just five million years ago, almost the entire territory of North Africa was a fertile savanna, with rivers flowing, lush vegetation, and a multitude of animals. But time passed, and all this green splendor was swallowed by the merciless sands…
#10
Sonoran Desert, AZ
Laszlo Larthlanc 6 hours ago
Those Arizona cloudbursts are incredible! I experienced one heading east out of Flagstaff, and it was as if someone was aiming a fire hose at the windshield, and the windshield wipers didn't help a bit. We just stopped where we were because we knew that there was a deep gully next to the shoulder, and we were hoping we weren't going to get rear-ended. When the rain stopped it stopped instantly, as if someone had turned just turned off the water with a switch. We could see the cloud that had rained on us sailing off at high speed into the northeast, trailing heavy rain behind it.
#11
Just A Casual Swimming Hole In The Middle Of A Salt Flat In The Desert. Chile Has Been Full Of Crazy Things So Far
#12
This Thorny Devil I Found Looks Disappointed In Me For Picking Him Up
Yes, many deserts once harbored life, and where there’s life, there are people. That’s why deserts around the world conceal thousands and millions of different relics of human activity. Be it a coin dropped by a merchant crossing the desert with a camel caravan or an entire town abandoned and buried by sand.
Yes, it does happen, and some examples are quite modern. The story of Kolmanskop, a once-thriving small town in Namibia, Southwest Africa, is quite telling. At the beginning of the last century, diamond deposits were discovered here, and within just a few years, the diamond rush that followed made Kolmanskop a thriving place.
#13
It Happened Just Two Days Ago! I Walked For 80 Km Through The Desert Just To See This Beauty. An Abandoned 60m Heights Space Rocket
BeesEelsAndPups 4 hours ago
I mean, if they don't want it, I'll take it. Think it'll fit in my girlfriend's Honda?
#14
Flintstones Theme Park Left In Disrepair In The Desert
#15
Went To The Desert On Xmas Day, Found A Model-T And Amazing Light.
nicholas nolan 3 hours ago
Roxie! Roxie! [sounds of sobbing] Roxie! I filled my tires with water for better traction, Roxie! (IYKYK)
But all good things must come to an end. First, World War I broke out, and Kolmanskop, founded by the Germans, was left without any supplies. Then, after the war, a much more significant diamond deposit was discovered a few dozen miles away, and the entire community gradually moved to neighboring Oranjemund.
Today, all the houses in Kolmanskop are partially covered in sand, which simultaneously protects the buildings from destruction. About half a century ago, the De Beers company, the world's largest diamond company, restored some of the houses, creating a kind of open-air museum.
Today, Kolmanskop is a frequent tourist destination, and documentaries and feature films are shot there, but life, real life, actually disappeared almost a century ago.
#16
Found An Unfinished And Abandoned Mall In The Middle Of The Desert
#17
Abandoned Airplane Crash In The Desert
#18
Puna De Atacama, Argentina
Incidentally, economics often leads to the emergence of such abandoned places in the most unexpected desert locations. For example, in the Western US, during the height of the gold rush or oil boom, thriving towns with all the trappings of luxury life would sometimes spring up from nothing in a matter of years.
And then the money left them, and with it, their life. As a result, driving along the highways of California, Nevada, or Arizona, you can find abandoned gas pumps, supermarkets, or even entire children’s theme parks with peeling cartoon hero figures staring forlornly into the void right in the middle of the desert…
#19
Abandoned Town (Kolmanskop, Namibia)
UnclePanda 3 hours ago (edited)
The acoustics on the lower right have the potential to be literally and physically stunning.
#20
Some Petroglyphs I Found Out In The California Desert Today
#21
A Few Days Ago I’ve Slept Inside This Abandoned Ship In A Desert Of Uzbekistan
Lazy Panda 2 7 hours ago
I'm guessing this is the former Aral Sea. It dried up after water that fed it was diverted for irrigation.
Desert explorers might also encounter the work of some daring artists – for example, a surreal statue half-buried in sand, or even a huge hand peeking out from the ground, as if a giant were lurking below.
Incidentally, this hand-shaped sculpture, found in the Chilean desert, is also featured in our collection, and you can see for yourself how impressive yet eerie it actually looks.
#22
A Lone Tree In The Sahara, Mauritania
#23
Shipwreck In The Mersey Deserts
#24
This Abandoned Restaurant In The Middle Of The Desert
Anyway, people have always been drawn to the unknown, and the rustling of myriad grains of sand, many of which date back to the time of the dinosaurs, eternally sings the soothing song of life. It tells us that nothing lasts forever under these stars, but you can always encounter something new, something interesting and captivating.
So now, our dear readers, please feel free to explore this collection to the very end, and maybe add your own incredible finds, in case you, too, have ever made your way through the desert.
#25
Found In The Desert
Found roadside on the way to Joshua Tree. Literal desert; there doesn't appear to be a nearby water source. Several melon/squash fruits attached. I took a pic to show the rangers; they didn't know.
Laszlo Larthlanc 5 hours ago (edited)
Coyote melon. Cucurbita palmata, or Cucurbita californica. We have these locally, and they cover large areas of otherwise bare ground. They aren't edible and all the ones I've found have strong smelling foliage and fruit. Indigenous Americans in California used these to make soap.
#26
I Found This Rock In The Desert That Looks Like Africa
#28
I Didn’t Expect The Desert To Be This Fascinating
Laszlo Larthlanc 5 hours ago
Zion National Park. To me, even more beautiful than the Grand Canyon.
#29
Found In The Desert Outside Of Roswell, New Mexico
#30
This Car In The Vegas Desert
#31
This Rock I Found In The Desert With A Surface Pattern That Resembles Lightning Burns
#32
Burned-Out Train Car Hidden In The Desert
More Information 6 hours ago
"Get out of the photo, I cant see the chairs." - cameraman, probably
#33
Giant Graffiti Wheel Of Fortune Out In The Desert
Laszlo Larthlanc 6 hours ago
Three Kids Mine. A defunct open-pit manganese mine in Henderson, Nevada.
#34
Mojave Desert, Nevada
#35
First Time Out And Found This Strange Manhole Thing A Few Inches Down. Out In The Middle Of The Desert
wzl46 replied:
"That’s an irrigation valve. It’s attached to an underground pipe, and the cap is removed to let water flow and flood the field or yard where it’s located. There are gates upstream that are opened or closed based on which area is going to get irrigated."
Laszlo Larthlanc 5 hours ago
I have several of these caps, found in abandoned orchards. I have no idea why I keep them.
#36
The Things You Find In The Desert
#37
Abandoned Waterpark In The Desert Shutdown From To Much Debt
Chich the witch 5 hours ago
No doubt closed down so the owners could devote all their time to their new nudist beach in the Arctic.
#38
Random Piece Of Street In The Middle Of The Desert
Laszlo Larthlanc 6 hours ago
Supposedly near Ravena, California, which is near Acton, California, which is near Palmdale, California. The area east of Palmdale and north of Littlerock used to have lot of these road fragments because planned developments were started and then abandoned. You used to be able to find stuff like this if you headed east on Palmdale Blvd after it turned into a dirt road. I found a tiny town out there called Hi Vista, which is apparently still there but is no longer what it was when I found it -- a collection of neat white clapboard houses with green asphalt shingle roofs, and not a single person around. Amazingly, there was a statue of Jackie Robinson in the center of the town. A local told me that Black workers had been pushed out of Palmdale and Lancaster into that town. Lancaster now has a significantly large Black population.
#39
Strange Find In The California Desert
We stumbled upon this spot down a dirt track while looking for a place to camp for the night. 5 pianos, horns, various other instruments, mannequins, and many other bizarre items. What I found odd was that the spot was very well kept and tidy, no trash, alcohol remnants, evidence of partying etc. This was literally in the middle of nowhere, and I probably could not find it again if given the chance.
Chris Merillo 1 hour ago
I'm gonna say someone filmed a music video out there and left their trash.
#40
Abandoned Railroad In The Desert
#41
I Keep Finding These Stones Near Quartzsite, AZ. They Are Usually A Mix Of Clearish To White, With Sometimes Orange In Patches Or In Lines
They will have a white rind if it hasn’t been broken off. They look “puddled” or blobbed when they are forming, with occasional thumbprint patterns or circular patterns. I scratch tested them with glass and a thumbtack; none left a mark. I smashed one open, and it took some effort. I was thinking quartz because it’s Quartzsite, but I’m not sure.
#43
I Found This Seashell In The Middle Of The Desert
#44
Tick Making It’s Way Through The Sahara Desert
Laszlo Larthlanc 5 hours ago
It has fed, and out there one has to wonder where it found a meal.
#45
Found A Cave (Lava Tube) In The Idaho Desert
2dhqnhfw48 6 hours ago
Area is full of them. Ice caves in Shoshone have year round ice in them.
#46
Desert Adventures Lead To Strange Findings
#47
Huge Green Weird Rock/Plant We Saw In The Middle Of The Desert In Uyuni, Bolivia (13,000 Feet Above Sea Level). It Was Like 3 Ft High. Like A Moss Cloud
Laszlo Larthlanc 5 hours ago
From Wikipedia: "Yareta or llareta (in Spanish), known scientifically as Azorella compacta, (historically Azorella yareta) is a velvety, chartreuse cushion plant in the family Apiaceae which is native to South America. It grows in the Puna grasslands of the Andes in Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile and western Argentina at altitudes between 3,200 and 5,250 metres (10,500 and 17,220 ft).
#48
Clown Museum With A 100 Year Old Cemetory Right Next To It... In A Town With 2000 People, Tonopah, Nevada
Michael Largey 5 hours ago
I hear they're tearing down the east wing of the museum for a ballroom.
#49
Found Mushrooms In The Desert Of Wadi Rum, Jordan
BeesEelsAndPups 4 hours ago
Pretty sure those are desert truffles. I don't remember the local name. I went out in Wadi Rum with a guide and he showed me some edible mushrooms. He said these are super rare, and we didn't find them in the ground, he just had some to show me. I'm no mycologist, so don't go eating something I pointed out. As far as I know, those could be super death k**l mushrooms.
#50
This Sunflower Growing Randomly In The Desert
#51
Chest Found In Mojave Desert
My friend and I were searching around his property with my metal detector when we came across this. It took a while to get it out, but there was nothing inside the chest except that it was filled to the brim with dirt. In the dirt were a few plastic flowers.
We thought it was a coffin at first, but it's too small, and it was unmarked. I think it may be the past landowner's chest, but I don't understand the SS markings. And the fact it was full of dirt. Why would someone bury a chest full of dirt?
#52
Abandoned In The Desert Of Southeast Utah
Pradeep Behera 4 hours ago
This restaurant looks like the abandoned restaurant from drive beyond horizons game
#53
You Never Know What You’ll Find Running Out In The Vegas Desert
Was doing a trail run out by Little Red Rock and found a slightly used Toyota 4Runner. Needs a little work.
#54
Couches Are Surprisingly Abundant In Deserts
#55
Found In The Californian Mojave Desert At An Elevation Of 1000 Metres
Laszlo Larthlanc 5 hours ago
Fringed Amaranth. From Calscape (California Native Plant Society): "Amaranthus fimbriatus is a species of glabrous flowering plant. It is also known by common names such as fringed amaranth or fringed pigweed. The plant can often grow up to 0. 7 m (2 ft. ) in height. The flower is greenish to maroon. It is found in the Southwestern U. S. and in Mexico. It often grows on sandy, gravelly slopes or in disturbed habitats. It usually blooms after the summer rains in these arid regions. This is a California native plant that can become weedy in landscaping situations."
#56
An Old Taco Bell, Gas Station House Found In The Middle Of The Desert
#57
My Sister Found “Murdoc Is God” Spray Painted On A Deserted Vehicle In The Middle Of A Texas Desert
#58
I Found A Random Chair In The Mojave Desert
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