White Sands National Monument, New Mexico:  14 June 2004

Long ago, a land-locked lake evaporated, leaving a layer of gypsum 2000 feet deep.  Winds have created this 275-square-mile dune field.  Parts of the park

look like Maine in winter, complete with plowed roads, white drifts, a parking lot that looks like a frozen pond, and children sledding.  [21 photos]