Ibex Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park

The Ibex Dunes are located in a remote region inside Death Valley National Park territory — surprisingly close to a main road, yet packed into a corner of a mountain range that makes them pristine and overlooked by the casual visitor. About 8 miles of combined 2WD high-clearance dirt road leads to a parking spot, then a hike across the desert to the dunes. The old road leading right to them has been left unmaintained to filter out more visitors, but the determined are rewarded with unfooted, towering sand dunes and a silence so profound it feels like tinnitus.

We made the casual hike to the dunes as they magnified with each step. The sun cast great light in 100-degree heat — we wasted no time photographing the slow-moving wave action the dunes morph into. We slogged up the thick sand — two steps forward, one step back — to a summit with majestic views and an inspiring ponder of how this sand blew over the mountains from another set of dunes. As the sun set, a dry thin heat lingered perfectly for a night under the stars. The Andromeda Galaxy was visible in a long-exposure photo. A remarkable place.