THE DUNES

A dune is a hill of sand, more specifically it is built by the activity of the wind, shape the surface of Earth. Dunes are commonly found in the desert & coastal areas. Many of the Dunes in the world are popular tourist destinations. Here are some examples, some of them are remarkably beautiful

1. Algodones Dunes (USA)

Imperial Sand Dunes, Glamis, CA. [ Photo by Pretzelpaws / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Algodones Dunes is a large erg (sand dune field) located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of California, near the border with Arizona and the Mexican state of Baja California. The field is approximately 72 kilometers long by 10 kilometers wide (45 miles by 6 miles) and extends along a northwest-southeast line that correlates to the prevailing northerly and westerly wind directions. The name "Algodones Dunes" refers to the entire geographic feature, while the administrative designation for that portion managed by the Bureau of Land Management is the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (sometimes called the Glamis Dunes). The Algodones Dunes are split into many different sections. These sections include Glamis, Gordon's Well, Buttercup, Midway, and Patton's Valley. The Spanish word algodones translates to the English word cotton. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

2. Death Valley National Park (USA)

Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park. The image shows coppice dunes , which are formed around vegetation. [ Photo by Mila Zinkova / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Death Valley National Park is a national park located east of the Sierra Nevada in the arid Great Basin of the United States. Parts of the park are in southern Inyo County and northern San Bernardino County in Eastern California, with a small extension into southwestern Nye County and extreme southern Esmeralda County in Nevada. In addition, there is an exclave (Devil's Hole) in southern Nye County. The park covers 5,262 square miles (13,630 km2), encompassing Saline Valley, a large part of Panamint Valley, almost all of Death Valley, and parts of several mountain ranges. Death Valley National Monument was declared a U.S. National Monument in 1933, placing the area under federal protection. In 1994, the monument was redesignated a national park, as well as being substantially expanded to include Saline and Eureka valleys. Soon the valley was a popular winter destination. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

3. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (USA)

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado, Etats-Unis [ Photo by Site personnel de Phil Armitage, www.philarmitage.net/dunes/dunes4.html / free for use ]

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park located in the easternmost parts of Alamosa County and Saguache County, Colorado, United States. Originally designated Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve was created by an act of the United States Congress on September 13, 2004. The park contains approximately 85,000 acres (340 km², 130 mi²). The park contains the tallest sand dunes in North America, rising about 750 feet (230 m) from the floor of the San Luis Valley on the western base of the Sangre de Cristo Range, covering about 19,000 acres (77 km²). They are perhaps 12,000 years old. The dunes were formed from sand and soil deposits of the Rio Grande and its tributaries, flowing through the San Luis Valley. (based on a wikipediaarticle / cc by-sa)

4. Jockey's Ridge State Park (USA)

Jockeys Ridge State Park in North Carolina. [ Photo by Pytheas / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Jockey's Ridge State Park is a North Carolina state park in Dare County, North Carolina in the United States. Located in Nags Head, North Carolina, it covers 426 acres (1.72 km²) and includes the tallest active sand dune system in the eastern United States. It is the most visited park within the NC park system The park is a day-use only park and has no campgrounds. Jockey's Ridge contains three unique ecosystems: the Roanoke Sound, the dune system, and the maritime forest. Often when it rains, water collects near the bottom of the dunes creating a temporary pond, known as a vernal pool. Few fauna can be seen around the dunes, although some types of flora, such as tall grass, may be readily identified closer to the bottom of the dunes. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

5. Kelso Dunes (USA)

Kelso Dunes, Mojave National Preserve, California. [ Photo by Wilson44691 / public domain ]

Kelso Dunes, also known as the Kelso Dune Field, is the largest field of eolian sand deposits in the Mojave Desert. The region is protected by the Mojave National Preserve and is located near the town of Baker, San Bernardino County, California and the Preserve Visitor Center. The dune field covers 45 square miles (120 km2) and includes migrating dunes, vegetation-stabilized dunes, sand sheets, and sand ramps. The tallest dunes rise up to 650 feet (200 m) above the surrounding terrain. The dunes are composed predominantly of light-colored quartz and feldspar, most likely eroded from the granitics of the San Bernardino Mountains to the southwest. Magnetite and amphibole can also be found, often accumulating at the dune crests. Kelso Dunes represent part of a much larger sand transport system, which includes the nearby Devil's Playground region. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

6. Little Sahara Recreation Area (USA)

A view of Sand Mountain campground from the side of Sand Mountain at Little Sahara Recreation Area in Utah. [ Photo by Mike Scalora / CC BY-SA 2.5]

The Little Sahara Recreation Area in Utah is a large area of sand dunes, hills and sagebrush flats located in the west central part of the state approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of Delta, Utah. It is managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management. A 9,000-acre (36 km2) portion of the northwest corner of the facility has been designated as The Rockwell Natural Area and is off limits to vehicles to preserve and shelter desert plants and animals. The Little Sahara sand dunes are remnants of a large river delta formed by the Sevier River from about 12,500 to 20,000 years ago. The river emptied into ancient Lake Bonneville near the present day mouth of Leamington Canyon. After Lake Bonneville receded, winds transported the sand from the river delta to the current location. The dunes are still moving 5 to 9 feet (1.5 to 3 m) per year. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

7. Monahans Sandhills State Park (USA)

Sand dunes at sunrise. [ Photo by Wing-Chi Poon / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Monahans Sandhills State Park is a 3,840-acre (1,550 ha) state park located in Ward County and Winkler County, Texas. The closest major town is Monahans, Texas, and the closest limited-access highway ingress is Exit 86 on Interstate 20. Monahans Sandhills State Park is noted for the presence of sand dunes up to 70 feet (21 m) high. Although desert-like, the Monahans Sandhills are not a desert; they are a part of a semi-arid ecosystem (average annual rainfall 12.3 inches (310 mm)) characterized by the presence of both groundwater and relatively nutrient-poor windblown sand. The Shinoak (Quercus havardii) is a local climax shrub, an unusual type of oak tree which because of local conditions often achieves full growth of only 4 feet (1.2 m) in height. Most of a Shinoak's biomass exists in the form of a lengthy root system reaching down to groundwater. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

8. Red Desert (Wyoming) (USA)

The Killpecker Sand Dunes of the Red Desert support of wide range of wildlife and vegetation, ranging from elk who use the adjoining sagebrush steppe for shelter to aquatic organisms that thrive in snowmelt ponds. [ Photo by Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Government Agency / public domain ]

The Red Desert is a high altitude desert and sagebrush steppe located in south central Wyoming, comprising approximately 6 million acres (24,000 km²). Among the natural features in the Red Desert region are the Great Divide Basin, a unique endorheic drainage basin formed by a division in the Continental Divide, and the Killpecker Sand Dunes, the largest living dune system in the United States. In the 19th century, the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails tracked through the northern and western regions of the Red Desert after crossing the Continental Divide at South Pass. Today, busy Interstate 80 bisects the desert's southern region while a spider web of gas field roads probe the farthest reaches of the desert. The Red Desert supports an abundance of wildlife, despite its scarcity of water and vegetation. (based on a wikipediaarticle / cc by-sa)

9. White Sands National Monument (USA)

Dunes at White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, USA. [ Photo by Jennifer Willbur / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The White Sands National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located about 25 km (15 miles) southwest of Alamogordo in western Otero County and northeastern Dona Ana County in the state of New Mexico, at an elevation of 4235 feet (1291 m). The area is in the mountain-ringed Tularosa Basin valley area and comprises the southern part of a 710-km² (275-mi²) field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. The first exploration was led by a party of US Army officers in 1849. :6 :5 The Mescalero Apache were already living in the area at the time. Hispanic families started farming communities in the area at Tularosa in 1861 and at La Luz in 1863.:6 The idea of creating a national park here goes back at least to 1898, when a group in El Paso proposed a Mescalero National Park. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

10. Genipabu (Brazil)

Camelus dromedarius in Genipabu, Natal, Brazil. [ Photo by Alexandre Machado / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

Genipabu (or Jenipabu) is a beach with a complex of dunes, a lagoon and an environmental protection area (APA) located in Natal, one of the most famous post-cards of the Rio Grande do Norte Brazilian state. Its huge dunes and fresh water lagoon are a major touristic destination. The beach has plenty infrastructure of hotels, inns, restaurants, beach tents, "buggies" rides, rafts and dromedaries. Genipabu is internationally famous for its natural beauty and for its "buggie" and dromedarie rides. With its beautiful and calm waters, it attract lots of tourists in the summer. "Buggie" rides are offered locally in two styles, com emoção (a riskier ride) or sem emoção (a safer one). It is urged, however, that only authorized professionals responsible for security of both tourists and environment should be paid. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

11. Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (Brazil)

Photo of one of the lakes of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. This particular lake is close to Lagoa Azul (blue lake). [ Photo by Vitor 1234 / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses) is located in Maranhão state, in northeastern Brazil, just east of the Baía de São José, between 02º19’—02º45’ S and 42º44’—43º29’ W. It is an area of low, flat, occasionally flooded land, overlaid with large, discrete sand dunes. It encompasses roughly 1000 square kilometers, and despite abundant rain, supports almost no vegetation. The park was created on June 2, 1981. It was featured in the Brazilian film The House of Sand. Most recently, it was featured in the song "Kadhal Anukkal" from the Indian film, Enthiran. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

12. Atacama Desert (Chile)

Photograph of the "moon valley" (Valle de la luna) near San Pedro de Atacama in Chile [ Photo by Zootalures / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Atacama Desert is a virtually rainless plateau in South America, covering a 600-mile (1,000 km) strip of land on the Pacific coast of South America, west of the Andes mountains. The Atacama desert is, according to NASA, National Geographic and many other publications, the driest desert in the world, due to the rain shadow on the leeward side of the Chilean Coast Range, as well as a coastal inversion layer created by the cold offshore Humboldt Current. The Atacama occupies 40,600 square miles (105,000 km2) in northern Chile, composed mostly of salt basins (salares), sand, and felsic lava flows towards the Andes. The Atacama Desert ecoregion, as defined by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), extends from a few kilometers south of the Peru-Chile border to about 30° south latitude. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

13. Médanos de Coro National Park (Venezuela)

Medanos National Park [ Photo by Yleon / CC BY 3.0 ]

Parque Nacional Los Médanos de Coro is located in the state of Falcón, Venezuela, near the city of Coro on the road that leads to Paraguaná. The National Park was created in 1974. The Médanos park lies on the Isthmus of Médanos and covers 91.280 hm² of desert and coastal habitat, including salt marshes. The massive sand dunes, known as Médanos, spread over an area of approximately 5 by 30 kilometers. They can reach 40 meters in height and are constantly transformed by the unrelenting wind. Rainfall is rare, thus flora consists of little more than thorny shrubs. Fauna is likewise scarce; the park is home mainly to lizards, rabbits, anteaters, foxes, pigeons and kestrels. Visitors can wander amongst the dunes by camel (imported many years ago), and the park is easily reached by bus or taxi from Coro. (based on a wikipediaarticle / cc by-sa)

14. The Great Dune of Pyla (France)

Visitors enjoying the scenery of the Landes from the eastern side and on the crest of the dune, which reaches over 100 m high at its point of maximum amplitude. [ Photo by Hagen de Merak / CC BY-SA 2.5 ]

The Great Dune of Pilat (French: la Dune du Pilat) is the largest sand dune in Europe. It is located in La Teste-de-Buch in the Arcachon Bay area, France, 60 km from Bordeaux. Pilat is sometimes spelled Pyla, hence the alternative name "dune of Pyla". More accurately, Pyla is the name of the closest town, Pyla-sur-Mer, which is part of La Teste-de-Buch municipality in the Gironde department. The correct and original name of the dune is the Dune of Pilat, but because of the confusion that occurred, both are now considered correct. The dune is about 60,000,000 m³, measuring around 500m wide (from East to West) by 3 km long (from North to South). Its height is 107 metres above sea level. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

15. Curonian Spit (Lithuania)

Dunes in Nida [ Photo by Kontis Satunas / public domain ]

The Curonian Spit (Lithuanian: Kuršių nerija, Russian: Куршская коса, German: Kurische Nehrung, Latvian: Kuršu kāpas, Polish: Mierzeja Kurońska, Estonian: Kura säär) is a 98 km long, thin, curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast located in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia and southwestern Lithuania. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, tourism flourished; many Germans, mostly the descendants of the inhabitants of the area, choose the Curonian Spit (especially Nida, as no visas are needed for Germans in Lithuania) as their holiday destination. The existence of this narrow shoal is inherently threatened by the natural processes that govern coastal shoreline features. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

16. Słowiński National Park (Poland)

Słowiński National Park [ Photo by Marek and Ewa Wojciechowscy (Trips over Poland) / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

Słowiński National Park (Polish: Słowiński Park Narodowy) is a National Park in Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland. It is situated on the Baltic coast, between Łeba and Rowy. The northern boundary of the Park consists of 32.5 kilometres (20.2 mi) of coastline. The original idea of creating a preserve here came out in 1946, at a conference in Łeba with scientists from Poznań and Gdańsk. The park however was created 21 years later, in 1967, on an area of 180.69 km². Today it is slightly larger, covering 186.18 km2 (71.88 sq mi), of which 102.13 km² consists of waters and 45.99 km² of forests. The strictly preserved zone covers 56.19 km². In 1977 UNESCO designated the Park a biosphere reserve under its Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MaB). (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

17. Cronulla sand dunes, Kurnell Peninsula (Australia)

Sand Dunes in the Sutherland Shire, New South Wales, Australia. [ Photo by Adam.J.W.C. / CC BY 3.0 ]

The Cronulla sand dunes are located on the Kurnell Peninsula in the local government area of Sutherland Shire, Sydney Australia. The Cronulla sand dunes are a protected area that became listed on the NSW State Heritage Register on the 26th of September 2003. The sand hills of Kurnell possess historical, cultural, scientific and natural significance as a place of early European contact with the Gweagal Aborigines. The site has significant Aboriginal signs of habitation, from carvings, ceremonial sites, middens and sites of flaked sharpening stones. The site is of significant interest to the Aboriginal community as many of the other hills and dunes that were inhabited by their ancestors have now disappeared. As the dunes move or drift, most of the sites once occupied by the Aboriginal people have been covered and preserved. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

18. Fraser Island Sand Dune (Australia)

view from Indian Head, Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia [ Photo by Lc95 / public domain ]

Fraser Island, is an island located along the southern coast of Queensland, Australia, approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi) north of Brisbane. Its length is about 120 kilometres (75 mi) and its width is approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi). It was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1992. The island is considered to be the largest sand island in the world at 1840 km². It is also Queensland's largest island, Australia's sixth largest island and the largest island on the East Coast of Australia. Today the island is a popular tourism destination. Its resident human population was 360 at the census of 2006. All hills on the island have been formed by sandblowing. Sandblows are parabolic dunes which move across the island via the wind and are devoid of vegetation. In 2004, there was an estimated total of 36 sandblows on the island. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

19. Simpson Desert (Australia)

On Big Red (Nappanerica) sand dune on the eastern edge of the Simpson Desert about 40km from the town of Birdsville in south west Queensland, Australia [ Photo by Phanly / CC BY 3.0 ]

The Simpson Desert is underlain by the Great Artesian Basin, one of the largest inland drainage areas in the world. Water from the basin rises to the surface at numerous natural springs, including Dalhousie Springs, and at bores drilled along stock routes, or during petroleum exploration. As a result of exploitation by such bores, the flow of water to springs has been steadily decreasing in recent years. The Simpson Desert is an erg which contains the world's longest parallel sand dunes. These north-south oriented dunes are static, held in position by vegetation. They vary in height from 3 metres in the west to around 30 metres on the eastern side. The largest and most famous dune, Nappanerica, or more popularly Big Red (named by Simpson Desert traveller Dennis Bartell), is 40 metres in height. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

20. Maspalomas Dunes (Canary Islands)

Maspalomas Dunes [ Photo by Himarerme / public domain ]

Maspalomas is the oldest touristic town in the south coast of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. Maspalomas is part of the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. Its name may derive from that of Rodrigo Mas de Palomar, a settler and soldier from Majorca, or from Francisco Palomar, a Genoese friend of Alonso Fernandez de Lugo who purchased 87 Guanche slaves from Güímar and settled in the area. The place is famous for tourism, its hotels, beaches, dunes, apartments, and other facilities including restaurants, bars, taverns, shopping centres, souvenirs, and businesses. There is a 68 m tall lighthouse, named El Faro de Maspalomas, at the southern point from where the 12 km long beach and dunes, a nature reserve since 1897, lead to Playa del Inglés. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

21. Wan Caza Dunes, Fezzan (Libya)

Sunset on Wan Caza sand dunes. Sahara desert region of Fezzan in Libya [ Photo by Luca Galuzzi - www.galuzzi.it / CC BY-SA 2.5 ]

Fezzan (Arabic: فزان transliterated: Fuzzan, Turkish: Fizan) (Latin name Phasania) is a south-western region of modern Libya. It is largely desert but broken by mountains, uplands, and dry river valleys (wadis) in the north, where oases enable ancient towns and villages to survive deep in the otherwise inhospitable Sahara. Fezzan was formerly a province under the Ottoman Turks and Italy, and a governorate (muhafazah or wilayah) of Libya (alongside Tripolitania and Cyrenaica) in the system of administrative divisions abolished in 1983 in favor of smaller districts or baladiyah. The Baladiyat-system was reorganized in 1987 and was replaced in 1995 by the Sha'biyat-system. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

22. Erg Chebbi (Morocco)

Erg Chebbi, Morocco, Africa [ Photo by Rosino / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

Erg Chebbi (Arabic: عرق الشبي‎), in southeastern Morocco, is one of two Saharan ergs in the northwest African nation (the other is Erg Chigaga near M'hamid). Its distinctive ergs — large dunes formed by wind-blown sand — reach up to 150 meters high, and form a composite erg 22 km long (north-south) and 5 km wide. The village of Merzouga, about ten hours from Marrakesh or Fez, is located near the edge of the dunes. The dunes are a popular tourist destination. The erg is located roughly 40 kilometers southeast of Erfoud. The local center for tourists is the village of Merzouga. The locals believe that these dunes were sent as punishment for turning away a weary traveler from the desert. (based on awikipedia article / cc by-sa)

23. Namib Desert (Namibia)

A dune in Sossusvlei, Namibia [ Photo by Harald Süpfle / CC BY-SA 2.5 ]

The Namib Desert is a desert in Namibia and southwest Angola that forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The name "Namib" is of Nama origin and means vast. The desert occupies an area of around 80,900 km² (31,200 square miles), stretching about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) along the Atlantic Ocean coast of Namibia. Its east-west width varies from 30 to 100 miles (50-160 km). The Namib Desert also reaches into southwest Angola. It is one of the 500 distinct physiographic provinces of the South African Platform physiographic division. Having endured arid or semi-arid conditions for at least 55 million years, it is considered to be the oldest desert in the world. The Namib's aridity is caused by the descent of dry air of the Hadley Cell, cooled by the cold Benguela current along the coast. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

24. Dunhuang Oasis, Taklamakan Desert (China)

The ruins of an ancient Chinese watchtower from the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD), located along what was the old line of rammed-earth fortifications in Dunhuang, Gansu province, China, that once stretched from the Hexi Corridor (in Gansu) to the Tarim Basin (in modern Xinjiang). [ Photo by The Real Bear / CC BY 2.0 ]

Dunhuang (Chinese: 敦煌; pinyin: Dūnhuáng, also written as simplified Chinese: 炖煌; traditional Chinese: 燉煌; pinyin: Dùnhuáng ('Blazing Beacon') until the early Qing Dynasty, Greek Θροάνα, Sogdian δrw’’n or δrw’n */Θruwā́n/) is a city (pop. 187,578 (2000)) in Jiuquan, Gansu province, China. It was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road. It was also known at times as Shachou, or 'City of Sands'. It is situated in a rich oasis containing Crescent Lake and Mingsha Shan (鸣沙山), "Echoing-Sand Mountain". Mingsha Shan is so named for the sound of the wind whipping off the dunes, the singing sand phenomenon. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

25. Thar Desert (India)

Camel ride in the Thar desert near Jaisalmer, India. [ Photo by Flicka / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Thar Desert (Rajasthani: थार मरुधर) (also known as the Great Indian Desert), is a large, arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. With an area of more than 200,000 km2 (77,000 sq mi), it is the world's 9th largest subtropical desert. The Sarasvati River is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The Nadistuti hymn in the Rigveda (10.75) mentions the Sarasvati between the Yamuna in the east and the Sutlej in the west, and later Vedic texts like Tandya and Jaiminiya Brahmanas as well as the Mahabharata mention that the Sarasvati dried up in a desert. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

26. Tottori Sand Dunes (Japan)

Tottori Sakyu ( Tottori Sand Dune ) in Tottori Prefecture, Japan [ Photo by Hashi photo / CC BY-SA 3.0 ]

The Tottori Sand Dunes (鳥取砂丘, Tottori sakyū?) are unique sand dunes located near Tottori City in Tottori Prefecture, Honshū, Japan. They are the only large dune system (over 30 km²) in Japan. The dunes were created by sediment deposits carried from the Chūgoku Mountains by the Sendai River into the Sea of Japan. Sea currents and wind help bring the sand from the bottom up onto the shore, where the wind constantly rearranges their shape. The dunes have existed for over 100,000 years, but the area of the dunes has been steadily decreasing due to a government reforestation program following World War II. Additionally, concrete barriers erected to protect the coast (the part of Sanin Kaigan National Park) from tsunamis have disrupted the currents responsible for bringing the sand to shore. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

27. Altyn-Emel National Park (Kazakhstan)

The Dune of Altynemel (The Singing Dune) in the valley of Ili River near town of Kapchagay [ Photo by Jonas Satkauskas http://satkauskas.com / free for use ]

Altyn-Emel National Park is a national park in Kazakhstan. It was created in 1996. The park covers about 4600 square kilometers between the Ili River and the Ak-Tau mountain range, near Lake Kapchagai, and consists mostly of desert and rocky terrain. The park contains the singing sand, a large dune which is famous for the noises it produces. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)

28. Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park (Mongolia)

Dunes in the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park of Mongolia. [ Photo by Thomas Vandenberghe / CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park (Mongolian: Говь гурван сайхан байгалийн цогцолбор газар, Gobi three beauties nature complex) is a national park in southern Mongolia. The park was established in 1993, and expanded to its current size in 2000. The park, at nearly 27,000 square kilometers, is the largest national park in Mongolia. Another major tourist destination is Yolyn Am, a mountain valley that contains a large ice field through most of the year. The park is named for the Gurvan Saikhan Mountains, which translates to the Three Beauties. The name is derived from three subranges, the East, Middle and West Beauty. (based on a wikipedia article / cc by-sa)