A wide range of plants, animals, and people live in North American deserts. But you will not see the camels, ergs, and nomadic people of the Sahara there.
Instead, you could see yellow brittlebushes and stark saguaros. You might spy the speedy roadrunner and the plodding tortoise. You could find people living on Native American reservations or in crowded cities.
The first people to live here were Native Americans. From the rock paintings, carvings, and other things they left behind, we know they had an advanced civilization. The desert was their home thousands of years before Spanish explorers arrived. Since that time, people traveling from the East sometimes settled in the desert. Often, they were attracted by the wealth of minerals there.
Would you like to take a trip through this land of endless variety? Be sure to wear sturdy footwear. The cities can take hours to explore. The desert is rocky, and some areas are filled with spiny plants. It might rain suddenly at any time, and nights can be cold, so take a raincoat and a heavy sweater. And don’t forget a hat and sunscreen. Finally, like the Native Americans who live in the desert, respect the desert animals, plants, and land.