Desert Speaks

Wyoming's Red Desert

Host David Yetman hops into a 50-year-old BMW motorcycle sidecar to explore Wyoming's mysterious Red Desert, one of the least known and most threatened deserts in North America. Also called the "Great American Desert," this eight-million-acre area has vast and varying landscapes including the largest active sand dune system in North America and the Great Divide Basin - the only place in the United States where the Continental Divide splits before rejoining. It is also steeped in history and fable, with ties to the Oregon Trail and the gold rush, as well as its share of ghost towns. Though it is high and cold, the Red Desert is home to the largest desert elk herd in the nation, the largest migratory game herd in the continental U.S. and over 350 wildlife species. Other highlights include a look at wild mustangs, petroglyphs and aspen groves. But all of these wonders exist under the constant threat of future oil and gas development.