This is not a white sand beach

 

 

La Sal del Rey, National Wildlife Refuge.  The King’s Salt.

 

A closed lake over a salt dome.  Water flows in but it doesn’t flow out.  Summertime.  Evaporation exceeds rainfall.  The water level is low.  The walking is easy.

 

The surrounding sand is brown.  As the super-saturated water recedes though, it leaves behind a layer of salt.  Artifacts left behind might start out looking like this.

 

But end up looking like this.

 

Or this.

 

Or this.

 

A winter wonderland on a ninety degree day.