Deadvlei, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia

Deadvlei is a now-dead marsh where a white clay pan sits between towering orange-red dunes. 1,000 years ago, the acacia (or “camelthorn”) trees here died due to drought, after a subterranean stream stopped running for decades. The air was (and remains) so dry that the trees did not rot, but instead petrified.

Deadvlei looks dramatically different as light changes throughout the day. Dune colors are soft around dawn, but become intense oranges and reds as first light strikes the sand. As the sun ascends, the flood of light washes out colors.