Which U.S. cold desert lies largely between the Sierra Nevada and Wasatch Range?

The Great Basin Desert lies largely between the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Range. This high-elevation desert occupies much of Nevada and Utah and extends into eastern California, with smaller areas reaching Idaho and Oregon.

Its dryness is largely caused by the rain-shadow effect of the Sierra Nevada. Pacific air rises over the mountains, loses moisture as rain and snow, and descends toward the Great Basin much drier. The region’s basin-and-range landscape consists of broad valleys separated by long, mostly north–south mountain ranges.

Unlike the hotter Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, the Great Basin is a cold desert. Summers can be hot in the valleys, but winters are snowy and freezing temperatures are common. Sagebrush dominates many valleys, while pinyon-juniper woodland and alpine habitats occur at higher elevations.

A common mix-up is treating the Great Salt Lake Desert as the entire Great Basin Desert. The Great Salt Lake Desert is a distinct salt-desert area within the broader Great Basin region.