The data set contains photos and videos of salt deserts showing salt polygons at the surface. The data set characterizes the surface of the salt deserts and is used together with other data sets (which characterize the subsurface) to explain the driving mechanism of salt polygon growth in salt deserts.For every site, pictures of several salt polygons including a scale bar, close-ups of the salt crust images of the surroundings are included. Additionally, an image of a polygon from which subsurface samples were collected and an image of the subsurface (either a soil core or the inside of a trench) is included. The samples were later analyzed for salt content (see data at ...) and grain size distributions of the samples were measured (see data at...). For two sites, videos showing salt crust growth created from time-lapse photography over the course of three months in spring 2018 are provided.Pictures were taken at 5 sites at Badwater Basin and 21 sites at Owens Lake - both Central California. All data was recorded during two field campaigns in November / December 2016 and January 2018.Related to this data are also- grain size distributions of sand samples taken at the field sites at different depths (see data at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.910996),- salinity profiles from cross-sections below polygons and background salt concentration measurements (see data at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.922264),- temperature and humidity time-series measured during one week in late 2016 (see data at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.922231),- as well as surface scans measured by TLS (see data at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.911233)- and a chemical characterization of the salt species present in the crust (see data at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.911239).