How to convey the image of the surrounding L.A. desert via translation of 愕然?


I'm trying to find a suitable word/phrase in English that will convey the
image shown below while also being suitable for a translation of 荒野, as I want
to properly convey the image of a.... rather vegetative desert?? (works
perfectly as to conveying the image, but I wonder; _is it a suitable
translation?_ )

Sentence I am translating:

> 僕は自分の目に映る、見渡す限りの荒野を見て愕然とした。

[https://jisho.org/search/荒野を見て愕然とした](https://jisho.org/search/%E8%8D%92%E9%87%8E%E3%82%92%E8%A6%8B%E3%81%A6%E6%84%95%E7%84%B6%E3%81%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F)
has a okay translation; but none of them seem to fit quite 'right' in terms of
conveying the image:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cYCIC.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cYCIC.png)

Would combining English translations for 荒野 work as a accurate translation, as
when I bing image searched "vast deserted plain", most of the images convey
the sense of a desert with vegetation. But seeing as how I am combining
English definitions for the same word, I now wonder, is that allowed when
translating a single word?

EDIT: Would "desert wilderness" work in terms of translation from Japanese to
English?

