Chain link has a reputation problem. People picture a sagging silver fence around a schoolyard and rule it out for their home. That's a shame, because on a big High Desert lot, a well-installed chain link fence is the most secure, lowest-maintenance perimeter you can buy per foot, and modern options make it look far better than the fence you're picturing.
The first upgrade is color. Black vinyl-coated fabric with black posts and rail visually disappears against trees, hills, and open desert in a way galvanized silver never will. From the house, you see the view, not the fence. It costs more per foot than bare galvanized, but far less than vinyl or iron, and the coating adds years to the fabric's life.
The second is privacy slats. Woven or inserted slats in tan, green, or black block the view and cut wind on the side of the yard that needs it, and you can slat one section without slatting the whole run. They're also the fastest way to give a dog run or side yard some shade.
The third is the install itself. Terminal posts set in concrete, a top rail on every run, tension wire at the bottom, and fabric stretched tight are what separate a chain link fence that looks crisp in year ten from one that sags in year two. We treat a chain link job with the same post depth and string line as a vinyl or iron fence, because it's the posts that make or break it.