Eons old volcanic activity created one of the most stunning rock formations in the United States.

The now-abandoned tunnels were built for the transcontinental railroad on the route where the first wagon train entered California.

This Big Sur waterfall drops 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, and inspired the hillside house up top.

Trails through lava-carved tube-caves display sparkling bacteria and a rich history.

Canyon walls shrouded in ferns.

Carved by a waterfall in a hard-to-reach rock formation, this heart-shaped rock has inspired romantics for decades.

An inconspicuous footbridge beloved by San Diego locals.

One of the most scenic stretches of road in America winds between some of the country's oldest trees.

Quite simply the largest tree in the world (by volume).

A "gravitational anomaly" located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California.

The seawater playground of gilded-era San Francisco burned to the ground in 1966.

The rocks in this arid basin leave trails of movement behind them.

Towering basalt columns, a creation of fire and ice.

A strange house built only at night, with rumored mystic inspiration.

These delicate buggers are some of the rarest fossils that have bubbled up from the Tar Pits.

A trash dump made beautiful by nature's power.

One man's homage to the sun continues to grow like a glass fractal.

It should come as no surprise that the best view of the Hollywood sign is from Batman's lair.

An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

Remants of foundations, streets, and streetcar tracks inhabit the cliffs where a landslide occurred in 1929.