Ruins of the original wooden flume that carried water to Virginia City are still visible high on the Virginia Range.

How a bat poo mine became a major Native American archaeological site—and connections to legendary red-haired giants.

The only remaining hotel on the 1860s Henness Pass route over the Sierra Nevada is being restored.

Visit a remnant California's Gold Rush, which locals claim is haunted by spirits from the past.

An early 20th-century fire lookout, still in intermittent use, preserves legacy fire-locating equipment.

A well-preserved sheepherding camp now lies in the heart of the Granite Chief Wilderness, in the high Sierra Nevada.

A vaudeville performer mounted this hollowed-out redwood log onto the chassis of a truck, and toured the country spreading a message of conservation.

This small shack near the entrance to Sequoia National Park has been in almost continuous operation for the last century.

Built to hold Gold Rush wealth, this building has withstood the test of time.

The first lookout in Yosemite.

In the basement of a San Francisco performing arts center, a small museum dedicated to the history of showgirls.

A sparse, solitary sequoia still stands as a living tribute to the famous conservationist who planted it—but it's dying.

An old whaling station now serves to give the public a look at the commercial whaling industry, no longer a part of Monterey's economy.

This cabin from the 1850s is one of the first structures built by Chinese immigrants in California.

While you're unlikely to find riches here these days, this remote mine is a time capsule of the Gold Rush era.

A landmark for a trailblazer for female architects and the designer of one of the most famous and opulent buildings in California.

A basement full of treasures lies beneath this inn that has worn many hats throughout its 140+ years.

Built by one man in the '20s, this site is now a museum representing the Great Basin cultures.

This large pile of traveler-curated rocks by the dry lakebed is a longstanding tradition on the Old Mojave Road.

This hidden fire lookout offers spectacular views of Sequoia National Park.

Cows on a ranch are commonplace, scattered cow bones everywhere? Not so much.

Traversing these canyons, visitors can take in stunning views and glimpses of the region's history.

A 19th-century cabin built into a hollowed-out Sequoia tree.

Spend a day hanging out with domesticated Russian foxes.