983 Items Tagged

Natural Wonders

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Thermal Spring Cascades

Two gushing waterfalls of hot spring water within a block of each other.

The Aboriginal people of Western Australia have a long history with the vegetation gaps of the region's inland deserts.

In Australia, Aboriginal Knowledge and the Mystery of Fairy Circles

Building connections between tradition and science.

Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing June 6, 2023

Helensburgh Glowworm Tunnel.

14 Places Brightened by Bioluminescence

Where nature puts on its very own light show.

Jonathan Carey June 5, 2023

Lake Macdonnell

Penong, Australia

Lake Macdonnell

This salt lake was a former mine site and now attracts visitors for its remarkable pink colors.

Quedas de Calandula

Calandula, Angola

Quedas de Calandula

This horseshoe-shaped waterfall is the second-largest on the African continent.

If you can do the steep stairs safely, the upper view is worth it

Echternach, Luxembourg

Wollefsschlucht (Wolf Gorge)

In the heart of Luxembourg's "little Switzerland" weaves a breathtaking natural sandstone canyon with a mythological past.

Mina de Mármol

Cuatrociénegas, Mexico

Mina de Mármol

A former travertine mine traces the geological history of this unique desert filled with crystalline blue pools.

Old Perpetual Geyser

Lakeview, Oregon

Old Perpetual Geyser

Along the Outback Scenic Byway, adjacent to hot springs, this human-made geothermal feature takes unexplained breaks.

Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glacier

Tracy Arm Fjord

A 30-mile-long glacially-carved canyon leads to a massive pair of glaciers.

7 Places to Experience Big Wonder in Texas

Hit the state’s highest peaks, darkest skies, and widest vistas on this super-sized road trip.

Sponsored by Travel Texas

9 Places to Dive Into Fresh Texas Waters

Take a dip and cool off in the state’s natural springs, bays, and pools.

Sponsored by Travel Texas

Just 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, a field of California poppies paints Walker Canyon a vibrant orange. The poppies appear in several Indigenous legends. In one Chumash story, a talking lizard describes the flowers by saying, “it is as if the sun itself is on the ground.”

Stunning Wildflower Superbloom Photos That Will Have You Racing to the Hills

Orange, yellow, and purple petals blanket the southwestern United States.

Sarah Durn April 14, 2023

Redwoods Shouldn't Be So Tall. Here's Why They Are. | Untold Earth

Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park.

Introducing Untold Earth: A New Video Series From Atlas Obscura and PBS

Explore North America's most unique natural wonders with us.

Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing April 12, 2023

Podcast: Fairy Circles

An enchanting natural phenomenon in a daunting place.

The Podcast Team April 12, 2023

Nestled high in Mexico's mountains, a community works to protect the Endangered monarch butterflies that come to hibernate in the hundreds of thousands. Here two members of that community, Eduardo Carrillo and David Bautista, show the difference between males (left), who have two black dots on their wings, and females (right).

How This Tiny Mexican Town Has Saved Their Monarch Butterflies—For Now

At the Joya Redonda Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, hibernating monarch numbers have multiplied tenfold. But is that enough to save the insect?

Vanessa Freije & Yolotzin Hernández April 7, 2023

Explore Litchfield

Litchfield Park, Australia

Magnetic Termite Mounds

Let these towering termite-building structures tell you where to go.

Lexington Arch, telephoto view from the trail.

Lexington Arch

The limestone composition of this spectacular arch makes it unique to the region.