A grove of "candelabra redwoods" deep in California's Lost Coast.

The largest dune field in the Mojave offers a chance of hearing the 'singing sands.'

Coastal dunes, site of buried Egyptian movie set and former utopian colony.

A playground built by the kids that is a child's wonderland, and a helicopter parent's nightmare.

The abandoned train depot now doubles as a well-placed rest stop for those who take the road less traveled.

This old mining town, deep in the California desert, has a year-round population of one.

Ancient human, animal, and geometric figures drawn in the earth.

The location of the last stand of Charles Manson's doomsday cult.

A hard-to-reach oasis in a desolate corner of Death Valley National Park.

A popular tourist cave with a dark past.

A fake town founded by Western movie stars is now becoming a hip desert community.

The liveliest ghost town in the state.

The highest dunes in California are the most likely place in the area to hear the Singing Sands.

A shrine to a skeleton saint in the city of angels.

The ghost town that ended up on Ebay.

One of the ghostly stops along Route 66.

One of the last free public hot springs is decorated with hippie art.

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

Standing in a state of "arrested decay," this ghost town allows for a detailed peek into Gold Rush life in an unusually harsh climate.

A meditative space out of a fantasy story.

A desert ghost town—occupied for only 12 years—was once home to more than 500 silver mines.

This exceptionally well-preserved ancient marvel also houses a small museum dedicated to Jordanian folk tradition.

Ancient snack bar of the Roman Empire re-opened.

Before it was buried by volcanic ash, this fast-food restaurant fed the hungry hordes of ancient Rome.