This desert oddity hides in plain sight thanks to a cartographic error and a desert explorer with a punny sense of humor.

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

This centuries-old hotel hides a network of secret cellars and passages once used by smugglers.

An essential stop before plundering, BYO Cutlass.

This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

A regular looking rock with an unbelievable history.

Crumbling pink walls and murder memorials preserve the pioneer history of Joshua Tree.

This dormant volcanic crater has been converted from a roiling pit of magma to a pleasant hiking spot.

The ghost town that ended up on Ebay.

A pair of large white marble lions guard this stretch of the Mojave Desert, and it is utterly mysterious how they got there.

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

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

The most isolated mailbox in America lets desert travelers record their passing.

A volcanic tunnel illuminated by natural skylights offers a shaded respite from the desert sun.

In the middle of the desert, miles from any human life, sat an anomalous pay phone that still magically answers your calls.

This giant temperature attraction created some giant electric bills.

This secluded date farm can be reached only by following a bumpy, single-lane desert road.

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

Ten 25-foot-tall, beehive-shaped kilns, abandoned in Death Valley.

"Only the devil could play golf here."

The lowest point in North America is home to an undrinkable pool surrounded by fields of geometric salt flats.

Millions of years of oxidation make a drive down this winding Death Valley road surprisingly colorful.

This crumbling Death Valley mining complex was known for its use of giant, 20-mule team wagons.

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