The Zalud family experienced a number of tragedies in one decade, giving rise to rumors that the 19th century house is haunted.

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

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

Four hundred granite steps were built into this massive rock by the National Park Service.

These millipedes glow not out of attraction, but as a not-too-subtle warning.

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

One of the most unusual geological features, recognizable from a dozen hit movies.

This sun-scorched lakebed contains samples of half the natural elements known to humankind.

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

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.

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

This rock formation named for its unique shape is one of many that call the Alabama Hills home.

The hundreds of movies and television shows shot in this high desert town are commemorated in a unique museum.

A lawless town deep in Death Valley was famous for its riches and death rate.

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

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

Travelers leave tea kettles in a remote part of Death Valley as part of a mysterious, decades-old tradition.

A massive hydrovolcanic explosion left a half-mile wide crater in Death Valley.

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

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

The echoes of a railroad town that solemnly mark the end of the line.

A charming desert roadside bakery that produces 10 times more bread daily than it has residents in its town.

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