Once close to extinction, there is no shortage of elephant seals on the beaches of Año Nuevo State Park.

Two mammoth statues inspired by equally tall tales lure tourists to this roadside attraction.

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

Life in this isolated, hilltop lighthouse was lonely, but it sure was lovely.

San Francisco Bay's ghost town.

A trash dump made beautiful by nature's power.

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

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

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

"Only the devil could play golf here."

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

Aqueducts have dramatically changed this old lake, now home to tufa towers and its very own species of tiny brine shrimp.

The interior of the Overlook Hotel in "The Shining" was based on this Yosemite original.

Under the right circumstances, this waterfall in Yosemite briefly turns a luminescent fiery orange.

This mountaintop beacon is only lit three times a year but shines like some kind of all-seeing eye.

Neither Spanish settlers nor anyone since has been able to tell who built these strange California rock walls.

A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

The last remaining relic of San Francisco's glittering 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition.

The key to turning shifting dunes into the green oasis of Golden Gate Park.

Once the largest windmill outside of Holland, with enormous 114 foot sails.

A hidden world of exotic succulents and cacti.

A humble garage, world-famous for being the epicenter of a technology revolution.

Guarded by the Angel of Grief, the Stanford family tomb attracts an odd mix of halloween revelry and somber contemplation.

Rodin's famous depiction of Dante's 'Inferno', amidst a sculpture garden of many of his other works.