A huge musical instrument played by the ocean.

Beneath the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge is the “Gibraltar of the West Coast,” a fort built to protect the San Francisco Bay from naval attack.

Concrete strongholds stand guard over the Golden Gate.

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

An American flag was erected for every day that passed during the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

Art Deco stylings conceal the true nature of this bridge.

Dentist's hated concrete colossi are now beloved icons of the community.

The tallest bridge in California was constructed for a project that was eventually cancelled.

One woman's Viking Castle on Lake Tahoe.

This Nevada lake holds its titular natural pyramid and, if the legends are true, a number of dangerous spirits.

A volcanic cone that formed over 600 years ago.

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

A glimpse into the lives of the the Miwok and Paiute people in Yosemite National Park.

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

A cozy bookstore is tucked within an old gold mine shaft beneath the cafe and ice cream shop.

This public space is speckled with the eerie remnants of a defunct amusement park.

A ruined Maya city that suffered a years-long case of mistaken identity.

For this chef, an active volcano is his oven.

A public fountain that spouts "health water" from a nearby spring.

A popular tourist cave with a dark past.

The Empire Mine is "one of the oldest, largest, deepest, longest and richest gold mines in California."

This 19th century hydroelectric powerhouse was the first of its kind.

This former boomtown "island" is now submerged below Folsom Lake.

This museum looks at the history of one of America's most famous prisons and most beloved albums.