A crumbling wizard is one of the final reminders of a roadside Middle Earth.

An optical illusion found amid a logged redwood forest.

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

A trash dump made beautiful by nature's power.

Experience Larry Spring's self-taught "common sense" laws of physics.

Celebrating the transformation of trash into objects of beauty.

A raised boardwalk winds through a thicket of stunted, century-old trees no more than nine feet tall.

This collection of hand fans doubles as a history of femininity.

California's own majestic geyser is powered by a subterranean volcano.

California's own medieval Italian castle, authentic down to the 300-year-old iron maiden in the dungeon.

A huge collection of rocks, gems, and crystals.

An uninspiring grass verge transformed into a therapeutic community garden.

Known as the most scenic route in Sri Lanka, this train line is steeped in history and offers an unparalleled view of the country.

An old trolley bridge was converted into a breathtaking garden bursting with colorful flowers.

Over fifty whirling pools left by the glacial age.

On one of the world's most active volcanoes, a pebble-filled crater changes color with the wind.

On the edge of grassland in northeastern Colorado, these rock formations are some of the few remnants of a high plain that has eroded away over millions of years.

In 1912, this idyllic Alaska landscape was blown apart in the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.

Harder layers in colorful sandstone weather out as prominent “fins" and even more intricate and bizarre shapes.

The strongest earthquake in Nevada's recorded history left these spectacular breaks along the west front of a range in central Nevada.

Generations of rockhounds got their start at this beloved, historic mine.

The oldest pictographs on this decorated rock formation in California's Carrizo Plain date back as many as 4,000 years.

These pink granite water slides are the result of millions of years of erosion.

Once an ancient sea, this landscape of rocky ravines is filled with the fossils of ancient marine life.