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

The first life claimed by this record-breaking peak wasn't lost to exposure or a fall but rather lightning.

The tragedy of the Japanese internment camps is remembered here by a stark "Soul Consoling Tower."

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

This temple, built by an eccentric religious leader before his death, sits guarded and in ruins.

This lesser known Hearst estate is a fairytale village built from the stolen bones of historic European buildings.

A multimedia experience that chronicles the atrocities of racism.

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

A tribute to the life and work of the beloved "Peanuts" cartoonist.

This infamous prison has a store where you can buy goods crafted by incarcerated people.

Law-protected wreckage serves as a peculiar memorial for an almost forgotten World War II tragedy.

Built by the inventor of the radio, this abandoned hotel has housed early radio employees, military men, and a dangerous cult.

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

Version of the French Riviera destroyed by the sea.

Two rocks in a perpetual kiss and one of "the most romantic spot in America."

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

Remains of a Greek freighter trapped off of Rocky Point in 1961.

While exploring the desert, you can stop by the home of a fictional heretic from a parallel universe.

This Big Sur waterfall drops 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, and inspired the hillside house up top.

The ruins of the castle that chemicals built.

Abandoned hotel with adjacent lake and golf course.

A 300-ship graveyard, with a few still visible at low tide.

A house built from trash known as the poor man's Hearst Castle.

The remains of a ruined mansion memorialize the 1906 earthquake.