sampilcher's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Loading map...
Florence, Oregon

Sea Lion Caves

Only known mainland rookery of the threatened Stellar sea lion.
Yachats, Oregon

Bazalgette the Whale

There's something big lurking beneath the surface of this tiny Oregon park.
Tillamook, Oregon

Octopus Tree of Oregon

No one knows how this Pacific Northwest spruce tree came to have so many trunks.
Tillamook, Oregon

Tillamook Creamery

This unassuming cheese empire in rural Oregon churns out more than 150,000 pounds of cheese each day.
Seaside, Oregon

Tillamook Rock Lighthouse Columbarium

Where Nor'easters go to die.
Yosemite National Park, California

Indian Village of the Ahwahnee

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

The Ahwahnee Hotel

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

Devils Postpile National Monument

Towering basalt columns, a creation of fire and ice.
June Lake, California

Obsidian Dome

A natural dome made of volcanic glass in Inyo National Forest.
Lee Vining, California

Grave of the Unknown Prospector

A new monument to an old grave that was uncovered during the rebuilding of a California ghost town.
South Lake Tahoe, California

Vikingsholm Castle

One woman's Viking Castle on Lake Tahoe.
Washoe County, Nevada

Bonsai Rock, Lake Tahoe

Eastern zen meets Western grit in these four little trees growing out of a rock on Lake Tahoe’s Nevada shore.
Fallon, Nevada

Lahontan Dam and the Newlands Project

The first project by the Bureau of Reclamation illustrates both the upsides and downsides of reclamation.
Austin, Nevada

U.S. Route 50

Officially named the "Loneliest Road in America," this barren stretch of Nevada road offers almost nothing but sky and open fields.
Tropic, Utah

Tropic Ditch

A late-19th century diversion canal built by hand crosses Bryce Canyon National Park and is still in use.
Henrieville, Utah

Kodachrome Basin Spires

This quiet park's strange sedimentary spires were named after Kodak's color film.
Bryce, Utah

Bryce Canyon

Giant, natural amphitheaters made of delicate geological formations called "hoodoos."
Utah

Checkerboard Mesa

The unusual patterns in this rock formation result from two distinct modes of weathering.
Hurricane, Utah

Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel

A tunnel with windows, so you don't miss out on the impressive views.
Arizona

Squirrels of the Kaibab Plateau

These elusive, isolated rodents evolved into a distinct, locally iconic subspecies.
Twentynine Palms, California

Skull Rock

An eerie natural formation that looks right back at you.
Pensacola Beach, Florida

Fort Pickens

One of the only Florida forts to remain in the hands of the Union all through the Civil War still stands as a historic stronghold.
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Grand Prismatic Spring

The largest hot spring in the United States is, as the name suggests, a stunning show of natural color.
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Old Faithful Geyser

One of nature's most well-scheduled phenomenons resides in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park.