An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

A herd of 150 bison live on California's Santa Catalina Island and are at the heart of an ongoing debate between environmental protection and economic expansion.

This legendary urban waterfall creates a dazzling display of rainbows.

Rainbow-hued in the summer and crystalline in the winter, this salty lake has inspired battles, temples, and plenty of awe.

Historic funicular railway, believed to be the shortest railroad in the world.

This symbol of peace is appropriately positioned overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

A common entry point to the Griffith Observatory trail holds its own wonders.

This hilltop park offers magnificent views and a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece.

The final resting place of a space program monolith.

This “living museum” at UCLA exhibits thousands of plant species from all over the world.

Scores of vintage street lamps shine along L.A.’s Miracle Mile.

During prohibition, corrupt city officials ran drinking dens under the streets of Downtown Los Angeles.

Ingenious bakery opens up the first Cupcake ATM at their flagship location in Beverly Hills.

Named after a bandit and the star of several Hollywood prehistoric landscapes, these sandstone formations are a historical part of the Los Angeles natural landscape.

Each year these high desert hills are absolutely covered with poppy flowers in a surreal show of nature.

In a city filled with Frank Gehry buildings, one stands out as one of the architect's weirder works.

After starting as a whimsical tourist attraction that eventually found its way to ruin, these renovated canals offer a lush and exotic locale on the Pacific Coast.

It should come as no surprise that the best view of the Hollywood sign is from Batman's lair.

This glamorous old building is said to have inspired the Tower of Terror.

A beloved carnival gets a modern makeover in Los Angeles.

Dramatic river bend surrounds a natural red-rocked pedestal.

This jaw-dropping 19th-century bridge uses its reflection to form what appears to be a perfect circle.

Most-visited and most-photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest.

On the Oregon coast there is a natural hole that seems to be draining the sea.