Places clpartin Wants to Go

A hidden courtyard houses early 20th-century plaster masterpieces.

Colorful sedimentary rock layers provide opportunities both for hiking and photography.

This massive statue of John Muir on the side of a California highway was carved from a redwood tree.

Built to hold Gold Rush wealth, this building has withstood the test of time.

The viewpoint for this attractive, off-the-beaten-path waterfall is reached by a paved, wheelchair-accessible trail.

A train tunnel that was made obsolete by the dam it helped create.

Built in 1899, this luxurious home was part of one of the first gated communities in Los Angeles.

This unique formation appears as though an asteroid landed on the forest.

The only standing town in the United States that early Chinese Americans built for themselves.

Deep vertical fissures like miniature slot canyons cut across the cemented volcanic rock of Black Point above Mono Lake.

The disdain for this dysfunctional dam is reflected in a giant pair of scissors painted on the concrete face.

An abandoned lot littered with concrete debris was once the home of the world's first female railroad president.

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

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

In one of the hottest parts of the Mojave Desert, shallow bedrock forces the typically dry Mojave River to the surface in this canyon, providing a vital oasis for humans and wildlife.

The ruins of the movie ranch owned by actor and stuntman Ray "Crash" Corrigan.

A futuristic-looking beach house built for the owner of a snack food brand.

A picturesque example of brute-force engineering conquering nature.

California's first suspension bridge.

After serving in World War II and picking up Apollo astronauts, this aircraft carrier has been turned into a museum overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

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

A fire lookout atop a glacial pinnacle is reached by climbing three vertiginous flights of stairs.

A sparse, solitary sequoia still stands as a living tribute to the famous conservationist who planted it—but it's dying.

Abandoned landscape once home to "the world's largest winery."