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.

A rare forest habitat nestled behind two sand dunes.

A picturesque (all-natural!) beach in a landlocked state.

This uniquely shaped slab of volcanic rock has been used by generations of Antarctic explorers.

A remote Arctic museum focusing on the science of icebergs and the archaeology of an ancient Inuit settlement which lies just outside its doors.

The "Rocky Horror Picture Show" character has a hidden camera that broadcasts people doing the "Time Warp."

Major tourist destination known for its bubbling mud-pools and hot thermal springs.

Tubing through a cave lit with glowworms is a magical underground experience.

This ledge in Victoria Park served as a hiding spot for Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin.

A garden in the middle of the most inhospitable continent.

Natural time capsule containing an alien ecosystem.

One of the most extreme deserts in the world, these snow-free valleys harbor life, despite the hostile environment.

The king of U.S. high points towers over every other peak on the continent.

A roaring, awe-inspiring double cascade of icy water flows through woodland Oregon like something out of a Tolkien novel.

Long before guestbooks and hotels, frontier travelers signed their names on this rock face.

The marker offers a rare chance to be in four U.S. states at once, though there's some controversy over its geographic accuracy.

Twenty-seven massive radio antennas on the high plains of New Mexico search for life on other planets.

One of the world’s largest collections of petroglyphs records 2,000 years of human activity.

The 7,000-year-old calcium carbonate formation creates a magnificent natural bridge.

This Idaho state park boasts the tallest single-structured sand dune in North America.

This maintained cabin is where Josie Morris, an occasional associate of Butch Cassidy, lived out the last 50 years of her life by herself.

This U.S. natural reserve is an ancient spiritual place and rock climber’s paradise.

A petroglyph map of the upper Snake River carved by prehistoric hunter-gatherers.

The world's first nuclear power plant is open to visitors looking to role-play a meltdown.