Places From the Backwoods Wants to Go

Legends surround this jagged rock formation in the New Mexico desert.

A phenomenal assembly of pueblos in New Mexico is the most complete example of ancient ruins north of the border.

Seemingly grown on some other world, these New Mexico rock formations look like a disused science fiction set.

The second-largest cave chamber in the world was discovered in 1898 by a 16-year-old and a friend known as "Pothead."

A clear blue swimming hole with hidden caves, still unexplored.

If drivers cross the rumble strip on this stretch of Route 66 at just the right speed it plays "America the Beautiful."

A museum dedicated to the alleged Roswell Incident.

An immersive environment that is part haunted house, part choose-your-own-adventure, and part jungle gym.

The same security that protects our nukes accidentally protected a gentle herd of antelope.

No Gordon Lightfoot song, only a barebones monument to greed.

This shallow pit was once used to send over 20,000 buffalo plummeting to their death.

This Wyoming town is fascinated by a particular mythical creature.

A small town built on an abandoned airfield has former runways as streets and a bar and grill in an old airplane hangar.

The high point on the 16th president's eponymous roadway is marked by a massive version of his head.

The easiest way to the highest point in Wyoming is only accessible via one hefty fee.

This rustic old building is said to be the most photographed barn in America.

A popular rock that acted as a waymarker for American pioneers.

Surrounded by a hundred mile radius of billboards, Little America is a roadside attraction whose primary appeal is hospitality.

One of the largest collections of wildlife art in the United States, built into the side of a cliff in rural Wyoming.

Population: 1.

A monument to the egos of two railroad magnates that fell into decline along with their careers.

Creek water that starts here has a 50/50 chance of ending up in the Atlantic or the Pacific.

Miraculous tree that seems to sprout out of solid rock.

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