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

Rare and gorgeous birds abound in this protected wildlife sanctuary.

Oregon's only closed-basin hypersaline lake, an important stopover for migrating waterfowl, is in danger of drying up completely.

This spectacular fault escarpment, a popular hang-glider launch point, extends some 30 miles long and towers about 2,500 feet over the valley floors to the west.

Under the right conditions, rocks will move across this dry lakebed, leaving trails behind them.

Hundreds of painted rocks dazzle this small beach where adding your own is encouraged.

Ride a mechanical corn dog at the alleged birthplace of America's favorite deep-fried wiener.

California's longest-running tourist attraction is a stump.

On the side of Highway 50 East, between Carson City and Dayton, Nevada, sits a giant metal spider made from a vintage Volkswagen Beetle.

The museum is housed inside the historic 1863 Carson City Mint.

Decor at “Nevada’s Oldest Thirst Parlor” includes Raquel Welch's brassiere hanging from a stuffed moose head.

A relic of the region's once booming timber industry.

Bodie's 20th-century rival was a paragon of respectability and calm—but the mines eventually ran dry.

An improbable water gap where the West Walker River, paralleled by a state highway, crosses the Singatse Range between Smith and Mason Valleys.

Nevada's second-newest state park offers camping, fishing, hiking, and river float trips.

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

The sump of the landlocked Carson River is a haven for wildlife.

The current Eureka County Courthouse replaced an all-wooden structure that had previously been an ice-skating rink.

This pristine World War II airfield gives a comprehensive look at atomic development and aviation history.

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

Wander through desolate oil fields littered with rigs.

A burnt orange monolithic dome structure perched on a hillside near Interstate 280.

This controversial depiction of the "Founder of California" looks as though it was sculpted from mashed potatoes.

Once the gateway to the utopian dream-village of a Civil War embalmer.