Places Lost Leopards Wants to Go

A raised boardwalk winds through a thicket of stunted, century-old trees no more than nine feet tall.

The mysterious round rocks of Schooner Gulch.

The southernmost outpost of the Russian Empire in colonial America.

The fossilized remains of ancient California redwoods.

San Francisco's urban bison herd has persisted in the face of extinction, development, and disease.

Another of California's unused Cold War missile defense complexes has become a graffiti gallery.

The most beautiful Taco Bell in the world even has surfboard parking.

The graffiti-covered remnants of a former triangulation station are balanced precariously on this California peak.

A 1920s speakeasy that had rum runners racing up and down the shores of California.

Home to the "Circus" trees created by Axel Erlandson.

Once close to extinction, there is no shortage of elephant seals on the beaches of Año Nuevo State Park.

At this California chicken ranch, four bucks will get you 18 eggs and a chorus of dancing animatronic poultry.

Once America’s most beautiful army base, this abandoned military fort on the coast of Monterey Bay has been left to the elements.

The oldest U.S. Government building in California, and it's State Historic Landmark #1.

This eagle-topped spire remembers the military commander who snatched up California for the United States.

Every year, over 25,000 monarchs overwinter in Pacific Grove.

This cabin from the 1850s is one of the first structures built by Chinese immigrants in California.

This little valley along Highway 1 is engulfed by thousands of lilies during the spring season.

Offering commanding views of the California coastline, this restaurant was a hub for the artists and bohemians of Big Sur.

An antique store houses the last operational diner from the defunct department store chain.

Marta Becket's hand-painted theater in the desert.

A volcanic tunnel illuminated by natural skylights offers a shaded respite from the desert sun.

This conservation area is also home to many of the region's desert tortoises.

Exquisite irises bloom every spring in this hillside garden.