Known as one of the most climbed mountains in the world, this barren peak is permanently bald thanks to an anti-wolf fire.

Four hundred granite steps were built into this massive rock by the National Park Service.

Quite simply the largest tree in the world (by volume).

Aqueducts have dramatically changed this old lake, now home to tufa towers and its very own species of tiny brine shrimp.

A natural dome made of volcanic glass in Inyo National Forest.

A glimpse into the lives of the the Miwok and Paiute people in Yosemite National Park.

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

This stretch of beach along California's central coast is a busy highway for the largest seal in the northern hemisphere.

Happy harbor seals frolic and snooze on this warm, sandy stretch of coast.

An historic and oft-filmed spot for musclebound iron pumpers on the Pacific coast.

The words of the neighborhood's most famous poets adorn four concrete walls.

60 feet of towering steel balances gracefully.

In one Santa Monica parking lot a mushroom cloud made of chains heralds a message of peace.

In this roadside "community for the small," abandoned toys gain new lives.

This outdoor observatory offers stellar views and a scale model of our solar system.

Experience a charming 1930s version of "infotainment."

A Norwegian-born sculptor created these soaring guardian angels at the entrance to Hoover Dam.

Brightly colored 30-foot-tall totems light up the desert sky just outside Las Vegas.

The wild west is still alive and well at this authentic mining town watering hole.

A tiny plaque marks the location of the water source that facilitated the birth of modern-day Boston.

Second largest wastewater treatment plant in the country.

Enormous lake at the bottom of a unique cave system.

This tea house was a hand-built gift from Boulder's sister city in Tajikstan.

This large granite seal outside a Massachusetts funeral home comes with a surprising dedication.