The spiky spires of the Trona Pinnacles in the Mojave Desert in California have often served as a stand-in for otherworldly locales such as Mars in popular films and TV series. Nearby Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley National Park tend to attract large crowds, but if you’re searching for a desolate desert landscape…
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to travel to Arizona or Utah to explore a red rock canyon. Providence Canyon State Park—which is located in Lumpkin, Georgia—is tucked away in a lush region of the country that is primarily celebrated for its forests and flowers. Thanks to flawed farming practices in the 1800s, unchecked…
The state of California is home to plenty of mystical hotspots that are rumored to be hubs of paranormal activity, but few are as captivating and mysterious as Mount Shasta. Located in the Cascade Range in Sisikyou County, Mount Shasta is a towering stratovolcano which erupts every 600 years. Paranormal enthusiasts claim that the intense…
In the 8th century AD, a Rashtrakuta King ordered a rock-cut temple that celebrated Mt. Kailash—which Hindus believe is the Himalayan home of the deity Shiva—to be built in Maharashtra, India. Mt. Kailash was located in a remote corner of Tibet, so the Rashtrakuta ruler wanted to create an accessible pilgrimage spot for devotees of…
Most travelers who are charting a course for a great American road trip are unaware that one of the most impressive waterfalls in the United States is located on the outskirts of a sleepy Idaho town called Twin Falls. Shoshone Falls is a thundering waterfall that stands 212 feet tall—which is 14 feet taller than…
The state of Utah is home to a great deal of striking, fantastical scenery. Few places are quite as captivating as Fantasy Canyon — which is located 40 miles south of Vernal, Utah. Fantasy Canyon is a small, hidden sandstone canyon filled with towering rock formations which resemble claymation figurines that are on the verge…
It’s not surprising that a place with a fantastical name like Gold Hill, Oregon, is home to a mysterious natural anomaly that has puzzled and intrigued scientists and travelers for nearly a century. The Oregon Vortex/House of Mystery has been a curious roadside attraction since the 1930s, when Scottish engineer and geologist John Lister converted…
When most people hear the name “Dismals Canyon,” they assume they’re headed for a gloomy destination. Dismals Canyon—which is located in Phil Campbell, Alabama—is a joyful locale that is home to a rare natural light show. The larvae of thousands of tiny bioluminescent insects known as dismalites proliferate in a cave and emit soft blue…
