The park preserves a single, rare species of carnivorous plant that spells doom for unsuspecting insects.

According to legend, this rock represents a young girl trapped by an evil ocean spirit.

A trash dump made beautiful by nature's power.

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

Despite being a perfectly pleasant place to be, Loyalton can't seem to attract any visitors.

The viewpoint for this attractive, off-the-beaten-path waterfall is reached by a paved, wheelchair-accessible trail.

This whimsical seashell-shaped place of worship was designed to blend into its surroundings.

The mysterious round rocks of Schooner Gulch.

A collection of colorful dinosaurs hidden in an actual rainforest.

Two mammoth statues inspired by equally tall tales lure tourists to this roadside attraction.

Canyon walls shrouded in ferns.

A crumbling wizard is one of the final reminders of a roadside Middle Earth.

This little museum has an exhibit devoted to the elusive forest denizens.

A Tibetan Temple and Buddhist organization just off the beaten path in Northern California.

The Empire Mine is "one of the oldest, largest, deepest, longest and richest gold mines in California."

A simple statue outside a California Amtrak station honors the overlooked contributions of the "silent spikes."

The peaceful gravesite of a rugged wild west gunman echoes the touching story of his last days.

Abortion, prohibition, religion, war, and fear all play a part in the history of this idiosyncratic Pacifica castle.

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

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

Elephant seals and sea lions have turned the abandoned buildings on this island into their endangered love shack.

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

The Internet Age began with a transmission from this biker bar.

The world’s first stop-motion film was created on the racetrack outside this building.