Methuselah Tree – Big Pine, California

This 4,800 year old great basin lives in the White Mountains of Inyo County and is known to be one of the oldest living trees on earth. Its legacy and unique twisted shape has made it one of the most photographed trees in California.

Trona Pinnacles –  Trona, California

These natural towering spires originated from the Searles Dry Lake bed more than 10,000 years ago. The structures take on a variety of shapes and sizes with some as tall as 140 ft.. 

Painted Dunes – Old Station, California

Located in Lassen Volcanic National park is a surreal landscape that looks as if it were painted by Salvador Dali himself. Beautiful rolling hills of red and orange rock and sand stretch around the land’s cinder cone which is the source of the landscape’s vibrant color.

Bowling Ball Beach – Point Arena, California

Schooner Gulch State Beach has a shore like no other. Along the coast lie spherical shaped stones which can be seen during low tide. Their creation was brought on through a process known as concretion which combines sand to stone. Through erosion this colony of stones were transformed into the shapes of bowling balls.

The Racetrack – Inyo, California

Deep inside Death Valley, California is a very unique racetrack. The name comes from the unusual phenomena of large moving rocks that have left long zig-zagged trails spanning hundreds of feet. Melting winter ice sheets was determined to be the cause for the racing stones.

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve – Lancaster, CA

At the end of the winter through early spring, you can witness entire fields sprawling with California’s beautiful state flower. While the quality depends on the amount of rainfall, you can usually find a wide palette of orange, yellow and purple flowers with a powerful sweet aroma that breezes through the air.

Mojave Lava Tubes – San Bernardino County, California

Hidden below the surface of the Mojave desert lies a web of interconnected lava tubes. Following the parking trail is a ladder that leads down into the dark caverns that were formed thousands of years ago from a once active volcano. While exploring underground you’ll come across beams of light that break through from above, creating stunning natural illuminating spotlights.

Mono Lake – Lee Vining, California

Having formed over 760,000 years ago, this ancient lake contains some of the most interesting structures you’ll find in the state. Similar to Trona, this lake contains its own spires that spread across the water. While you won’t find any fish due to the high salinity and alkalinity levels, the lake is home to trillions of brine shrimp who feed off the algae. During the month of March the thriving algae transforms the color of the water into an otherworldly vibrant green.

Vasquez Rocks – Agua Dulce, California

You may recognize these gargantuan sandstone formations from several Hollywood films or TV shows. These rock formations are the result of rapid erosion and uplift activity from the nearby San Andreas Fault. 

Devils Postpile National Monument – Mammoth Lakes, California

Composed of over 400 symmetrical columns of basalt towering 600 ft high, this unique formation is the result of lava flow and ice. What makes this movel more remarkable is the symmetrical shaping of the hexagonal columns which can only be found naturally in a handful of areas throughout the world.