Mono Lake

Mono Lake

Lake with alkaline water and characteristic, eerie tufa towers. Lake has an unusual, very productive ecosystem that includes also the unique bacteria GFAJ-1 that uses arsenic in its cellular structure. Here live also other endemic species, e.g. Mono Lake brine shrimp (Artemia monica). Paoha island in the lake contains many hot springs and fumaroles.

Redwood Mountain Grove

The largest grove (1300 ha) of giant sequoia on Earth. Here grows also the tallest publicly announced giant sequoia in the world – Hyperion.

Lost Horse Valley

Lost Horse Valley

Best grove of Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia Engelm.) – visually impressive plant. Here is also Lost Horse Mine – historic gold and silver mine.

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

In the Bristlecone Pine Forest

Grove of Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva), contains the oldest known individual trees in the world, more than 4,750 years old.

Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge

Iconic bridge, one of the most popular bridges in the world. This 2,737 m long suspension bridge was constructed in 1933 – 1937. Pylons are 227 m high, the span under the bridge is 67 m.

Blythe Intaglios

One of Blythe intaglios

Large geoglyphs (gigantic figures on flat surface). The largest geoglyph is 52 m long depiction of a human. In this area are located several dozen such figures and also a labyrinth – Topock Maze. Age is unknown.

La Brea tar pits

La Brea tar pits

Site where in the tar have been preserved numerous extinct animals such as two species of mammoth, sabre-toothed cats, American lions and many other.

General Sherman tree

Giant Forest with General Sherman tree - the largest tree in the world in the centre

Giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), the largest tree in the world by volume. Volume 1,487 m3. Height 83.8 m, girth at the breast height 25.9 m. Believed to be 2,300 – 2,700 years old.

Ribbon Fall

Ribbon Fall

Tallest single-drop waterfall in North America, 491 m tall. Waterfall is fed by melting snow and for part of the year is dry.

Half Dome

Half Dome, California

Granite dome rising 1,444 m tall above the surroundings. One side of the dome looks as if sheared down, thus the mountain resembles a dome that is divided in half.