13 Surreal Places in California That Feel Like Another Planet

In California, contrasts are the order of the day. From golden beaches brushed by the Pacific to untold miles of wild desert, the state’s contents are landscapes so surreal they seem to be of another planet. California is the jackpot for dreamlike escapes: Martianlike desert, forests that seem like they shouldn’t exist, walking along shores lit up by neon at night. It’s not just an Instagram backdrop, it’s an experience that makes you wonder how there could be that much diversity in one place.

Let’s take a look at the most otherworldly spots you can find in the Golden State.

Alabama Hills

Tucked away in the Eastern Sierra, Alabama Hills features rounded rock formations with Mount Whitney towering in the background. The dramatic contrast has made it a favorite for filmmakers seeking otherworldly settings. For a short hike with epic views, the Mobius Arch Trail is a must. It’s a quick escape that feels far from Earth.

Mono Lake

Picture a saltwater lake dotted with those eerie limestone towers from its surface. That’s Mono Lake for you, an alien moon, not part of Earth. Its high salinity water is ethereal and near Yosemite. Still, biologists are quick to point out that it’s also home to unique species like alkali flies, which are important to its ecosystem.

The Racetrack Playa

Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park is one of Earth’s strangest natural phenomena. It is a place where rocks just seemed to float and drift across the desert floor, leaving their tracks where they were. No, there’s no hidden prankster, there’s a rare wind, ice, and water combo to thank. And when you add in the scorching heat and emptiness of the area? You’ve got an otherworldly adventure you’re willing to brave.

Glass Beach

Glass Beach in Fort Bragg is covered in millions of colorful sea glass fragments. This shimmering coastline has been built by decades of ocean waves tumbling over discarded glass. It’s something so beautiful that came out of trash, but it proves that nature can change. Just remember: Taking pieces home is a big no-no.

Joshua Tree National Park

If Dr. Seuss had been designing a desert, it would be Joshua Tree. It’s a park with peculiar trees, with its spiky arms reaching skyward, and with its massive rock formations; this spot feels like a Martian desert. It’s also perfect for stargazing.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

This geothermal hotspot is a steaming, bubbling wonderland of mud pots and fumaroles, all intermingled with crusty flocks of the shorebirds known as Phalaropes. Forests and turquoise lakes surround it and are dominated by the active volcano Lassen Peak. The Bumpass Hell trail leads you to steaming vents and colorful pools. But be ready to get that sulfuric punch to your nose.

Point Reyes National Seashore

Point Reyes was ripped straight from a fantasy novel, it seems. You seem to have slipped through into another dimension: the green wind thrashing cliffs, the mossy forest, and its tule elk grazing in the meadows. These cliffs are home to a lighthouse on the lip that provides a dose of mystery even when the fog rolls in. And it’s the perfect place to lose yourself in nature.

Trona Pinnacles

The Trona Pinnacles sit in the Mojave Desert with spikes of calcium carbonate looking as if they were dropped here by extraterrestrials. Many sci-fi movies have taken place here, and you’ll see why once you get there. Suddenly, they shoot up dramatically up from the dry lakebed, so that you’d think you’d landed on another planet.

Big Sur’s McWay Falls

Big Sur’s McWay Falls is the kind of place that you have to stop in. The landing point of a slender waterfall is a beautiful beach tucked into Big Sur’s dramatic coastline. This spot is unspoiled beauty and turquoise waters that time forgot, a hidden paradise.

Salton Sea

This Colorado Desert accidental saltwater lake is eerie and fascinating. It is now mostly abandoned, with decaying structures and a weird smell. Quite frankly, the sunsets over the Salton Sea are magical, with colors of blazing orange and pink-colored sky.

Devil’s Postpile National Monument

Devil’s Postpile, one of the world’s best examples of columnar basalt. Columnar basalt. The volcanic formations in Mammoth Lakes are incredibly geometric, you really have to wonder if humans or nature had the heavy lifting. You can make it a short hike here before you’ll be wondering how precise nature

Anza Borrego Desert State Park

Anza Borrego bursts into color with wildflower blooms, transforming the desert into a rugged wonderland of canyons and surreal metal sculptures. Even in the off-season, it stuns with mystery and magic—one of Earth’s last wild frontiers, so breathtaking it feels like stepping onto another planet.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

These are parks with the tallest trees on Earth that grow so tall, you feel like a little speck in the universe. Then, it’s humbling, and pretty surreal, to stand in their midst, amongst the sequoias, like the General Sherman Tree. The age of this forest, the sheer size of it makes it feel like you’re in a pre-historical world.

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10 Best African Photo Safaris You Must Experience

Even if you’ve been on a safari in the past, an African photo safari is something you want to experience or at the very list add to the top of your bucket list.

But first, what is a photo safari? The phrase “photo safari” is not a common sentence structure but its meaning can be deduced easily. An African photo safari in general context means going on an adventure with the sole purpose of taking high-quality pictures.

10 Best African Photo Safaris You Must Experience