UNESCO World Heritage Site- Historic Centre of Siena

Siena is the embodiment of a medieval city. Its inhabitants pursued their rivalry with Florence right into the area of urban planning. Throughout the centuries, they preserved their city's Gothic appearance, acquired between the 12th and 15th centuries. During this ...

California Spotted Owl

The California spotted owl is one of three subspecies of spotted owls that occurs within the United States. The Mexican spotted owl is found in the southwestern states and Mexico. The Northern spotted owl occupies western Washington, Oregon and California. ...

Peregrine Falcon

The American Peregrine Falcon, once a common resident throughout much of California, began rapidly declining about the mid-part of the 20^thcentury. The chief factor responsible for this ...

Bluff Fire

Wildland fire has long been recognized as one of the most significant natural processes operating within and shaping the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade Mountain ecosystems. Virtually all vegetation communities here show evidence of fire ...

Brokeoff Mountain

Brokeoff Mountain, in Lassen Volcanic National Park, was once part of a much larger composite volcano, called Brokeoff Volcano that towered 1,000 feet above Lassen Peak and looked similar to Mount Shasta.

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UNESCO World Heritage Site- Rock Art of Alta

This group of petroglyphs in the Alta Fjord, near the Arctic Circle, bears the traces of a settlement dating from c. 4200 to 500 B.C. The thousands of paintings and engravings add to our understanding of the environment and human ...

UNESCO World Heritage Site- Churches and Convents of Goa

The churches and convents of Goa, the former capital of the Portuguese Indies – particularly the Church of Bom Jesus, which contains the tomb of St Francis-Xavier – illustrate the evangelization of Asia. These monuments were influential in spreading forms ...

Taft / Hiawatha Trail

NOTICE: Access to this site may be via narrow dirt or gravel roads with few turnarounds.

Taft was riotously proud of its well-earned reputation as “one of the wildest towns of the west.” Known far and wide as “the wickedest ...

Point of Rocks- Mineral County

The distinct “Point of Rocks,” towering over a scenic bend in the Clark Fork River, is a pleasant distraction for Interstate motorists making their way through western Montana. But the feature also provides a unique glimpse into the region’s transportation ...

Glacial Lake Missoula and the Ice Age Floods

Under the summer sun, Mineral County can be hot and dry. The snow disappears from all except the loftiest peaks, and only the most moisture-laden storms bring rain to the ground. In times of drought, the lack of moisture is ...