The Atlas Obscura Guide To California
1,474 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in California
Updated November 27, 2024
From coastal road trips to wild natural adventures, from desert to mountains, from Hollywood to redwoods, the Golden State has it all. No trip there would be complete without some hidden wonder you werenʼt expecting, and weʼre going to help you find it.
Cities
Top Cities
All Cities
- Agoura Hills
- Alameda
- Albany
- Altadena
- Amboy
- Anaheim
- Aptos
- Arcadia
- Auburn
- Avalon
- Baker
- Barstow
- Belvedere Tiburon
- Benicia
- Berkeley
- Beverly Hills
- Big Sur
- Bishop
- Blythe
- Bodfish
- Borrego Springs
- Bridgeport
- Burbank
- Calabasas
- California City
- Calipatria
- Calistoga
- Camarillo
- Cambria
- Carlsbad
- Carmel By The Sea
- Carpinteria
- Carson
- Castroville
- Colma
- Crescent City
- Crestline
- Crockett
- Culver City
- Daly City
- Davis
- Edwards Air Force Base
- El Segundo
- Encinitas
- Escondido
- Eureka
- Folsom
- Fort Bragg
- Fremont
- Fresno
- Garden Grove
- Glendale
- Goleta
- Grass Valley
- Hacienda Heights
- Hawthorne
- Healdsburg
- Hillsborough
- Hume
- Huntington Beach
- Indio
- Inverness
- Inyo County
- Irvine
- Jenner
- Joshua Tree
- Klamath
- La Cañada Flintridge
- Laguna Beach
- Lancaster
- Landers
- Lee Vining
- Lemon Grove
- Livermore
- Lone Pine
- Long Beach
- Los Angeles
- Los Gatos
- Loyalton
- Lucerne Valley
- Malibu
- Mecca
- Menlo Park
- Mill Valley
- Modesto
- Mono County
- Monterey
- Morro Bay
- Mountain View
- Napa
- Nevada City
- Newberry Springs
- Newport Beach
- Norden
- Oakland
- Ocotillo
- Ojai
- Oroville
- Oxnard
- Pacifica
- Pacific Grove
- Paicines
- Palm Desert
- Palm Springs
- Palo Alto
- Pasadena
- Pescadero
- Pioneertown
- Placerville
- Pomona
- Port Costa
- Rancho Palos Verdes
- Redwood City
- Richmond
- Riverside
- Rosemead
- Sacramento
- Salinas
- San Bernardino
- San Bernardino County
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- San Juan Capistrano
- San Luis Obispo
- San Rafael
- San Simeon
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Clara
- Santa Clarita
- Santa Cruz
- Santa Margarita
- Santa Monica
- Santa Rosa
- Sausalito
- Sebastopol
- Silverado
- Simi Valley
- Solvang
- Sonoma
- Sonora
- South Pasadena
- South San Francisco
- Stanford
- Stockton
- Sunnyvale
- Tecopa
- Tehachapi
- Three Rivers
- Topanga
- Torrance
- Truckee
- Tulelake
- Tustin
- Twentynine Palms
- Ukiah
- Vallejo
- Ventura
- West Hollywood
- West Sacramento
- Winterhaven
- Winters
- Woodside
- Yermo
- Yosemite National Park
- Yucca Valley
Unusual Attractions in California
Cool Places to Eat & Drink in California
Plan Your Trip
Unforgettable Experiences Nearby
Atlas Obscura Itineraries
Discover the Surprising and Hidden History of Monterey County
Monterey County, nestled on California’s stunning Pacific Coast, is a treasure trove of lush landscapes and breathtaking ocean views. But beyond its natural beauty lies a rich tapestry of human history waiting to be explored. Hike a National Historic Trail while learning about the area's Indigenous communities; watch a thrilling race at the storied Laguna Seca Raceway; and get lunch at a restaurant that epitomizes the Oaxacan presence in Monterey. This itinerary will take you to museums and reserves across the county and its thousands of years of human history.
California Leaderboard
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wants to go to East Jesus
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wants to go to Hans Christian Andersen Museum
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wants to go to Doc Ricketts' Lab
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has been to Alcatraz Island
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wants to go to Egyptian Building