From stunning beaches to breathtaking hikes, explore the beauty of the Golden State.

Sometimes,seeing a sight solomeans getting off the beaten path.

Distinct limestone formations called tufa stand out literally and figuratively at Mono Lake.

View of flowers and mountains in the Trinity Alps

Credit:CampPhoto/Getty Images

This hidden gem may be best reached via Reno, Nevada; its about a three-hour drive from there.

Salton Sea

PhilAugustavo/Getty Images

Not for the faint of heart, CaliforniasSalton Seaconjures a sense of apocalypse.

Other nearby points of interest include gurgling mud pots, or geothermal mud volcanoes, on the eastern shoreline.

Two people on a hill watching a sunset in Big Sur

Lauren Breedlove/Travel + Leisure

If you need some time off the water, book a tour ofLake Shasta Cavernsor hit the trail.

And spend time walking among redwoods inHendy Woods State Park.

The enclave is surrounded by sea, coastal woodlands, and vineyards.

View of Pfeiffer Beach along the Santa Lucia Range

Salil Bhatt/Getty Images

Walk the six-mile Rio Del Mar Trail for ocean views, then wine taste along theCorralitos Wine Trail.

Finally, check outForest of Nisene Marks State Park.

White pelicans on sandbar in Salton Sea

PhilAugustavo/Getty Images

Idyllic white sand beach at Point Reyes

Westend61/Getty Images

view of a vineyard with rolling hills in the distance in Hopland

Thomas Winz/Getty Images

View of Mount Shasta and Lake Shasta taken from Shasta dam

RangerRon/Getty Images

Sunlight coming through the trees in hendy woods redwood state park

Imagine Saturations/Getty Images

Close-up of the SS Palo Alto, an old World War II shipwreck around sunset, off the coast of Aptos

DurkTalsma/Getty Images