Sandstone formation and pools of water in 'The Wave,' Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona

© Dennis Frates/Alam

A sea of swirling stone

By showing you this coveted sight, we're saving you a bit of an ordeal. For close-up view like this of 'The Wave,' a whorled sandstone formation in the northern Arizona wilderness (southwestern United States), you'd have to navigate a rugged and mostly trail-free route with a permit in your pocket (only a small number are available, offered via a daily lottery). But that's just one day hike of many in the expansive Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, which encompasses almost 300,000 acres of Arizona and Utah canyonland.