20 Incredible Landmarks You've Never Heard Of

The West is brimming with beautiful landscapes and breathtaking natural works of art. With outdoor recreation becoming more popular, more people are out enjoying these incredible places. New trails, roads, guidebooks, websites, road signs, and gps are making these destinations easier to access. Getting more people to form a relationship with the outdoors is a good thing, but it means that some of the best destinations become overcrowded. It can be frustrating to have to share a trail or an overlook with a hundred other people, or to try to take a picture without a stranger in it, or to imagine an angle that no one has photographed before. 

Luckily, there are still plenty of hidden gems--incredible places that are off the beaten path and not widely known, places where you can avoid crowds and have your own adventure. These treasures are sprinkled all over the country, just waiting to be discovered.

We have dug up 20 of the best little-known destinations and local specialties from across the West--incredible landmarks that you may never have heard of or that you know only from obscure photos. Featured below are the hidden gems that you should definitely visit on your next road trip, or go find in your own backyard!