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Alien-looking landscapes you won't believe are found on Earth
- Space travel sounds unbelievably cool, but most of us won’t ever have the opportunity to check out alien planets. Lucky for you, the Earth is vast and strange, and that means it has a host of otherworldly landscapes just waiting for your exploration—no spaceship required. Click through the gallery and take a tour through Earth's alien-looking landscapes.
© Shutterstock
0 / 61 Fotos
Spotted Lake, Canada - Found in British Columbia, the "spots" in this lake are caused by minerals in the water.
© Shutterstock
1 / 61 Fotos
Spotted Lake, Canada - This lake contains dense deposits of magnesium sulfate, calcium, and sodium sulphates, causing its strange-looking spots.
© Shutterstock
2 / 61 Fotos
Vajolet Towers, Italy
- Located in Val di Fassa in the Dolomites, the Vajolet Towers are comprised of six summits.
© Shutterstock
3 / 61 Fotos
Vajolet Towers, Italy
- In addition to being incredibly photogenic, the Towers are also a popular destination among rock climbers.
© Shutterstock
4 / 61 Fotos
Wadi Rum, Jordan - It may look like you're on Mars, but this Jordanian desert is very much real.
© Shutterstock
5 / 61 Fotos
Wadi Rum, Jordan - Also known as the Valley of the Moon, Wadi Rum is a valley cut into sandstone and granite rock.
© Shutterstock
6 / 61 Fotos
Fly Geyser, USA - Located near Black Rock Desert in Nevada, this crazy-looking formation was formed when a geothermic company drilled on this site and then left it to abandonment.
© Shutterstock
7 / 61 Fotos
Fly Geyser, USA - Over the past 40 years, minerals from the geothermal water have been deposited on the surface of the desert surrounding the geyser, creating a mound covered in algae, giving it a multi-colored hue.
© Shutterstock
8 / 61 Fotos
Peyto Glacier, Canada
- Located in the Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park, the lake's turquoise appearance is almost Neptune-like.
© iStock
9 / 61 Fotos
Peyto Glacier, Canada - Its otherworldly color is thanks to glacial silt, which is carried from the glacier by streams.
© Shutterstock
10 / 61 Fotos
Jökulsárlón, Iceland - The colors of this glacial lake are nothing like what you normally see on Earth.
© Shutterstock
11 / 61 Fotos
Jökulsárlón, Iceland - Its frozen beach with black volcanic sands provides the perfect contrast for the chunks of ice that wash ashore.
© Shutterstock
12 / 61 Fotos
Antelope Canyon, USA
- This formation is the result of erosion of sandstone by water, hence its flowing shapes.
© Shutterstock
13 / 61 Fotos
Antelope Canyon, USA - This slot canyon exists on Navajo land in Arizona, and it has become a popular tourist destination in the US.
© Shutterstock
14 / 61 Fotos
Glowworm Caves, New Zealand - You may think you're looking at the Milky Way, but these caves located in Waitomo are very much found on this Earth.
© Shutterstock
15 / 61 Fotos
Glowworm Caves, New Zealand - This wonderful sight is caused by thousands of bioluminescent larvae that produce long strings of shiny mucus. Gross? Maybe. Wonderful? Absolutely.
© Shutterstock
16 / 61 Fotos
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia - This incredible view belongs to the world's largest salt flat.
© Shutterstock
17 / 61 Fotos
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia - The salt flats contain 10 billion tons of salt and cover more than 4,000 sq mi (10,360 sq km).
© Shutterstock
18 / 61 Fotos
Bromo Volcano, Indonesia - Located in East Java, this active volcano offers incredible views that are more than worth the hike from the village of Cemoro Lawang.
© Shutterstock
19 / 61 Fotos
Bromo Volcano, Indonesia - The jaw-dropping sunsets there are the highlight of the visit.
© Shutterstock
20 / 61 Fotos
Lake Natron, Tanzania - This wonderful-looking lake is proof that beauty is indeed deceiving. Its extremely high temperatures and pH levels make this place closer to Hell than Earth.
© Shutterstock
21 / 61 Fotos
Lake Natron, Tanzania - On the upside, its hellish conditions produce a surplus of scarlet-colored algae that attracts millions of flamingos.
© Shutterstock
22 / 61 Fotos
Saskatchewan, Canada - About 10% of this prairie and boreal province in western Canada is comprised of fresh water, mostly rivers, reservoirs, and around 100,000 lakes.
© Shutterstock
23 / 61 Fotos
Saskatchewan, Canada - Scary, thunderous Saskatchewan skies look like a UFO could fly by at any moment.
© Shutterstock
24 / 61 Fotos
Apostle Islands, USA - In Lake Superior, in northern Wisconsin, you can find these 21 odd-looking islands, filled with caves, beaches, and trails.
© Shutterstock
25 / 61 Fotos
Apostle Islands, USA - In the winter, the shoreline can look especially alien, with icicles and frozen waterfalls in the caves and rocky coast.
© Shutterstock
26 / 61 Fotos
Namib Naukluft Park, Namibia - The park is home to striking red sand dunes and skeletal trees.
© Shutterstock
27 / 61 Fotos
Namib Naukluft Park, Namibia - Until we start sending human to Mars, this is the closest we'll get to visiting a Red Planet.
© Shutterstock
28 / 61 Fotos
Aulavik National Park, Canada - This Canadian national park is located in the Northwest Territories and is a gorgeous example of a polar desert.
© Shutterstock
29 / 61 Fotos
Mount Thor, Canada - Though this scenery looks like it could fit well into the background of a 'Star Trek' episode, this place is located in Nunavut.
© Shutterstock
30 / 61 Fotos
Mount Thor, Canada - This mount is a popular rock climbing site.
© Shutterstock
31 / 61 Fotos
Goblin Valley State Park, USA
- There may not be goblins in this valley, but the whole park looks so different from most parts of the planet that it’s hard to imagine you’re still on Earth.
© Shutterstock
32 / 61 Fotos
Goblin Valley State Park, USA - At night, it's a good place to gaze at the stars and pretend you’re somewhere else in the galaxy.
© Shutterstock
33 / 61 Fotos
Wulingyuan Scenic Area, China - Located in Zhangjiajie, this 100-square-mile attraction contains thousands of sandstone pillars.
© Shutterstock
34 / 61 Fotos
Wulingyuan Scenic Area, China - These formations are nature's version of skyscrapers.
© Shutterstock
35 / 61 Fotos
Kilauea Volcano, USA
- Volcanoes don’t just exist on Earth. In fact, Jupiter’s moon Io is actually the most volcanically active location in our solar system.
© Shutterstock
36 / 61 Fotos
Kilauea Volcano, USA - NASA researchers found that Io’s volcano Prometheus looks uncannily similar to Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano.
© Shutterstock
37 / 61 Fotos
Hang Sơn Đoòng, Vietnam - This is the largest cave in the world, boasting enough room to hold an entire city block of Manhattan—including 40-story skyscrapers.
© Shutterstock
38 / 61 Fotos
Hang Sơn Đoòng, Vietnam - An entire ecosystem of its own flourishes within its depths.
© Shutterstock
39 / 61 Fotos
Death Valley, USA - If you need proof that Death Valley has otherworldly qualities, take note that NASA used the national park as a location to run tests before landing a rover on Mars in 2012.
© Shutterstock
40 / 61 Fotos
Death Valley, USA - Here you’ll find sand dunes, rock faces, jagged hills, and a dry desert floor with crusty patterns and cracks.
© Shutterstock
41 / 61 Fotos
Dos Ojos, Mexico - This place is so distinct, it unsurprisingly was featured in a movie and a documentary: 'Journey Into Amazing Caves' (2001) and Discovery Channel's 'Planet Earth.'
© Shutterstock
42 / 61 Fotos
Dos Ojos, Mexico - The cave system is popular among snorkelers, experienced scuba divers, and anyone else in search of adventure.
© Shutterstock
43 / 61 Fotos
Socotra, Yemen - These alien-looking trees, found in the Socotra archipelago, are called dragon's blood trees, and they're endemic to the area.
© Shutterstock
44 / 61 Fotos
Socotra, Yemen - Its distinct red sap was thought to represent the dragon's blood of the ancients. It is still used today as paint and varnish.
© Shutterstock
45 / 61 Fotos
Grand Prismatic Spring, USA - Yellowstone National Park’s famed hot spring has a totally bizarre, colorful appearance, the result of pigmented bacteria and microbes that make their home in the warm mineral waters.
© Shutterstock
46 / 61 Fotos
Grand Prismatic Spring, USA - The clear blue waters at the pool’s center come from the heat of the water where it boils up from underground, so hot as to make the area completely sterile.
© Shutterstock
47 / 61 Fotos
Dallol, Ethiopia - Salt formations, acidic hot springs, and gas geysers give this ghost town its alien-looking eeriness.
© Shutterstock
48 / 61 Fotos
Dallol, Ethiopia - With average summer highs reportedly reaching up to 45°C (114°F), this hydrothermal area is among the hottest spots on Earth.
© Shutterstock
49 / 61 Fotos
Badlands National Park, USA - These miles and miles of jagged, rocky peaks sure are something, and that something doesn’t exactly scream “earthly.”
© Shutterstock
50 / 61 Fotos
Badlands National Park, USA - These rock formations were created by erosion, which continues to happen now.
© Shutterstock
51 / 61 Fotos
Valle de la Luna, Chile
- If planning a trip to the moon isn't in the books, consider the Moon Valley instead.
© Shutterstock
52 / 61 Fotos
Valle de la Luna, Chile - Located in the Atacama Desert, this valley was formed by years of erosion that have left behind jagged peaks, dry riverbeds, and a startling landscape worth the visit.
© Shutterstock
53 / 61 Fotos
Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil - The valleys between the national park's rolling sand dunes fill up with water during the rainy season every year, giving this place its striking features.
© Shutterstock
54 / 61 Fotos
Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil - The landscape resembles a drowned desert or a sandy lake, depending on the perspective.
© Shutterstock
55 / 61 Fotos
White Desert, Egypt - This desert's most striking feature is its wind-shaped chalk rock formations that look like giant mushroom clouds frozen in time.
© Shutterstock
56 / 61 Fotos
White Desert, Egypt - These otherworldly-looking formations are the result of occasional sandstorms in the area.
© Shutterstock
57 / 61 Fotos
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, USA - Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve owes its appearance to volcanic activity.
© Shutterstock
58 / 61 Fotos
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, USA
- The fact that it’s an International Dark Sky Park makes it look even more like another planet.
© Shutterstock
59 / 61 Fotos
Haleakala Crater
- Maui’s Haleakala Crater, Hawaii, is a sight to behold, with a landscape of cinder cones and a massive crater backfilled by lava flows. See also: Discover America's 30 most stunning national parks
© Shutterstock
60 / 61 Fotos
Alien-looking landscapes you won't believe are found on Earth
- Space travel sounds unbelievably cool, but most of us won’t ever have the opportunity to check out alien planets. Lucky for you, the Earth is vast and strange, and that means it has a host of otherworldly landscapes just waiting for your exploration—no spaceship required. Click through the gallery and take a tour through Earth's alien-looking landscapes.
© Shutterstock
0 / 61 Fotos
Spotted Lake, Canada - Found in British Columbia, the "spots" in this lake are caused by minerals in the water.
© Shutterstock
1 / 61 Fotos
Spotted Lake, Canada - This lake contains dense deposits of magnesium sulfate, calcium, and sodium sulphates, causing its strange-looking spots.
© Shutterstock
2 / 61 Fotos
Vajolet Towers, Italy
- Located in Val di Fassa in the Dolomites, the Vajolet Towers are comprised of six summits.
© Shutterstock
3 / 61 Fotos
Vajolet Towers, Italy
- In addition to being incredibly photogenic, the Towers are also a popular destination among rock climbers.
© Shutterstock
4 / 61 Fotos
Wadi Rum, Jordan - It may look like you're on Mars, but this Jordanian desert is very much real.
© Shutterstock
5 / 61 Fotos
Wadi Rum, Jordan - Also known as the Valley of the Moon, Wadi Rum is a valley cut into sandstone and granite rock.
© Shutterstock
6 / 61 Fotos
Fly Geyser, USA - Located near Black Rock Desert in Nevada, this crazy-looking formation was formed when a geothermic company drilled on this site and then left it to abandonment.
© Shutterstock
7 / 61 Fotos
Fly Geyser, USA - Over the past 40 years, minerals from the geothermal water have been deposited on the surface of the desert surrounding the geyser, creating a mound covered in algae, giving it a multi-colored hue.
© Shutterstock
8 / 61 Fotos
Peyto Glacier, Canada
- Located in the Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park, the lake's turquoise appearance is almost Neptune-like.
© iStock
9 / 61 Fotos
Peyto Glacier, Canada - Its otherworldly color is thanks to glacial silt, which is carried from the glacier by streams.
© Shutterstock
10 / 61 Fotos
Jökulsárlón, Iceland - The colors of this glacial lake are nothing like what you normally see on Earth.
© Shutterstock
11 / 61 Fotos
Jökulsárlón, Iceland - Its frozen beach with black volcanic sands provides the perfect contrast for the chunks of ice that wash ashore.
© Shutterstock
12 / 61 Fotos
Antelope Canyon, USA
- This formation is the result of erosion of sandstone by water, hence its flowing shapes.
© Shutterstock
13 / 61 Fotos
Antelope Canyon, USA - This slot canyon exists on Navajo land in Arizona, and it has become a popular tourist destination in the US.
© Shutterstock
14 / 61 Fotos
Glowworm Caves, New Zealand - You may think you're looking at the Milky Way, but these caves located in Waitomo are very much found on this Earth.
© Shutterstock
15 / 61 Fotos
Glowworm Caves, New Zealand - This wonderful sight is caused by thousands of bioluminescent larvae that produce long strings of shiny mucus. Gross? Maybe. Wonderful? Absolutely.
© Shutterstock
16 / 61 Fotos
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia - This incredible view belongs to the world's largest salt flat.
© Shutterstock
17 / 61 Fotos
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia - The salt flats contain 10 billion tons of salt and cover more than 4,000 sq mi (10,360 sq km).
© Shutterstock
18 / 61 Fotos
Bromo Volcano, Indonesia - Located in East Java, this active volcano offers incredible views that are more than worth the hike from the village of Cemoro Lawang.
© Shutterstock
19 / 61 Fotos
Bromo Volcano, Indonesia - The jaw-dropping sunsets there are the highlight of the visit.
© Shutterstock
20 / 61 Fotos
Lake Natron, Tanzania - This wonderful-looking lake is proof that beauty is indeed deceiving. Its extremely high temperatures and pH levels make this place closer to Hell than Earth.
© Shutterstock
21 / 61 Fotos
Lake Natron, Tanzania - On the upside, its hellish conditions produce a surplus of scarlet-colored algae that attracts millions of flamingos.
© Shutterstock
22 / 61 Fotos
Saskatchewan, Canada - About 10% of this prairie and boreal province in western Canada is comprised of fresh water, mostly rivers, reservoirs, and around 100,000 lakes.
© Shutterstock
23 / 61 Fotos
Saskatchewan, Canada - Scary, thunderous Saskatchewan skies look like a UFO could fly by at any moment.
© Shutterstock
24 / 61 Fotos
Apostle Islands, USA - In Lake Superior, in northern Wisconsin, you can find these 21 odd-looking islands, filled with caves, beaches, and trails.
© Shutterstock
25 / 61 Fotos
Apostle Islands, USA - In the winter, the shoreline can look especially alien, with icicles and frozen waterfalls in the caves and rocky coast.
© Shutterstock
26 / 61 Fotos
Namib Naukluft Park, Namibia - The park is home to striking red sand dunes and skeletal trees.
© Shutterstock
27 / 61 Fotos
Namib Naukluft Park, Namibia - Until we start sending human to Mars, this is the closest we'll get to visiting a Red Planet.
© Shutterstock
28 / 61 Fotos
Aulavik National Park, Canada - This Canadian national park is located in the Northwest Territories and is a gorgeous example of a polar desert.
© Shutterstock
29 / 61 Fotos
Mount Thor, Canada - Though this scenery looks like it could fit well into the background of a 'Star Trek' episode, this place is located in Nunavut.
© Shutterstock
30 / 61 Fotos
Mount Thor, Canada - This mount is a popular rock climbing site.
© Shutterstock
31 / 61 Fotos
Goblin Valley State Park, USA
- There may not be goblins in this valley, but the whole park looks so different from most parts of the planet that it’s hard to imagine you’re still on Earth.
© Shutterstock
32 / 61 Fotos
Goblin Valley State Park, USA - At night, it's a good place to gaze at the stars and pretend you’re somewhere else in the galaxy.
© Shutterstock
33 / 61 Fotos
Wulingyuan Scenic Area, China - Located in Zhangjiajie, this 100-square-mile attraction contains thousands of sandstone pillars.
© Shutterstock
34 / 61 Fotos
Wulingyuan Scenic Area, China - These formations are nature's version of skyscrapers.
© Shutterstock
35 / 61 Fotos
Kilauea Volcano, USA
- Volcanoes don’t just exist on Earth. In fact, Jupiter’s moon Io is actually the most volcanically active location in our solar system.
© Shutterstock
36 / 61 Fotos
Kilauea Volcano, USA - NASA researchers found that Io’s volcano Prometheus looks uncannily similar to Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano.
© Shutterstock
37 / 61 Fotos
Hang Sơn Đoòng, Vietnam - This is the largest cave in the world, boasting enough room to hold an entire city block of Manhattan—including 40-story skyscrapers.
© Shutterstock
38 / 61 Fotos
Hang Sơn Đoòng, Vietnam - An entire ecosystem of its own flourishes within its depths.
© Shutterstock
39 / 61 Fotos
Death Valley, USA - If you need proof that Death Valley has otherworldly qualities, take note that NASA used the national park as a location to run tests before landing a rover on Mars in 2012.
© Shutterstock
40 / 61 Fotos
Death Valley, USA - Here you’ll find sand dunes, rock faces, jagged hills, and a dry desert floor with crusty patterns and cracks.
© Shutterstock
41 / 61 Fotos
Dos Ojos, Mexico - This place is so distinct, it unsurprisingly was featured in a movie and a documentary: 'Journey Into Amazing Caves' (2001) and Discovery Channel's 'Planet Earth.'
© Shutterstock
42 / 61 Fotos
Dos Ojos, Mexico - The cave system is popular among snorkelers, experienced scuba divers, and anyone else in search of adventure.
© Shutterstock
43 / 61 Fotos
Socotra, Yemen - These alien-looking trees, found in the Socotra archipelago, are called dragon's blood trees, and they're endemic to the area.
© Shutterstock
44 / 61 Fotos
Socotra, Yemen - Its distinct red sap was thought to represent the dragon's blood of the ancients. It is still used today as paint and varnish.
© Shutterstock
45 / 61 Fotos
Grand Prismatic Spring, USA - Yellowstone National Park’s famed hot spring has a totally bizarre, colorful appearance, the result of pigmented bacteria and microbes that make their home in the warm mineral waters.
© Shutterstock
46 / 61 Fotos
Grand Prismatic Spring, USA - The clear blue waters at the pool’s center come from the heat of the water where it boils up from underground, so hot as to make the area completely sterile.
© Shutterstock
47 / 61 Fotos
Dallol, Ethiopia - Salt formations, acidic hot springs, and gas geysers give this ghost town its alien-looking eeriness.
© Shutterstock
48 / 61 Fotos
Dallol, Ethiopia - With average summer highs reportedly reaching up to 45°C (114°F), this hydrothermal area is among the hottest spots on Earth.
© Shutterstock
49 / 61 Fotos
Badlands National Park, USA - These miles and miles of jagged, rocky peaks sure are something, and that something doesn’t exactly scream “earthly.”
© Shutterstock
50 / 61 Fotos
Badlands National Park, USA - These rock formations were created by erosion, which continues to happen now.
© Shutterstock
51 / 61 Fotos
Valle de la Luna, Chile
- If planning a trip to the moon isn't in the books, consider the Moon Valley instead.
© Shutterstock
52 / 61 Fotos
Valle de la Luna, Chile - Located in the Atacama Desert, this valley was formed by years of erosion that have left behind jagged peaks, dry riverbeds, and a startling landscape worth the visit.
© Shutterstock
53 / 61 Fotos
Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil - The valleys between the national park's rolling sand dunes fill up with water during the rainy season every year, giving this place its striking features.
© Shutterstock
54 / 61 Fotos
Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil - The landscape resembles a drowned desert or a sandy lake, depending on the perspective.
© Shutterstock
55 / 61 Fotos
White Desert, Egypt - This desert's most striking feature is its wind-shaped chalk rock formations that look like giant mushroom clouds frozen in time.
© Shutterstock
56 / 61 Fotos
White Desert, Egypt - These otherworldly-looking formations are the result of occasional sandstorms in the area.
© Shutterstock
57 / 61 Fotos
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, USA - Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve owes its appearance to volcanic activity.
© Shutterstock
58 / 61 Fotos
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, USA
- The fact that it’s an International Dark Sky Park makes it look even more like another planet.
© Shutterstock
59 / 61 Fotos
Haleakala Crater
- Maui’s Haleakala Crater, Hawaii, is a sight to behold, with a landscape of cinder cones and a massive crater backfilled by lava flows. See also: Discover America's 30 most stunning national parks
© Shutterstock
60 / 61 Fotos
Alien-looking landscapes you won't believe are found on Earth
These landscapes are out of this world
© Shutterstock
Space travel sounds unbelievably cool, but most of us won’t ever have the opportunity to check out alien planets. Lucky for you, the Earth is vast and strange, and that means it has a host of otherworldly landscapes just waiting for your exploration—no spaceship required.
Click through the gallery and take a tour through Earth's alien-looking landscapes.
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