Best Valley
The Devil's Punch Bowl is a large natural hollow of Greensand near Hindhead in Surrey, England. Its steep slopes and heathland scenery are protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and managed by the National Trust as part of the Surrey Hills landscape. The area contains mixed heath, woodla...
This valley is less about high-adrenaline sports and more about pure, breathtaking natural beauty. Famous for its sheer curtain of waterfalls (like Staubbach Falls) cascading down the valley walls, it offers a serene, almost mythical alpine experience. It is perfect for photographers, nature lovers,...
Reykjadalur, translating to "Steam Valley," is an active geothermal area located near the town of Hveragerði in southwestern Iceland. The valley is characterized by boiling mudpots, fumaroles, and hot springs that heat a gently flowing warm river. Unlike many high-temperature geothermal zones, the c...
Eltz Castle stands within Germany’s Mosel valley, a remarkably intact medieval fortress dating back to the 12th century. It represents one of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited castles, owned by the same noble family since its construction. The castle’s strategic location and enduring preservati...
The Bolshoi Geyser is one of the most powerful geysers in the Kamchatka Valley of Geysers, Russia. Located within the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, it’s notable for its impressive eruptions reaching heights of up to 40 meters. This natural phenomenon attracts scientists studying volcanic activity and ge...
Ihlara Valley is a gorge in Aksaray Province within Turkey's Cappadocia region, extending for roughly 14 kilometers through volcanic rock. The Melendiz River runs along its floor, where vegetation contrasts with the surrounding plateau. The valley contains numerous rock-cut dwellings and more than 1...
Established in 2001, Pembina Valley Provincial Park in Manitoba is noted for its deeply carved river valley and protects extensive tracts of mixed-grass prairie and riparian forests.
Xylocopa varipuncta, commonly known as the valley carpenter bee, is a large bee species native to the southwestern United States, including Arizona and California. Described by Charles Henry Blake Patton in 1879, the species exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism; while females are shiny and black, m...
Stalheimsfossen is a waterfall near Stalheim in western Norway, situated in the steep Nærøydalen valley. It has a reported total drop of about 126 metres and descends beside the historic Stalheimskleiva road, an area known for sharp bends and mountain scenery. The waterfall can be viewed from locati...
Yol Valley, also called Yolyn Am, is a narrow gorge in the Zuun Saikhan range of southern Mongolia, within Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park. Its shaded rock walls can preserve a field of snow and ice well beyond winter, although the ice is not permanent in every year or season. The gorge supports wi...
Zhemchuzhny Geyser is a named geyser in Russia's Kamchatka Valley of Geysers, notable among the features reported active after the 2007 landslide.
The Azapa Geoglyphs are pre-Hispanic figures in northern Chile's Azapa Valley, notable for llama caravan scenes near Arica and Alto Ramirez.
Soganli Valley is a settlement and valley system in Cappadocia, central Turkey, shaped by erosion of the region's soft volcanic tuff. Its cliffs and conical rock formations contain churches, chapels, dwellings, and monastic spaces carved directly into the stone, with several interiors preserving Byz...
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, flowing northward for approximately 300 kilometers through western Oregon. It runs through the state's most populous valley and bisects the city of Portland before joining the Columbia River. The river's basin supports a diverse ecosys...
The Lluta Geoglyphs are hillside figures in Chile's Lluta Valley, notable for showing humans and camelids linked to Andean caravan routes.
The Yarlung Tsangpo arid steppe is a terrestrial ecoregion in southern Tibet, identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature as PA1022. It follows a long, high-elevation valley associated with the Yarlung Tsangpo, the upper course of the Brahmaputra River, and includes the more densely settled Lhasa c...
The Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge is a major wetland complex in Montana's Bitterroot Valley that provides essential nesting habitat for diverse waterfowl.
Joyful Journey Hot Springs Spa is a geothermal mineral spring resort located near Moffat, Colorado, in the northern San Luis Valley. The facility utilizes naturally artesian hot springs that surface from an underground aquifer and directs the water into a series of cooling pools at varying temperatu...
Maly Geyser is a named geyser in Russia's Kamchatka Valley of Geysers, part of one of Eurasia's few geyser fields within Kronotsky Nature Reserve.
Spanning the border between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, the Chu Valley Steppe is a vital agricultural and pastoral grassland region defined by the Chu River and its fertile floodplains.
The Arnedillo Thermal Baths is a geothermal spa complex situated in the municipality of Arnedillo within the La Rioja autonomous community of Spain. The facility utilizes naturally occurring thermal springs with temperatures reaching approximately 52°C (126°F), which are rich in mineral content such...
Sakharny Geyser is a named geyser in Russia's Kamchatka Valley of Geysers, a field of about 90 geysers discovered by Tatyana Ustinova in 1941.
The Omo Valley savanna of southwestern Ethiopia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is inhabited by over a dozen distinct indigenous ethnic groups practicing traditional lifestyles along the Omo River.
The Emin River Steppe in Xinjiang, China, is characterized by semi-arid grasslands crucial for local pastoralism and serving as a corridor to the Kazakh frontier.
The Little Karoo, also known as the Klein Karoo, is a semi-arid valley situated in the Western Cape of South Africa. It is geographically enclosed by the Swartberg Mountains to the north and the Langeberg and Outeniqua mountain ranges to the south. Historically, the region has been recognized for la...
The Barguzin Steppe in Buryatia, Russia, is a cold, dry intermountain basin notable for its unique biodiversity within the Barguzin Valley and its proximity to the massive Lake Baikal.
The Limpopo Valley savanna spans South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique along the Limpopo River, anchoring the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (est. 2002).
Glencar Waterfall is an Irish cascade immortalized by poet W.B. Yeats in his literary work, dropping 50 feet near the shores of Glencar Lough in County Leitrim.
Butternut Valley Prairie Scientific and Natural Area in Minnesota protects vital remnants of native mesic prairie within the state's river valley.
