Salvation Mountain

Photogenic California will offer the aspiring influencer many opportunities to #humblebrag to their friends in snowier states. If that is your passion, we offer 15 suggestions for stunning shots, including both natural and man-made wonders, such as three spectacular national parks and a house whose owner couldn’t stop ordering new additions.
The Carlsbad Flower Fields are a seasonal attraction, blooming in full for about six to eight weeks each spring. Visitors may go on a wagon ride through the flower fields or meander on foot. There’s a sweet pea maze and a shop where customers can purchase fresh flowers, but Instagrammers flock to the colorful fields of Giant Tecolote Ranunculuses.
Carlsbad Flower Fields, 5704 Paseo del Norte, Carlsbad, CA, USA, +1 760 431 0352
There are 50 acres of gorgeous Ranunculus flowers | © Juliet Bennett Rylah
Griffith Observatory sits in Los Angeles’ massive Griffith Park. It was built in the 1930s and features great views of the Hollywood sign and Downtown L.A., but it also looks beautiful from a distance. Visitors can attend a planetarium show,peek through telescopes, or view current exhibits. Admission is currently, and has always been, free. To avoid parking fees, take the DASH Observatory bus from the Metro Red Line station at Vermont and Sunset.
Griffith Observatory, 2800 E Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA, USA, +1 213 473 0800
Balboa Park lies in San Diego. As the host of the Panama-California Exposition in 1915, San Diego developed the park to feature several stunning buildings and landscaping. Points of photographic interest include a six-acre sunken butterfly garden, the San Diego Museum of Man and California Tower, and the San Diego Zoo. Yet, it’s worth noting there are also a dozen of other museums, as well as several nature trails and gardens.
Balboa Park, San Diego, CA, USA, +1 619 239 0512
Balboa Park | © Aaron Hawkins / Flickr
Contemporary art museum The Broad lies in Downtown Los Angeles. It’s full of colorful pop art, all of which is entirely Instagrammable, and the all-white, futuristic building itself makes a great photo too. Stop for food and cocktails at the adjacent Otium.
The Broad, 221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA, USA, +1 213 232 6200
The Broad | © Peter Alfred Hess / Flickr
San Francisco’s Painted Ladies are a collection of seven side-by-side Victorian and Edwardian homes, each uniquely painted in rich colors. They’re located on Steiner Street across from Alamo Square and make for a postcard-perfect shot.
The Painted Ladies, Steiner Street and Hayes Street, San Francisco, CA, USA, +1 415 218 0259
Painted Ladies | © Apun Hiran / Flickr
The Lyon Street Stairs will allow you to move between Cow Hollow and Pacific Heights in San Francisco, getting in both a workout and some great photos of the stunning landscaping. Plus, the views of the city from the stairs aren’t bad either. According to HiddenSF, there are 332 steps total.
Lyon Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
Lyon Street Steps | © Jed Record / Flickr
If your feed is incomplete without you standing next to a giant tree, then do yourself a favor and visit Redwood National and State Parks. These are the tallest trees around, and you can take a scenic drive, hike, and camp among them here.