Top 10 Mysterious Places That CAN'T BE EXPLAINED

Found in the Nazca Desert of southern Peru are the Nazca Lines. These are enormous shapes and designs that have been drawn on the desert surface and which are easily distinguished from the air. We know a few things about this phenomenon. We know that they are about 2,500 years old, with the oldest lines dating to 500 BCE. We also know that they were built by removing the top layer of reddish-brown pebbles and revealing the lighter soil underneath. But that’s about it. Their purpose remains a complete mystery, with theories ranging from the depiction of constellations to some type of religious significance.

Mexico is home to one of the creepiest tourist destinations in the world. Titled the Island of the Dolls, it’s located in the water channels south of Mexico City. The small island is completely covered by dolls, some of which are placed in the cobweb-infested buildings and some of which are seen hanging from trees. The island was once owned by a man named Julián Santana Barrera, but that’s where the known history ends. All we have left is legend. A young girl supposedly died near the island, and Santana claimed to have heard her spirit crying for her doll. Having found it, he hung the doll in a tree. From then on out, dolls would randomly appear in the trees of the island.

Something creepy always seems to happen whenever the military is involved. In the northern state of Durango, Mexico lies an area known as the Mapimí Silent Zone. Back in July of 1970, this area was accidentally hit by an American rocket carrying cobalt 57. The accident required an extensive clean-up, as the spilled cobalt 57 contaminated the land. It’s now said that radio communications don’t work in the area, hence the name “Mapimí Silent Zone.” Other rumors also exist, including alien visitations and mutated plants and animals. However, it’s entirely possible that these rumors were started by locals who wanted a little tourist money, knowing that the accident would draw attention to the area.

This sounds like something out of a fantasy movie - and it looks like one, too. Eternal Flame Falls is found in New York’s Chestnut Ridge Park, and the grotto of the waterfall contains a small flame that can be spotted year-round. The area is not entirely understood, but modern research has opened up some possible answers. It’s now believed that the grotto is a source of natural gas. This gas originates over 1,000 feet below the surface, from a geologic formation called Rhinestreet Shale. Tectonic activity opened the shale, the gas rose to the grotto and was lit, and Eternal Flame Falls was born. While this theory is sound, it’s still only that - a theory.

The general Mississippi Delta once hosted an indigenous peoples now known as the Poverty Point culture. They existed from about 1730 to 1350 BCE, and they left behind a massive site in northeastern Louisiana. On the surface, Poverty Point doesn’t look like much, being a series of grass and soil mounds. But it’s huge, stretching over three miles. Aside from the various mounds, Poverty Point also contains a semicircle of ridges, almost like an amphitheater, and a flat thirty-seven-acre “plaza.” It’s one of the most significant prehistoric sites in North America, and no one knows what it was used for. Theories range from a permanent settlement to a trading post or religious ceremonial site.

Trees aren’t supposed to bend at right angles; someone tell the Crooked Forest. This is found in the Polish village of Nowe Czarnowo, and it consists of pine trees that bend at unnatural angles. The trunks veer sideways shortly above the ground before turning and shooting skyward. There are about 400 pine trees of this variety, and they serve as a major tourist attraction in the area. And the best part is, no one knows why they bend like that. Our best guess is that they were intentionally deformed as a means of growing naturally-bent wood. Whatever the case, this mini forest looks like something out of “The X-Files.”

Much is unknown about Easter Island. Located in the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, was home to the indigenous peoples of the same name. No one knows when Easter Island was first inhabited, with guesses spanning from the years 800 to 1200. But what’s perhaps most mysterious about the island are the Moai. These are massive stone figures resembling human beings, and they’re found both around the island’s perimeter and in its main quarry, Rano Raraku. We don’t know who among the Rapa Nui carved the statues, and we have no idea how they were transported across the island. What we do know is that this was an incredibly hard-working and ingenious group of people. Sometimes the magic is in the mystery.

And speaking of massive stone monuments that are endlessly perplexing - Stonehenge! Found in Wiltshire, England, Stonehenge is a remarkable feat of prehistoric engineering. The site dates back to around 3000 BCE, and it was constructed over hundreds of years. The outer stones are about thirteen feet high, seven feet wide, and weigh twenty-five tons. The inner stones are called “bluestones,” and they were sourced from the Preseli Hills in Wales, which is 150 miles away. As this culture didn’t keep written records, we can only guess as to the purpose of Stonehenge. And while we have some good theories, we also don’t know exactly how it was built. Heck, we don’t even know how they got the bluestones from Wales to England!

There are many areas across the United States that are said to be alien hotspots. (xref) One is the San Luis Valley in Colorado and New Mexico, which has hosted a large number of UFO sightings. But when it comes to aliens, nothing beats Area 51. Found in the Nevada desert, Area 51 is a highly secretive base belonging to the United States Air Force. Officially called Homey Airport, Area 51 is thought to be used for the testing of weapons and military aircraft. However, others believe that it houses UFOs, weather control devices, energy weapons, and mechanisms for time travel. One thing is for sure - the base’s secrecy has empowered some very active imaginations.

There seem to be many paranormal “triangles” in the world, including one in Lake Michigan. But the most famous is the Bermuda Triangle. It stretches between Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Florida, and it’s the site of many mysterious disappearances. A large number of air and sea incidents have been reported in the area, including the loss of USS Cyclops and Flight 19. The nature of the Bermuda Triangle is hotly debated. Some believe there’s nothing odd about the location and that its accident rate isn’t substantial. Others think there’s something fishy going on and place blame on the paranormal, the Gulf Stream, and compass anomalies. Whatever the case, this has become one of the most popular urban legends in recent history.