Top 20 Natural Wonders That Don't Exist Anymore

#20: Hillary Step on Mount Everest

Nepal

Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth, on the border between China and Nepal. On the Nepal side, one of the most challenging parts of the climb was the Hillary Step. It was a huge rock face, susceptible to extremely unpredictable weather. Its named after Edmund Hillary, who was one of the first people confirmed to scale Everests peak. After an earthquake in 2015, the step was destroyed. It took a couple of years to confirm, on account of it being covered in snow. On the bright side, climbers claim its far easier to summit now.

#19: Sequoia Tunnel Tree

California

Giant sequoia trees are some of the biggest trees in the world. Theyre so big, in the 19th and 20th centuries, there was a trend of carving out huge tunnels in them. These were so huge, in fact, that you could drive cars or horse-drawn carriages through them. One of the most famous ones was in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, which was a tree over 1,000 years old. It attracted thousands of tourists, but eventually collapsed in 2017 due to a storm. It turns out, cutting huge holes in trees is not great for them. A few still survive, but new ones are unlikely to be made.

#18: Darwins Arch

Darwin Island, Galápagos, Ecuador

The Galápagos Islands lie in the Eastern Pacific, governed by the Republic of Ecuador. Theyre home to Darwin Island, which was near Darwins Arch. Both were named after biologist Charles Darwin, who researched evolution there. People were not permitted to set foot on either, but that didnt stop tourists from visiting. It was a popular spot for photographers and even scuba divers. The arch was remarkably huge, carved out by years of erosion. Unfortunately, this erosion led to its collapse in 2021. Now, two huge pillars remain, which are currently nicknamed the Pillars of Evolution. Interestingly, some scuba divers managed to spot the collapse as it happened, which mustve been a remarkable sight.

#17: London Bridge

Victoria, Australia

Britains modern London Bridge was opened in 1973, but a bridge has stood in its place for almost 2,000 years. However, in Australia, there used to be a much older London Bridge. Unlike the one its named after, it was entirely natural. It was similar to Darwins Arch, with erosion creating two huge arches that naturally formed a double-span bridge. In 1990, it finally collapsed. Two tourists ended up stuck there, but thankfully were uninjured, although they required a helicopter rescue. Many people humorously compared it to the nursery rhyme London Bridge Is Falling Down.

#16: Guaíra Falls

Brazil & Paraguay

The border between Paraguay and Brazil used to be home to one of the greatest series of waterfalls on Earth. It was a series of 18 waterfalls, which combined were 375 feet high. It was so loud you could hear it for 20 miles. The flow rate was mind-bogglingly big, one of the largest on Earth. Despite its wondrous beauty, it was destroyed in 1982. The Itaipu Dam was responsible, creating an artificial lake on top of Guaira Falls. The silver lining is that the dam creates tons of clean electricity for Brazil and Paraguay.

#15: Lake Poopó

Bolivia

Once upon a time, Bolivias Lake Poopó was one of the worlds largest saline lakes, alongside one of the highest. On average, it was only 10 feet deep, meaning its size varied annually. It had an area of over 390 square miles, but despite its huge size, it dried up entirely. It was caused by a combination of human interference, with local people using it for irrigation, as well as climate change, with the melting of glaciers in the Andes being a huge factor. It finally vanished in 2015, and is unlikely to ever return. It caused a huge loss of local wildlife, alongside harming locals way of life.

#14: Twelve Apostles

Victoria, Australia

Just down the road from London Bridge, Victoria, you can find the Twelve Apostles. Theyre huge limestone stacks that sit on the coast. Dont be misled by the name; there are only seven that stand. There used to be nine in total, which were formed over millions of years of erosion. A 160-foot stack collapsed in 2005, then another in 2009. The rest are likely to fall at some point soon, but no one can predict exactly when. So while you can still see most of it today, its not as impressive as it was. On the bright side, more will form in the future, just not in our lifetimes.

#13: Hetch Hetchy Valley

Yosemite National Park, California, USA

Native Americans used to call this valley home for centuries. It was an amazing sight, rivalling Yosemite Valley in its beauty. It was created by glaciers thousands of years ago, and was inhabited for over 6,000 years. Its still there today, but its unfortunately been completely flooded. It was caused by the construction of the OShaughnessy Dam, completed in 1923. This turned the valley into a reservoir, which provides the San Francisco area with water. Its a shame, especially since in 1890 they declared it was to be protected. Thankfully, some individuals are hoping to restore it using modern water management technology, so it may return to life.

#12: God's Finger

Gran Canaria, Spain

More commonly known by its Spanish name, El Dedo de Dios, this was a phenomenal sea stack in the Canary Islands. As the name implies, it was impressively tall and thin. It took around 200 to 300 thousand years to form. It was almost 100 feet high, which appeared to defy physics. Well, physics eventually caused its downfall during a storm in 2005. There were debates as to whether it should be restored, but the final decision was to simply preserve what remained. A large stump is still there, and the surrounding nature remains stunning, but the finger itself is long gone.

#11: Jeffrey Pine

Yosemite National Park, California, USA

The Sentinel Dome is a massive granite dome in Yosemite. For a long time, it was home to probably the most photographed tree in history, a Jeffrey Pine. Photographers first became enamoured with it in 1867, but it tragically died in 1976 after a drought. It kept standing tall until it toppled in 2003. We believe it was approximately 400 years old, a mind-boggling age. Its corpse has been left untouched, so you can still go see it, but it wont stay forever. Of course, Yosemite is still an amazing place to visit, so a hike to the pine would be tough to regret.

#10: Azure Window, Malta

Eventually, time comes for everything. Over the course of 500 years, ocean waves caused a rock to slowly erode awayeventually forming a perfect arch that exposed the water behind it. This became known as the Azure Window, which became one of Maltas crown jewels. However, the elements that had formed the structure would also lead to its downfall. As decades passed, chunks of the arch would break off. People climbing on it only contributed to the damage. The final blow came in 2017, when a storm swept through and weakened the pillar enough to make it fall into the depths below. That night, centuries of natural work were undoneand the site has remained empty since.

#9: Sycamore Gap tree, Northumberland, England

Ignorance knows no bounds. For over a century, Northumberland, Englands beloved Sycamore Gap tree served as a symbol of the region. It was so beloved that it was even awarded for its stature. No one couldve anticipated that it would meet its end through a single, senseless act. In 2023, locals awoke to the sight of the tree cut down. High winds the previous night had masked the sound of it being felled, resulting in a nasty shock. After several arrests, two men were criminally charged in 2024. While the destruction of the tree has been mourned, there is one silver lining. New seedlings from the sycamores remnants have sproutedmeaning that generations from now, it could potentially reach the same heights as its predecessor.

#8: Old Man of the Mountain, New Hampshire

Some formations are so intricate that its hard to believe they came about naturally. Thats the case for the Old Man of the Mountaina unique grouping of stone that had eroded over thousands of years into the shape of a human face. Once the subject of legends amongst Indigenous tribes, it eventually became a local icon for New Hampshire in modern times. However, fluctuating temperatures caused cracks to form throughout the 20th century. Locals tried to fix itbut despite their best efforts, it finally collapsed in 2003. The Old Man of the Mountain may be gone, but a memorial and commemorative day ensure it wont be forgotten.

#7: Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica

Even wonders far from the prying eyes of humans arent safe from the effects of human activity. What was once a sprawling expanse known as the Larsen Ice Shelf has slowly begun to break apartwith each collapse bringing its own set of consequences. The first major collapse occurred in 1995, marking the end of Shelf A. Segment B followed in 2002, exposing a never-before-seen biosphere to the elements above. This alarmed scientists. As global temperatures continued to rise, Shelf C began to deteriorate, leading to a massive rift that caused a huge iceberg to break off in 2017. Now, with only one stable section remaining, the platform is at risk of disappearing entirely.

#6: Wawona Tree, Yosemite National Park, California, USA

Even before its destruction, this tree was being exploited daily. Once reaching a staggering height of nearly 230 feet, the Wawona Tunnel Tree in Yosemite was a truly breathtaking sight for locals and tourists alike. Rather than let it stand on its own, a tunnel was cut through it in 1881, with the goal of creating a unique attraction. It was a massive success, and people came from all over the country to experience it themselves. In 1969, the 2,000-year-old tree succumbed to heavy snowfall and fell. The location remained popular, with visitors traveling from afar to view the fallen giant. It seems that whether dead or alive, the organism has an allure that cant be denied.

#5: Slims River, Canada

Natures unpredictability is thought to be exacerbated by climate change, leading to some wonders disappearing in the blink of an eye. Originally born from the Kaskawulsh[b] Glacier in the Yukon, Slims River was once a thriving waterway. It sourced its water from the formidable ice block until 2016, when it suddenly began to recede. This sudden change in flow rerouted all of the water to the Kaskawulsh River, sending the runoff into the Gulf of Alaska. Within days, the Slims River had all but vanished, leaving only a dried-out bed. The lake it was connected to has seen a drop in water level as well, indicating that the consequences are far from over.

#4: Chacaltaya Glacier, Bolivia

What was once a thriving local attraction is now nothing more than a distant memory. Located in Bolivia, the Chacaltaya glacier existed for an estimated 18,000 years. The area served as the countrys only ski resort, where it entertained citizens and tourists alikeeven as it was degrading. While scientists were aware that the glacier would naturally expire, they predicted it wouldnt occur until 2015. But a combination of reduced snowfall and a particularly warm period caused it to melt much faster than anticipated. By 2009, all that remained were a few patches of ice. While thats awful enough, its only the beginning, as several other icecaps in the Andes are also at risk of melting away.

#3: Pink and White Terraces, Lake Rotomahana, New Zealand

Once the biggest deposits of geyserite on the planet, the Pink and White Terraces gained global attention as far back as the 19th century. Only a few decades into their popularity, they were destroyed. In 1886, the eruption of Mount Tarawera[d] led to the entire area being converted into a giant crater. Eventually, a new lake and ecosystem formed and thrivedbut the memory of the Pink and White Terraces lived on. Excavations throughout the 21st century have reignited hopes that they were merely buried, rather than destroyedand could one day be visible again.

#2: The Aral Sea

Some natural wonders degrade over a long period of time and face disastrous effects that arent noticed until its too late. Once the third-largest lake on Earth, the Aral Sea has been victim to constant changes in climate and repeated human intervention. Some geographers had written about its depletion as far back as the 1400sbut those warnings were ignored. The building of canals for Soviet irrigation throughout the 1950s cemented its depletion. This resulted in disastrous effects on both the Aral Seas own ecosystem and nearby communities. While there have been attempts to reverse some of the damage, its unclear how effective they can beespecially when whole sections have dried out.

#1: Ténéré Tree, Niger

A careless moment is sometimes all it takes to wipe out a national treasure. Despite the arid climate, a single acacia tree served as the remaining proof of a time when the Sahara received more precipitation. The Tree of Ténéré stood proudly for hundreds of years and provided a unique indicator for travelers. It seemed impervious to any natural forcesbut human activity was another story. It still stood after being struck by a car in 1959, but a subsequent crash in 1973 by an allegedly drunk driver sealed its fate. In one fatal moment, a symbol of the regions tenacity was wiped out. Now, all that remains in its place is a metal statuean eerie reminder of the natural beauty that once thrived there. Which natural wonder do you think had the most tragic end? Let us know in the comments below!

What natural wonder do you wish youd seen the most? Let us know in the comments!