Hell’s Half Acre was one of the most remarkable places discovered by United States surveyors on their expeditions out West. While this jagged and rugged landscape had been used by local tribes for generations as a hunting ground, it was such a strange sight to Americans and Europeans making their way through the state. Today, this otherworldly spot is famous for starring as an alien planet on the silver screen.

When you're driving through Natrona County, it's easy to miss this remarkable landscape unless you know where to look.
Flickr / Khasut
Keep an eye out for signs and pull over to see it — though you can't get down into this canyon, the view from the edge will knock your socks off.
Flickr / Ian
For generations, Native Americans used these jagged canyons, bluffs, and cliffs as a bison hunting ground. When surveyors from the United States found it in the 1830s, they nicknamed the rugged land "Hell's Half Acre."
Flickr / Barbara Ann Spengler
At the time, sulfur fires raged at the basin of the canyon. Today, the flames are extinguished, but the name sticks.
Flickr / Bill Lile

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Many people have commented on the fact that these 300+ acres don't look like they belong here on Earth! It's truly a remarkable sight to see that water is capable of this kind of creation.
Flickr / Nathan Hamm
In fact, Hell's Half Acre is seen as such an otherworldly spot that it was used as the planet Klendathu on the sci-fi movie Starship Troopers.
Flickr / Nathan Hamm
Filming at the site was difficult due to the topography, and slowly the site was closed off to the public. Now, it remains a little-known roadside stop.
Flickr / Nathan Hamm
Hell's Half Acre used to be a busy tourist destination, but today, it's rarely visited. Make plans to stop and see it for yourself, though, and you'll be glad you took a short detour to see Wyoming's own alien planet.
Flickr / Barbara Ann Spengler

Have you ever stopped at this off-the-beaten-path wonder before?

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Hell's Half Acre, Wyoming, USA