La Brea Pitch Lake

This natural pitch or tar lake is one of the world’s largest resources of tar, the main component of asphalt. Homes and other buildings are constantly being twisted and warped by fingers of pitch that reach out underground from the main lake. Considered one of the natural wonders of the world, it is said that the lake was first discovered in 1595 by Sir Walter Raleigh, who promptly used it to waterseal his vessels and exported some back to England, where it was first used for road paving on the Westminster Bridge for the opening of the new Parliament.