Door To Hell,Turkmenistan

Door To Hell - a 230-foot-wide hole in Turkmenistan's hot, expansive Karakum desert, near the 350-person village of Darvaza, has been on fire for more than 50 years. Though technically known as the Darvaza gas crater, locals refer to it as "The Gates of Hell." Its blazing glow can be seen for miles.

In 1971, a Soviet drilling rig accidentally punched into a massive underground natural gas cavern, causing the ground to collapse and the entire drilling rig to fall in. Poisonous fumes began leaking at an alarming rate after a gas pocket was punctured.

The Soviets lit the hole on fire in an effort to prevent a potential environmental catastrophe, believing it would burn out in a few weeks. The fiery pit is still active after many years. On the other side of the "Gates of Hell," the Soviet drilling rig is thought to still be there.

Amazingly, people still travel into the desert to see the crater in all its blazing glory despite its ominous name and constant flames. Wild camping has become popular in the nearby desert.

However, the burning crater's future might be uncertain. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov issued an order to the Turkmenistan government in January 2022 to start looking into ways to put out the fire.

Location: Karakum desert,Turkmenistan