1. Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
- Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world, located in Yellowstone National Park
- It is renowned for its vibrant colors, which include bright bands of orange, yellow, and green surrounding deep blue waters
- The colors are primarily due to the presence of thermophilic bacteria and other microorganisms that thrive in the hot water
Featured in The Best of Wyoming
#66 in Best Attractions in the USA
2. Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California
Best time to visit: May, Sept
- Horsetail Fall, located in Yosemite National Park, is a seasonal waterfall that flows in the winter and early spring
- The fall occurs on the east side of El Capitan
- For a couple of weeks around mid-February, the fall may be lit up by the setting sun, creating the illusion of a blazing waterfall
- This evening spectacle, which lasts around 10 minutes in good viewing conditions, is commonly referred to as the "firefall"
Featured in The Best of California
3. Watkins Glen State Park, New York
- Watkins Glen State Park is a renowned natural area located in the Finger Lakes region
- It is celebrated for its scenery, featuring a gorge that descends 400 feet over a distance of about two miles, which includes 19 waterfalls along its path
Featured in The Best of New York
4. Grand Canyon South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Best time to visit: March-May, Sept-Nov
- Grand Canyon South Rim is the highway enters the park through the South Entrance, near Tusayan, Arizona, and heads eastward, leaving the park through the East Entrance
- It averages about 7,000 feet (approximately 2,134 meters) above sea level, providing stunning viewpoints
- The South Rim features Grand Canyon Village, which has campgrounds, lodges, restaurants, and visitor centers, and a shuttle system to help visitors navigate the area
- Overall, some 30 miles of the South Rim are accessible by road
Featured in The Best of Arizona
#17 in Best Landmarks in the World
5. Mono Lake, California
- Mono Lake is a saline soda lake in Mono County, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in an endorheic basin
- The lack of an outlet causes high levels of salts to accumulate in the lake which make its water alkaline
- The desert lake has an unusually productive ecosystem based on brine shrimp, which thrive in its waters, and provides critical habitat for two million annual migratory birds that feed on the shrimp and alkali flies
- Many columns of limestone rise above the surface of Mono Lake
Featured in The Best of California
6. Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia
- The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic highway that stretches for 469 miles through the Appalachian Mountains, primarily in Virginia and North Carolina
- The parkway connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina
- It is renowned for its scenic views, diverse ecosystems, and recreational opportunities
Featured in The Best of Virginia
7. Glass Beach, Fort Bragg, California
- Glass Beach is a beach adjacent to MacKerricher State Park near Fort Bragg, named from a time when it was abundant with sea glass created from years of dumping garbage into an area of coastline
- A dump site began in 1906, when this beach became full in 1949, the dump was moved north to what is now known as "Glass Beach", which remained an active dump site until 1967
- The pounding waves broke down the glass and pottery and tumbled those pieces into the small, smooth, colored pieces that often become jewelry-quality, which cover Glass Beach and the other two glass beaches (former dump sites) in Fort Bragg
- Collecting is discouraged by State Park Rangers on the section of "Glass Beach" adjacent to the state park, where they ask people to leave what little glass is left for others to enjoy
Featured in The Best of California
8. Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
- The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic highway, renowned for its viewpoints and natural beauty, that stretches through the southern and central Appalachian Mountains
- The parkway spans approximately 469 miles, connecting the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina
- The parkway is famous for its long-range vistas and close-up views of the rugged mountains and pastoral landscapes
- Construction began in 1935 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, aimed at providing jobs during the Great Depression
Featured in The Best of North Carolina
9. Upper Antelope Canyon, Navajo Nation, Arizona
Walk difficulty: easy
- Navajo Upper Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon in the American Southwest, on Navajo land east of Lechee
- Antelope Canyon was formed by the erosion of Navajo Sandstone due to flash flooding and other sub-aerial processes
- Visitors will observe direct sunlight radiating down from openings at the top of the canyon, which make the inside canyon very colorful
- It is the primary attraction of Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park
- Antelope Canyon is visited exclusively through guided tours, in part because rains during monsoon season can quickly flood it
Featured in The Best of Arizona
10. Northern Lights, Fairbanks, Alaska
Best time to visit: Jan-early April, late Sept-Dec
- The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are a natural light display predominantly seen in high-latitude regions around the Arctic and Antarctic
- Fairbanks, Alaska, is renowned as one of the best places in the United States to witness the phenomenon
- The aurora season in Fairbanks runs from August 21 to April 21, and during this period, the Northern Lights can be visible on average four out of five nights
- Fairbanks has been cited by several reputable sources, including National Geographic and CNN, as one of the top locations globally for viewing the Northern Lights
Featured in The Best of Alaska
11. Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah
- The Bonneville Salt Flats are a unique natural feature located in Tooele County
- - The expansive salt pan is a remnant of the ancient Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, which once covered much of the region
- The area is characterized by a hard, white salt crust that can reflect light, especially when flooded, creating a mirror-like effect
- The Bonneville Salt Flats are also known for hosting land speed records due to their flat and hard surface
Featured in The Best of Utah
12. Congress Trail, Sequoia National Park, California
Walk difficulty: easy
Best time to visit: June-Aug
- Congress Trail is a scenic hiking trail located in Sequoia National Park
- It begins near the General Sherman Tree, which is the largest tree on Earth by volume
- Hikers can enjoy views of several giant sequoias, including the President Tree, which is the third largest tree in the world
- The trail takes you through groves of these ancient trees, offering a unique opportunity to experience some of the tallest living organisms on Earth
Featured in The Best of California
13. Monument Valley, Arizona
- Monument Valley is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of sandstone buttes, with the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor
- The most famous butte formations are located in northeastern Arizona along the Utah–Arizona state line
- Monument Valley has been featured in many forms of media since the 1930s, to symbolize the American West
- The valley is considered sacred by the Navajo Nation, the Native American people within whose reservation it lies
- Many visitors take guided tours from Navajo tour operators who take them down into the valley in Jeeps, who along the way, explain the rich history of the mythical formations
Featured in The Best of Arizona
14. Thor's Well, Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, Oregon
- Thor's Well is a natural feature located in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, south of Yachats
- Thor's Well is an old sea cave that has collapsed, creating a bowl-shaped hole in the rugged basalt shoreline
- The geological formation acts like a drainage pipe, where ocean water rushes in and out, creating dramatic sprays and waves, especially during high tide
Featured in The Best of Oregon
15. Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska
Best time to visit: May-Aug
- Mendenhall Glacier is a glacier about 13.6 miles (21.9 km) long, located about 12 miles (19 km) from downtown Juneau
- The glacier is monitored, and since 1920, it has retreated 1.75 miles (2.82 km), and over 2.5 miles (4.0 km) since 1500
- The end of the glacier currently has a negative glacier mass balance and will continue to retreat in the foreseeable future, due to climate change
- In 2012, tree stumps and logs with attached roots and bark appeared under the retreating glacier, the oldest of which are around 2,350 years old
Featured in The Best of Alaska
16. Savannah Historic District, Georgia
Best time to visit: March-July
- The Savannah Historic District is a significant urban area in Savannah, Georgia, recognized for its well-preserved architecture
- The district roughly corresponds to the pre-Civil War city limits of Savannah
- The district encompasses the original town plan laid out in 1733 by General James E. Oglethorpe, the founder of the British colony of Georgia
- The Savannah Historic District includes more than twenty city squares, filled with museums, churches, and beautifully restored 18th- and 19th-century homes
Featured in The Best of Georgia
17. McWay Falls, Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, California
- McWay Falls is an 80-foot-tall (24 m) waterfall on the coast of Big Sur, that flows year-round from McWay Creek in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, into the Pacific Ocean
- The only other tidefall in California is Alamere Falls
Featured in The Best of California
18. Oneonta Gorge, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
- Oneonta Gorge is a slot canyon located in the Columbia River Gorge area, renowned for its scenery, featuring lush greenery, lichen-covered rocks, and waterfalls
- The gorge is accessible via the Oneonta Gorge Trail, which typically involves navigating through a creek bed and may require traversing over log jams
Featured in The Best of Oregon
19. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
- Dry Tortugas National Park is a remote national park located approximately 70 miles (113 km) west of Key West, in the Gulf of Mexico
- The park is renowned for Fort Jefferson, a massive coastal fortress built in the 19th century
- Fort Jefferson is one of the largest brick structures in the Americas and serves as a significant historical site
- The park is celebrated for its coral reefs, marine life, and bird populations, making it a popular destination for snorkeling and diving
Featured in The Best of Florida
#42 in Best Beaches in the USA
20. Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth, Maine
- Portland Head Light is a historic lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth
- Completed in 1791, it is the oldest lighthouse in Maine, and one of only four lighthouses still standing from the presidency of George Washington
- The lighthouse was built to help guide ships safely into rocky Portland Harbor
- The light station is automated, and the tower, beacon, and foghorn are maintained by the United States Coast Guard, while the former lighthouse keeper's house is a maritime museum within Fort Williams Park
Featured in The Best of Maine
21. Devils Tower, Wyoming
- Devils Tower is a butte composed of igneous rock in the Black Hills, in Crook County
- Devils Tower National Monument was the first United States national monument, established on 1906, by President Theodore Roosevelt
- The Tower is believed to be a stock, formed by magma that cooled underground and was later exposed through erosion
- The site holds sacred importance for over 20 Native American tribes, including the Lakota people, who refer to it as Bear Lodge
- The name "Devils Tower" originated from a misinterpretation of the local Native American term during a scientific expedition in 1875
Featured in The Best of Wyoming
22. Alkali Flat Trail, White Sands National Park, New Mexico
Walk difficulty: moderate
- Alkali Flat Trail is a hiking trail located in White Sands National Park
- Hikers will encounter a rugged landscape, consisting of numerous sand dunes, with elevation changes of about 60 feet (18.3 m), involving climbing up and down the dunes
- The trail offers views of the surrounding gypsum dunes and distant mountain ranges
Featured in The Best of New Mexico
#43 in Best Attractions in the USA
23. Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia
- Driftwood Beach is situated on Jekyll Island, and is known for its collection of ancient driftwood and weathered tree trunks on the beach, often described as resembling a graveyard for sun-bleached trees
- Driftwood Beach is part of Jekyll Island State Park, accessible via two boardwalks
- Visitors can enjoy various activities such as picnicking and stargazing
Featured in The Best of Georgia
#2 in Best Beaches in the USA
24. Glacier National Park, Montana
Featured in The Best of Montana
#36 in Best Attractions in the USA
25. Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, Washington
- The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is an annual celebration held in April, with the specific dates varying each year, in the Skagit Valley
- The festival showcases tulips in bloom, featuring millions of flowers across multiple gardens and fields
- It began in 1984 as a small two-day event and has since grown into the largest tulip festival in the United States
- The festival includes various events and activities, such as guided tours, art displays, and local food offerings
Featured in The Best of Washington
26. Niagara Falls, New York
Best time to visit: June-Aug
- Niagara Falls is a city and park to the famous waterfall, which consists of three waterfalls: the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Horseshoe Falls
- These falls mark the border between the United States and Canada
- Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in the U.S., established in 1885
- The park offers views of the falls up close, hiking trails, and various attractions
- The area has a history that includes early settlements dating back to the 18th century
- Notable attractions include, Cave of the Winds, which is an experience that allows visitors to get very close to the falls; as well as, Goat Island, which is a small island that offers scenic views and access to various trails
Featured in The Best of New York
#31 in Best Attractions in the World
#25 in Best Attractions in the USA
27. Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Best time to visit: March-May, Sept-Nov
- Skyline Drive is a scenic roadway that runs for 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains within Shenandoah National Park
- The drive offers views of the Shenandoah Valley to the west and the Piedmont to the east, featuring 75 overlooks along the way
- The concept of Skyline Drive was proposed in the early 20th century as a way to enhance access to the park, recognizing the growing popularity of automobiles
- Skyline Drive is particularly admired during the fall when the foliage changes color, making it a prime destination for leaf-peeping
Featured in The Best of Virginia