Top 26 Stunning U.S. Destinations to Explore
One of the most beautifully diverse countries in the world, the sprawling – and extraordinary – the United States of America is a place where literally everything is bigger and better, from their towering skyscrapers and endless roads and to their jaw-dropping national parks and even their food portions! It’s a place that’s not easy to sum up its most picturesque spots as such a list could easily go into the hundreds, but we’ve given it a go! From all our team’s numerous visits over the years, here are our best and most beautiful places to visit in the USA (in no particular order)…
1. Big Sur – one of the most famously scenic places to explore in the US
This should be one of the first places to explore on your list! It’s truly one of the most beautiful places to visit in the USA, if not the world! Big Sur got its name from the Spanish “el sur grande”, meaning “the big south”. This rugged mountainous terrain stretches for 90 miles along the coast of central California from Carmel in the north to San Simeon in the south. The southern border of Big Sur, the Santa Lucia Range, majestically towers above the Pacific coast. Its summit Cone Peak (5,155 ft) is the highest coastal peak of the continental United States.
You’ll find high cliffs rising above the ocean coast, mountains covered with emerald grass and dense forest, mighty rocks and extraordinary houses which mixed together create a truly wonderful offbeat Californian landscape.
2. Yosemite, California – a huge and awe-inspiring beautiful National Park
Yosemite is one of the oldest and most attractive national parks in the USA. Located on the western slopes of Sierra Nevada, it is blessed with truly fabulous landscapes. Majestic granite cliffs, breathtaking waterfalls, lakes with crystal clear water, and forests housing giant sequoias are the main highlights of this place.
Due to the impressive elevation difference (2,000 to 13,123 feet above sea level), the park boasts divergent types of vegetation: from the alpine zone high in the mountains to shrubbery wastelands on the lower slopes of the Sierra Nevada. About 3.7 million tourists flock to Yosemite annually to check out the giant sequoias in the Mariposa Grove, mesmerizing Yosemite Falls, as well as sublime El Capitan granite massif. Approximately 1250 miles of hiking trails and paved roads will help you explore every nook and cranny of this wondrous park.
Also Read: 15 Of The Most Beautiful Places To Visit In The USA
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3. Grand Canyon – the sprawling and magnificent natural attraction
Thanks to bizarre shapes carved by the Colorado River in red-orange rocks, this phenomenal nature’s wonder is enthralling even for the most worldly-wise travellers. The Grand Canyon is the irresistible catnip of the eponymous national park in northern Arizona. The most breathtaking sights lie in wait for you in the South Rim.
This part of the canyon features observation platforms and numerous hiking trails. Here, you can spend hours exploring awe-inspiring gorges and crevices or rafting along the rough waters of the Colorado River. Wildlife enthusiasts won’t be disappointed either – thanks to landscape change at different heights, the canyon is bristling with diverse species of mammals, reptiles, insects, and birds.
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4. Antelope Canyon, Arizona – an incredible and unique place to visit in America
Antelope Canyon is a magical and mysterious place created by the fanciful fantasy of nature. These amazing rocky crevices got their name due to the riot of red hues similar to the fur of noble antelopes. In fact, there are two Antelope canyons – the Upper and Lower ones. Both gigantic gaps in the sandy rocks resulted from wind and rain erosion.
Once every few years, heavy rains flood the canyons. Carrying grains of sand, they carve magical patterns in the mighty rocks. The best time to visit Antelope Canyon is from March to April and at the end of autumn. It is during these months that the sun rays penetrate to the very bottom of the canyon, surprisingly illuminating it from the inside.
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5. Kenai Fjords, Alaska – one of the most amazing destinations in the USA
Despite the lack of sun and severe winds, it is impossible to deny the charm of the arctic nature. If you are one of those who are hypnotized by its rigorous beauty, Kenai Fjords is one of the few places in the United States to enjoy it to the fullest. Kenai Fjords stretch along the south coast of central Alaska.
It received the status of a national park in 1980 with the goal to protect the Arctic nature from the negative impact of human activity. More than half of the park’s total area of 1,250 square miles is covered with snow and ice. Glaciers, frozen mountain gorges, ice-bound sea bays, and icebergs create a dramatic Nordic landscape. Here and there, the eye can catch the indigenous inhabitants of this area – polar bears, seals, walruses, and whales. The best way to enjoy all this beauty is to set off on the ice cruise departing from the town of Seward.
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6. Yellowstone National Park – the famously stunning National Park to visit in the USA
The bewitching beauty of nature, amazing geology features, and the best spots to observe the wild animals of North America – these are just a few reasons to visit Yellowstone National Park. Easily one of the most beautiful places to visit in the US, this place spans across several states (Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana) and divided into 5 main hubs, the park covers a huge area of almost 3,500 square miles.
Among the Yellowstone’s major highlights are impressive geysers, waterfalls, rocky mountains, gurgling mud cauldrons, as well as lakes nestling in the vent of Caldera’s supervolcano. The local flora and fauna are represented by several thousand species of plants, animals, and birds. Thanks to about 1,000 miles of hiking trails, you can come in contact with all this splendor. Also check out our most beautiful Places to visit in Idaho.
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7. Montana’s Glacier National Park – filled with unspoilt natural beauty
The Glacier National Park is located off the Canadian border at the northern tip of the Rockies. The park covers an area of approximately 1,580 square miles. Its sublime mountain ranges, countless lakes, massive glaciers born thousands of years ago, and velvet green meadows will leave you speechless.
Thanks to the Alpine-esque terrain, the park is often called Little Switzerland. These picture-postcard landscapes were formed largely due to the movements of huge glaciers. Unfortunately, today there are just over thirty of them left; this is about a fifth of what we had in the mid-19th century.
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8. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah – a stunning US destination known for its known for crimson-colored hoodoos
Bryce Canyon National Park is located in northeastern Utah. In fact, this is not a canyon at all, but a giant amphitheatre of the sharpest rocky peaks of all shades of orange. Bryce is less popular than its neighbours, the Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks, due to its remoteness. Nevertheless, tourists often visit the three parks on the same trip. The height of Bryce Canyon varies from 7,870 to 8,860 feet. The best time to enjoy the views is sunrise or sunset when the light dramatically enhances the colours and turns the canyon into Martian landscapes. The trip to Bryce Canyon is not complete without visiting astronomy and night-sky programs as well as walks under the full moon. In general, there is something to do here year-round. In the warmer months, you can go hiking or snowshoeing and skiing are the sought-after pastimes in winter.
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9. Lake Tahoe – a famous beauty spot in the United States
The second deepest in the United States, Lake Tahoe is situated on the border of California and Nevada, in the very south of Sierra Nevada. The mere is a real natural treasure extending 21 miles long and 12 miles wide. In summer, people come here to take a dip in the clear, slightly bluish water, sunbathe on numerous beaches, and wander along the shady trails. In winter, the Tahoe surroundings turn into a popular ski resort. Tahoe is a grand destination for weekends and holidays. It is a true paradise for beachgoers rowers, divers, and hikers.
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10. White Sands National Monument New Mexico – a unique and surreally beautiful place to visit
An impressive creation of Mother Nature, a snow-white desert White Sands dwells in the south of New Mexico. Due to the content of gypsum crystals, the sand here is truly white as snow. The snowdrift-like sand dunes create amazing contrasts with the blue sky and the dark strip of San Andres and Sacramento mountains looming on the horizon. Despite the fact that the White Sands National Monument is located in the desert, it is never sweltering here. It is all because of the white sand reflecting the sun’s rays and absorbing moisture. Every year, in the third week of September, the reserve holds the White Sands Balloon Invitational aeronautics festival. During this two-day holiday, guests can fly up to the sky in balloons, observe the work of balloonists, and admire dozens of colourful Montgolfiers.
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11. Savannah, Georgia – a US gem known for manicured parks and antebellum architecture
The oldest city of Georgia, stunning Savannah was founded in 1733. During the Civil War, Savannah was a strategically important port as well as a large industrial centre. When Sherman’s troops approached the city in 1864, the mayor allowed them to occupy Savannah in exchange for a guarantee of the inviolability. As a result, Savannah has become one of the few large southern cities whose historical charm and old architecture have remained untouched.
The historical part of the city measuring approximately 1.0 x 1.0 mile is bounded by the Savannah River on one side and the beautiful Forsyth Park on the other. The city’s north-western corner accommodates the city market. Today it is a multifunctional space dripping with restaurants, shops, and urban artist studious. Right next door, west of the market, there is the historic Ellis Square famous for an interactive fountain.
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12. Napa Valley – the famous and very pretty Californian wine valley
One of the most gorgeous and stunning areas in the US, the main wine-growing region of the United States, the picturesque and fertile Napa Valley stretches across the vastness of Northern California. Totally, there are 14 thousand hectares of vineyards, several dozen large and four hundred small wineries. Fragrant and full-bodied wines of California are popular not only in the US but also far beyond its borders.
The architecture of wineries as well as their products are the main tourist attractions in Napa. The local wineries range from giant medieval castles to small charming chalets. Along with that, the fantastically beautiful landscapes will send shivers down your spine, too. Among other interesting things, there are a whole bunch of gourmet restaurants and spa centres.
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13. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California – a must-see destination to explore in the USA
The world-renowned Sequoia National Park is set in the south of the Sierra Nevada. In fact, together with the Kings Canyon National Park, it forms a single national reserve. The main landmark of this place is humongous sequoias (including the legendary General Sherman). Scenic mountains, deep lakes, swift rivers, and miles of picturesque hiking trails encompass these mighty giants.
The park is divided into several zones connected by roads No. 198 and 180. The most popular attractions sit either directly along the tracks or at a short distance. The rest of the Sequoia Park can be explored on foot. The most magnetizing areas of the park are Foothills steeped in lowlands, sonorous streams, and lavish flora and Mineral King, a spruce-covered valley known for picturesque granite and slate landscapes. The main tourist-magnet, however, is the Giant Forest, home to gigantesque sequoia trees.
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14. Crater Lake, Oregon – an intensely blue lake located within a volcanic caldera
The beautiful Crater Lake occurred in the crater of the extinct Mazama volcano, the last eruption of which happened about 7,700 ago. It sits high in the mountains – the edge of the caldera is located at an altitude of up to 8,000 feet. The width of the lake is up to 6 miles, and its depth is 1,949 ft. It is the deepest lake in the USA!
The lake lures tourists from all over the world thanks to its clear water with a bright blue tint. The water surface is torn by a pair of volcanic islets. The bigger one called Wizard Island is all smothered with forest. Its little brother, the Phantom Ship Island, is mostly rocky. The lake is famous for another mysterious attraction, the Old Man of the Lake. This is a 30 feet tree stump vertically drifting in the water for more than a century. Coated with white a bloom, it resembles the head of a grey-haired old man.
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15. Palouse Falls, Washington – an amazing 180ft year-round waterfall
One of the most beautiful waterfalls in America is nestled in the eponymous canyon. Thickets of coniferous forests and the steep cliffs driving the water into a round lake resemble the harsh yet magnificent landscapes of Iceland and Scandinavia. Palouse Falls is 200 feet high, which is, by the way, 26 ft higher than Niagara Falls.
The waterfall together with its environs is part of the Palouse Falls State Park. In addition to breathtaking views, the park boasts a large number of bears and other species of flora and fauna. The stunning nature is not the only reason why tourists come here from all over the United States. After Tyler Bardt flew down the Palouse Fall in his kayak and remained unharmed, thousands of thrill-seekers dream of repeating his escapade.
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16. Lake Placid, New York – a tranquil and gorgeous hidden gem
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York. The population is under 3,000, but it is beloved by tourists because of its opportunities for skiing, golfing, mountain biking, gondola rides, and hiking.
Its main claim to fame, however, is that it is frequently chosen as the spot for the International Winter Olympics and other competitions, and in fact, this is where the Universiade event will be held in the year 2023. There is a chamber orchestra that gives regular concerts during the summer months, and the town has also hosted snow weight-pulling events, ironman triathlons, ice dance competitions, and winter carnivals.
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17. Pacific Coast Highway – one of the most picturesque road journeys in the world
The Pacific Coast Highway, also known as State Route 1, runs along the coast of California for a total of 656 miles. Often considered one of the most beautiful places to visit in the USA, it offers breathtaking views of the ocean, idyllic towns, and much more.
It runs north-south and goes through Orange County, Big Sur, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Monterey, among others. If you want to get out of the car and visit a particular town, you can do so, but if you want to see as much beautiful scenery as possible without getting out of your car, this is the place to be.
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18. Joshua Tree National Park – the surreal and wonderful national park
This is a place in the USA that has to be seen to be believed! The beguiling Joshua Tree National Park is an hour’s drive away from Palm Springs. The 1250 square mile park has an otherworldly and almost unsettling beauty filled with incredible rock formations and grotesquely gnarled plants, which aren’t trees at all, but a type of yucca.
We drove to the park’s highest point – an eerily silent vista overlooking Coachella Valley and Salton Sea and stayed until sunset. As dusk arrived the desert floor become bathed in red light and the spiky trees turned into ghost-like black silhouettes. Definitely one of the best places to visit in the USA!
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19. Telluride, Colorado – a charming destination in the Rocky Mountains
Situated in a box canyon, this town is mostly known for its skiing opportunities, but it is also a gorgeous little town with a historic district that is rightfully listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has an old-fashioned feel and a lot of scenery to enjoy, and the best part is that you can visit it any time of the year and enjoy its beauty.
You can hike, go mountain-climbing, and enjoy waterfalls, high alpine lakes, and lots of beautiful wildflowers. Even if you’re not a skier, you’ll find something to enjoy here every time.
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20. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco – the iconic US landmark
Visiting the iconic Golden Gate Bridge is something everyone should have on their bucket list. It is one mile wide and connects the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is also the tallest and longest suspension bridge in the world, with a total height of 746 feet and a main span of 4,200 feet.
The bridge consists of six vehicle traffic lanes but is popular with walkers and bicyclists as well. Roughly 110,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day, and the touch-up painting task is continuous so that it is always aesthetically pleasing.
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21. Portland, Maine – the gorgeous and scenic coastal city
Portland is the most populous town in the state of Maine with roughly 66,000 residents, and more than 500,000 people if you count the entire metropolitan area. In addition to sitting on beautiful water, the town has many areas of interest, including museums, a symphony orchestra, parks, ice rinks, wineries, and breweries, and lots of places to shop, eat, and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
The area called the Old Port has great 19th-century architecture and a great nightlife, and there is also a railroad museum, a lighthouse, and an arboretum to enjoy.
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22. USA Capitol Building, Washington, DC – a must-see place in the USA
The US Capitol Building is where the House of Representatives and the Senate conduct business, and it is located on the Eastern end of the area known as the National Mall. The domed building covers roughly 275 acres and the lawn consists of walkways, sculptures, and beautiful gardens.
The inside of the building is equally exquisite and there is even a rotunda that alone is worth the visit. Regular tours are given that allow visitors to view certain areas of the building, and it is a great place to visit when you’re in the DC area.
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23. White Mountain National Forest – for spectacular natural scenery
Located in the Northeastern part of the United States, the White Mountain National Forest covers more than 750,000 acres and is located mostly in New Hampshire, although a small portion of it is in Maine.
Some people call it a park, but it is actually a forest, and it consists of opportunities to ski, hike, and go camping. More than 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail is found in this forest, and you can find beautiful wildlife that includes bobcats, falcons, lynxes, moose, deer, and even bald eagles.
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24. Zion National Park, Utah – a red-rock wonderland
Zion National Park is located in the Southwestern part of Utah near a town called Springdale. It covers nearly 230 square miles and includes a canyon that is 15 miles long and up to 2,640 feet deep. It is also home to more than 280 species of birds, 75 mammals, and 32 reptiles, so if you love seeing animals in their natural habitat, this is the place to be.
The park has such extraordinary views that it has been featured in numerous movies, including Arizona Bound, Ramrod, and 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. There is also a scenic drive and tour buses to help you see everything.
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25. Monument Valley – one of the most beautiful places to explore in the world
Located on the Arizona-Utah state line, this valley covers five square miles and looks just like the Old West, which is part of its massive charm. Panoramic views of Monument Valley are what many people visit it for, and its reddish-brown hills and rocks make it nothing short of stunning.
You can visit it all year long and enjoy its beauty, and some of the spots favored by tourists include the Elephant Butte, Three Sisters, Artist’s Point, and Spearhead Mesa, all of which are structures like you’ve never before seen.
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26. Camden, Maine – a haven for ocean lovers, shoppers and outdoor adventurers
With a population of under 5,000 residents, the town is inundated with wealthy northeasterners from areas such as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia every summer.
There is a Camden Yacht Club, and some of the areas of interest include museums, a lighthouse, concert halls, an opera center, a state park, and Bald Mountain. In other words, the town truly offers something for everyone, and the beauty of the area, not to mention the perfect climate, make it an extremely popular place to visit whether you’re wealthy or not.
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Travelling to the USA
A foreign national travelling to the United States will need prior authorization to enter the country and the visa can be applied for quickly online. The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation or ESTA as it’s mostly known as must be completed in order to visit the USA (or transit through the USA) and US Immigration may well refuse you entry at border control if you haven’t successfully applied for it before your trip.
