349 Best Sights in USA

One million red bricks adorn this striking 100,000-square-foot theater complex, worth seeing for its classical architecture and lovely 250 acres of English-style grounds and lake alone. Three works by William Shakespeare are among 14 productions staged annually in two theaters. Other famous playwrights round out the schedule along with musicals, concerts, and new works.

Don't rush this quiet, lonely 9-mile paved route that skirts the foothills of the Black Mountains and provides intimate views of a changing landscape. About 4 miles in, a short side road veers right to a parking lot that's a few hundred feet from one of Death Valley's signature sights: Artists Palette, so called for the contrasting colors (including shades of green, gold, and pink) of its volcanic deposits and sedimentary layers.  The drive is one-way, heading north off Badwater Road, so if you're visiting Badwater Basin from Furnace Creek, come here on the way back. 

At 282 feet below sea level, Badwater is the lowest spot of land in North America—and also one of the hottest. Stairs and wheelchair ramps descend from the parking lot to a wooden platform that overlooks a spring-fed pool, a small but remarkably persistent reminder that the valley floor used to contain a lake. Be sure to look across to Telescope Peak, which towers more than 2 miles above the landscape. You can continue past the platform on a broad, white path that peters out after 1 mile. Bring water and a hat since there's no shade whatsoever.

This 6-mile drive winds through thick stands of saguaros and past two picnic areas and trailheads to a few short hikes, including one to a petroglyph site. Although the road is unpaved and somewhat bumpy, it's a worthwhile trade-off for access to some of the park's densest desert growth. It's one-way between Hugh Norris Trail and Golden Gate Road, so if you want to make the complete circuit, travel counterclockwise. The road is susceptible to flash floods during the monsoon season (July and August), so check road conditions at the visitor center before proceeding. This loop route is also popular among bicyclists, and dogs on leash are permitted along the road.

Grab your flashlight before heading out from the Chaparral Trailhead parking lot for this 2.4-mile loop that takes you through the Balconies Caves. This trail is especially beautiful in spring, when wildflowers carpet the canyon floor. About 0.6 mile from the start of the trail, turn left to begin ascending the Balconies Cliffs Trail, where you'll be rewarded with close-up views of Machete Ridge and other steep, vertical formations; you may run across rock climbers testing their skills before rounding the loop and descending back through the cave. Easy–Moderate.

Perhaps the most popular hike at Pinnacles, this relatively short (2.2-mile) loop trail is fun for kids and adults. It leads to the Bear Gulch cave system, and if your timing is right, you'll pass by several seasonal waterfalls inside the caves (flashlights are required). If it's been raining, check with a ranger, as the caves can flood. The upper side of the cave is usually closed in spring and early summer to protect the Townsend's big-ear bats and their pups. Easy.

Although it's only 1 mile long and significantly steeper than the rest, this trail at the park's midway point is one of the most popular and worth the effort. Moderate.

This is the most challenging but also the most rewarding of the Howland Hill Road hikes. Give yourself about three hours to complete this 5.6-mile round-trip trek to verdant Fern Falls. The old-growth redwoods on the tranquil trail are magnificent. If you don't have enough time, the ½-mile-loop Stout Memorial Grove Trail is a nearby alternative. Moderate.

This paved 8-mile drive provides a great overview of all Saguaro East has to offer. The one-way road, which circles clockwise, has several turnouts with roadside displays that make it easy to pull over and admire the scenery; you can also stop at two picnic areas and three easy nature trails. This is a good bicycling route, but watch out for snakes and javelinas crossing in front of you.

The west side's only picnic area offers stunning views of the High Peaks and access to some key trailheads. Look for knifelike Machete Ridge looming in the distance. There are few trees for shade, however, and it can get hot in summer. Restrooms and drinking water are available.

Though set in the park's remote northeastern corner, this is one of its most fascinating trails, as it offers views of a dazzling variety of volcanic features, including Painted Dunes, Fantastic Lava Beds, and Prospect Peak. It's a somewhat challenging undertaking, because the 4-mile round-trip hike to the cone summit requires a steep 845-foot climb over ground that's slippery in parts with loose cinders. For a better understanding of the geology along this hike, pick up an interpretive brochure at the trailhead or visitor centers. Moderate–Difficult.

The 9-mile, narrow, and partially unpaved Coastal Drive Loop takes about 45 minutes to traverse. Weaving through redwoods, the road yields close-up Klamath River views and expansive Pacific panoramas. This loop, closed to trailers and RVs, is all that remains of a longer drive. A spur road leads to the High Bluff Overlook, a premier whale-watching spot; a ½-mile trail leads down to the beach. A little less than a mile north of the overlook lies the B-71 Radar Station, which looks like a farmhouse, its disguise during World War II. About ½-mile farther along, hikers access the Flint Ridge section of the Coastal Trail, also possible off Klamath Beach Road.

This gorgeous 70-mile trail, much of it along dramatic bluffs high above the crashing surf, can be tackled in short, relatively easy chunks or longer, strenuous spans that entail backcountry overnight camping. A few of the most alluring smaller sections, listed here from north to south, are accessible at well-marked trailheads. The moderate-to-difficult DeMartin section (accessed from mile marker 15.6 on U.S. 101) leads south past 6 miles of old-growth redwoods and through sweeping prairie. It connects with the moderate 5½-mile-long Klamath section, which proceeds south from Wilson Creek Picnic Area to Klamath River Overlook, with a short detour to Hidden Beach and its tide pools, providing coastal views and whale-watching opportunities. If you're up for a real workout, hike the brutally difficult but stunning Flint Ridge section (accessed from the Old Douglas Memorial Bridge Site on Klamath Beach Rd.), with its 4½ miles of steep grades and numerous switchbacks past Marshall Pond and through stands of old-growth redwoods. Moderate–Difficult.

The trailhead starts at the Bear Gulch Day Use area, and it's a short but somewhat strenuous 1-mile hike uphill to the Condor Gulch Overlook, where you can get a good view of the High Peaks above. You can turn back the same way you came, or continue another 0.7 mile up to the High Peaks Trail (a total elevation gain of 1,100 feet)—and extend your hike by following it in either direction. If you're feeling ambitious, continue into the park's west side, to the Balconies Cliffs Trail, returning back via the level Old Pinnacles Trail. Moderate–Difficult.

This lookout is 5,450 feet above sea level in the Black Mountains. The view is astounding: in the dry desert air, you can see across most of 160-mile-long Death Valley. Take a 10-minute, mildly strenuous walk from the parking lot toward a series of rocky overlooks, where, with binoculars, you can spot some signature sites. A few interpretive signs point out the highlights below in the valley and across to the Panamint Range. Getting here from Furnace Creek takes about an hour—time well invested.

Although some scrambling is involved, this 2-mile round-trip hike rewards you with a refreshing year-round waterfall surrounded by thick vegetation and a rocky gorge. No swimming or bathing is allowed, but it's a beautiful place for a picnic. Adventurous hikers can climb higher toward more rewarding views of the falls. The trail is unmarked so follow the water's edge.  Some sections of the trail are not passable for those with mobility issues. Moderate.

A moderately hilly 4.2 mile round-trip hike through open meadows and conifer forest leads to the least-frequented of the park's three main hydrothermal areas, the others being Sulphur Works and Bumpass Hell. The lack of crowds makes this an especially enjoyable place to view burping mud pots, misty steam vents, hot boiling pools, and even Lassen Peak in the distance. Moderate–Difficult.

Enter another world and be surrounded by 50-foot canyon walls covered with sword, deer, and five-finger ferns. Allow an hour to explore the ¼-mile-long vertical garden along a 0.7-mile loop. From the northern end of Gold Bluffs Beach it's an easy walk, although you'll have to wade across or scamper along planks that traverse a small stream several times (in addition to driving across a couple of streams on the way to the parking area). But the lush, otherworldly surroundings, which appeared in The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), are a must-see when creeks aren't running too high. Motor homes/RVs and all trailers are prohibited. You can also hike to the canyon from Prairie Creek Visitor Center along the challenging West Ridge–Friendship Ridge–James Irvine Loop, 12½ miles round-trip.

Here, exhibits, artifacts, a 20-minute film, and live presentations on cultural and natural history provide a broad overview of how Death Valley formed. This is also the place to find out about ranger programs (available November through April) and pick up free Junior Ranger booklets—packed with games and info on the park and its critters—for the kids. In addition, you can purchase maps at the bookstore run by the Death Valley Natural History Association.  There are water filling stations outside the restrooms.

On 210 acres of woodland bordering Lake Hamilton (accessible by car or boat), this site was clear-cut for timber a century ago, and it wasn't until the mid-1950s that it was considered as a possible homesite by Verna Cook Garvan and her husband, Francis Patrick Garvan Jr. Instead, Verna devoted 40 years to creating the footprint for what has become her legacy—a world-class botanical garden, complete with thousands of species of heritage flora and fauna, a series of unique bridges, waterfalls and walking paths, a children's adventure garden, plus a magnificent wood-and-glass chapel and complementary pavilion designed by the renowned architectural firm of E. Fay Jones.

Far from being an eyesore, the hulking remains of an old 1907 gas plant actually lend quirky character to the otherwise open, hilly, 20-acre park. Get a great view of Downtown Seattle while seaplanes rise up from the south shore of Lake Union; the best vantage point is from the zodiac sculpture at the top of the very steep Kite Hill, so be sure to wear appropriate walking shoes. This is a great spot for couples and families alike; the enormous and modern playground has rope climbing structures, a variety of swings, and a padded floor. Crowds throng to picnic and enjoy outdoor summer concerts, movies, and the July 4th fireworks display over Lake Union.  Gas Works can easily be reached on foot from Fremont, via the waterfront Burke-Gilman Trail.

If you lack the time, desire, or stamina to hike more than 3,200 feet up to Glacier Point from the Yosemite Valley floor, you can drive here—or take a bus from the valley—for a bird's-eye view. You are likely to encounter a lot of day-trippers on the short, paved trail that leads from the parking lot to the main overlook. Take a moment to veer off a few yards to the Geology Hut, which succinctly explains and illustrates what the valley looked like 10 million, 3 million, and 20,000 years ago.

Visitors' eyes are continually drawn to this remarkable granite formation that tops out at more than 4,700 feet above the valley floor. Despite its name, the dome is actually about three-quarters intact. You can hike to the top of it on an 8½-mile (one-way) trail whose last 400 feet must be ascended while holding onto a steel cable. Permits, available only by lottery, are required and are checked on the trail. (Call  877/444–6777 or visit  recreation.gov well in advance of your trip for details.) Back down in the valley, see Half Dome reflected in the Merced River by heading to Sentinel Bridge just before sundown. The brilliant orange light on Half Dome is a stunning sight.

This picnic area's sunsets and whale-watching are unequaled. A ½-mile trail leads from here to the beach.

Well worth the 5-mile round-trip trek, this Rincon Valley route rewards hikers with gorgeous views of the Tanque Verde Ridge and Rincon Peak. The trail is also open to mountain bicyclists. Moderate.

Take your time as you drive this 10-mile route that meanders within inches of old-growth redwoods' hulking trunks and follows the Smith River for a spell. Trailers and RVs are prohibited on the unpaved but well-maintained road for the roughly 7 miles that pass through Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Pullouts include those for the Boy Scout Tree and Stout Memorial Grove trailheads.

This 10-mile trail through the Tucson Mountains is one of the most impressive in the Southwest. It's full of switchbacks, and some sections are moderately steep, but the top of 4,687-foot Wasson Peak treats you to views of the saguaro forest spread across the bajada (the gently rolling hills at the base of taller mountains). Difficult.

Home to the Stout Memorial Grove, this park with 20 miles of hiking and nature trails is named after a trapper who in 1826 became the first white man to explore Northern California's interior. If coming from interior Oregon, this is your first chance to drive and hike among stands of soaring redwoods.

Ardent and courageous trekkers continue on from Nevada Fall to the top of Half Dome. Some hikers attempt this entire 10- to 12-hour, 16¾-mile round-trip trek in one day; if you're planning to do this, remember that the 4,800-foot elevation gain and the 8,842-foot altitude will cause shortness of breath. Another option is to hike to a campground in Little Yosemite Valley near the top of Nevada Fall the first day, then climb to the top of Half Dome and hike out the next day. Note that the last pitch up the back of Half Dome is very steep—the only way to climb this sheer rock face is to pull yourself up using the steel cable handrails, which are in place only from late spring to early fall. Those who brave the ascent will be rewarded with an unbeatable view of Yosemite Valley below and the high country beyond.

Be sure to wear hiking boots and bring gloves. Also note that only 300 hikers and 75 overnight backpackers per day are allowed atop Half Dome, and they all must have permits (even if they already have wilderness permits), which are distributed by lottery—one in the spring before the season starts and another two days before the climb. Difficult.