Yosemite National Park, Sedona and the Oak Creek Caynon area AZ, and the Zion National Park area UT are all breath- takingly beautiful areas of the US. Sedona will be too hot in summer though.

Mt. St. Helens is really something to see. Also in the pacific northwest, Crater Lake, I've never seen water more blue.

Sarah, <BR><BR>You can hit three out of my top five on one vacation. <BR><BR>Yosemite!...leaves you breathless and in awe. Ansel Adams sure knew what he was doing.<BR><BR>The Big Sur... I can't find the words to do it justice. Breathtaking! Follow it northbound if you can.<BR><BR>Redwood forest...the word to describe it is way over used but appropriate in this case. AWESOME!<BR><BR>Volcano National Park on the Big Island in Hawaii.....you'll feel like you're on the moon!<BR><BR>Independance Pass in Colorado. ...or anyplace in the Rockie Mountains. It's just beautiful!<BR>

bryce canyon utah!

If you can't afford to go to Hawaii than my vote goes for Rocky Mountain National Park. It is so beautiful and peacful there. Airfare to Denver is inexpensive right now.

One summer my husband drove me up to Johnson Mesa, near Mt. Capulin, an extinct volcano in New Mexico. What a different world it was up there from the dessert we had just left below. The ranchers were just then arriving with their cattle for summer grazing, the prairie grass was at least 4 feet tall and swaying in a gentle wind, mixed together in this wild place were herds of cattle and prong horn antelope. I felt like I had stepped back in time, before we had taken the land over and destroyed the wild prairies, and herds of animals.

Driving throught Yosemite then coming out the other side into NV. The stark contrast is surreal! I felt like I entered another world.

My favorite hiking trip for beauty and seclusion was the San Juan Mountain Range in Colorado. We used Ouray, Colorado as our home base. From Ouray there are trailheads for hiking nearby as well as jeep rentals for hair-raising and awesome drives. We also took a short trip to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison for a day-trip of white water rafting. We also drove to a ghost town and an alpine lake. Incredible!

This is a hard question! My favorite NP is Glacier in MT. You can combine it with Banff and Jasper in Canada for a really wonderful trip.

I think you are smart to think twice about the Grand Canyon in the summer. I love the Grand Canyon, Zion and Sedona. But I think to really appreciate the Grand Canyon you have to get IN it - maybe not all the way to the river, but once you hike a bit down you can really appreciate how big and beautiful it is. Summer hiking is very hot and uncomfortable in the Grand Canyon, and in Zion. We were in Moab last month and it was 106. The scenery was stunning, but it was hard to appreciate at time b/c it felt like we were in the middle of a blast furnace.

I would also highly recommend the San Juan Mnts. of Colorado - Ouray and Telluride are wonderful. There's a lot of beautiful panoramas all around Colorado. We've taken 2 10 day trips to Colorado and there's still a lot we haven't seen.

Let us know what you decide!

New York City - Central Park at 7 am on Sunday when leaves are so colorful, nobody is around but your spouse and you feel the air is fresh and clean

Bryce canyon, UTAH

Big Sur :D

Obviously this is an old thread, but I was in awe of the Big Sur Coast. It is spectacular!

Not the most dramatic landscape - but a couple years ago we were driving from Durango toward Telluride to stay in a cabin on Trout Lake. We were driving on a road up the mountains just waiting to see it. We turned a corner and looked to the right just when we thought we were there and it literally took our breath away. There was a lake surrounded by enormous mountains . THIS is where were were going to spend a week - at about 9,000 feet. It was amazing.

For most dramatic, I'll go with the views along the Road to Hana and from the top of Haleakala on Maui. There are so many beautiful spots in the US (hiking in KY can lead to spectacular views) but I think Hawaii is the most take-your-breath-away dramatic.

You &quot;closed out&quot; the Grand Canyon?If you have the opportunity to see it then it shouldn't be missed.

If you want cooler summer weather, wide open spaces and solitude, consider Montana. If you like the idea of a guest ranch, the K Bar Z was great a few years ago when we stayed there. It's a simple place, with separate log cabins w/fireplaces, family-style meals, good horses and riding country, very laid-back vacation. It's close to the beautiful Bear Tooth (correct name?) pass that drops into Red Lodge.

I was wrong-- K Bar Z is in Wyoming, near the Montana border, where Red Lodge is.
I copied this from a Google search I just did:
&quot;K Bar Z Guest Ranch &amp; Outfitters, located in NW Wyoming, Park County. Within the Shoshone National Forest and adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. This beautiful area, including Sunlight Basin and Beartooth Plateau, is our playground. Capacity: 30 Guests. Pets are allowed.
Fishing Package; Full Breakfast; Game Hunting Camps; Hiking &amp; Backpacking; Horse Pack Trip; Hot Tub; Meals by Arrangement; Ranch Recreation; Reservation Requested; Sightseeing Tour.
Stay in a private log cabin sheltered in the pines at the foot of Cathedral Cliffs. Each cabin has a fireplace, private bath, bunks for 4 and a loft.&quot;
Hope I'm not breaking any rules for copying this info., but I wanted to correct my mistake.

Everyone has mentioned a breathtaking place but the key to any Park you visit is to get out of you car, put on a Day Pack or a Backpack if you have the time and walk 31/2 miles from any trailhead. One of my favorite spots is the trail to Rimrock Lake in the Stillwater Drainage, Montana. But that's just one!
Hope you find yours.

This is an old thread. Here's one that has not been mentionned.

Consider the San Rafael Swell in Utah.