2155 Best Sights in USA

This beach is where King Kamehameha spent his final days—the replica of the Ahuena Heiau sits on a platform across from the sand. Adjacent to Kailua Pier, the scenic crescent of white sand is one of the few beaches in downtown Kailua-Kona. The water here is almost always calm and the beach clean, making this a perfect spot for kids. For adults, it's a great place for swimming, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), watching outrigger teams practice, or enjoying a lazy beach day, but it can get crowded on weekends. Snorkeling can be good north of the beach, and snorkeling, SUP, and kayaking equipment can be rented nearby. There's lots of grass and shade. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

In the heart of an upscale, contemporary planned community in Ivins, not far from Tuacahn Center for the Arts and Snow Canyon State Park, this beautifully situated arts colony contains several of southern Utah's top galleries, including Gallery 873, known for jewelry and ceramics; Kayenta Desert Arboretum & Desert Rose Labyrinth and Sculpture Gardens, which visitors can freely stroll through; Zia Pottery Studio, a co-op operated by talented local potters; and several others. Set against a red rock landscape, it's an enchanting neighborhood to stroll through, especially during the Art in Kayenta outdoor festival in mid-October. Also check to see what's on at the Center for the Arts at Kayenta—which presents lectures, movies, theater, and concerts—or grab a bite at the excellent Xetava Café or the expansion Xetava Bar & Kitchen, which opened in 2023.

Running from the southern end of Lydgate Park north to Donkey Beach, just south of Anahola, this 8-mile seaside path is a favorite of visitors and locals alike. Sea breezes, gorgeous ocean views, smooth pavement, and friendly smiles from everyone as they bike, walk, skate, and run add to the pleasures of the trail. The path has many entry points from public beaches and private resorts, with some bike shops just off the trail.

Everyone loves Keawakapu, with its long stretch of golden sand, near-perfect swimming, and views of Puu Olai cinder cone. It's great fun to walk or jog this beach south into Wailea, as it's lined with over-the-top residences. It's best here in the morning—the winds pick up in the afternoon (beware of sandstorms). Keawakapu has three entrances: one is at the Mana Kai Maui resort (look for the blue "Shoreline Access" sign); the second is directly across from the parking lot on Kilohana Street (the entrance is unmarked); and the third is at the dead end of Kihei Road. Toilets are portable. Amenities: parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

One of the city's most scenic byways for a drive, woodsy Kelly Drive also has a popular walking, running, and biking path that parallels the road as it stretches more than 4 miles along the eastern side of the Schuylkill River from behind the Philadelphia Art Museum to City Avenue. You can make an almost 9-mile loop on bike or foot by crossing Falls Bridge and returning on the path parallel to the west side's Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. MLK Drive closes to cars on weekends late March–November and has great Boathouse Row views. (The MLK Bridge has ongoing construction so check ahead to see if it's open.) 

Sights, as well as river views, can distract you as you head north from the museum: Boathouse Row (rent a bike at Wheel Fun Rentals by Lloyd Hall); the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial Sculpture Garden with 17 statues on three terraces (and other park artworks; see  associationforpublicart.org/tours), and nearby Laurel Hill Cemetery. Kelly Drive is named for John B. Kelly Jr., a city councilman and Olympic rower who was the brother of actress Grace Kelly. Parts of Kelly Drive sometimes close to cars for events, mostly on weekends, including rowing regattas (fun to watch; schedule on  boathouserow.org) on the Schuylkill, mostly spring through fall. 

This is the best spot on the island if you have small kids. The resort area commissioned a series of four man-made lagoons, but, as it has to provide public beach access, you are the winner. Huge rock walls protect the lagoons, making them perfect spots for the kids to get their first taste of the ocean without getting bowled over. The large expanses of seashore grass and hala trees that surround the semicircle beaches are made-to-order for nap time. A 1½-mile jogging track connects the lagoons. Due to its appeal for keiki (children), Ko Olina is popular, and the parking lot fills up quickly when school is out and on weekends. Try to get here before 10 am; the biggest parking lot is at the farthest lagoon from the entrance. There are actually four resorts here: Aulani (the Disney resort), Four Seasons Resort Oahu, Marriot's Ko Olina Beach Club (which has a time-share section as well), and Beach Villas at Ko Olina (condominiums with private vacation rentals). The area is 23 miles west of Honolulu. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

Grassy expanses border a long, narrow stretch of sand with spectacular views of Kaneohe Bay and the Koolau Mountains, making Kualoa one of the island's most beautiful picnic, camping, and beach areas. Dominating the view is an islet called Mokolii, also known as Chinaman's Hat, which rises 206 feet above the water. You can swim in the shallow areas of this rarely crowded beach year-round. The one drawback is that it's usually windy here, but the wide-open spaces are ideal for kite flying. Amenities: lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming.

This shimmering blue-green inlet surrounded by cliffs is what first attracted everyone to La Jolla, from Native Americans to the glitterati. "The Cove," as locals refer to it, beyond where Girard Avenue dead-ends into Coast Boulevard, is marked by towering palms that line a promenade where people strolling in designer clothes are as common as Frisbee throwers. Ellen Browning Scripps Park sits atop cliffs formed by the incessant pounding of the waves and offers a great spot for picnics with a view. The Cove has beautiful white sand that is a bit coarse near the water's edge, but the beach is still a great place for sunbathing and lounging. At low tide, the pools and cliff caves are a destination for explorers. With visibility at 30-plus feet, this is the best place in San Diego for snorkeling, where bright-orange garibaldi fish and other marine life populate the waters of the San Diego–La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve. From above water, it's not uncommon to spot sea lions and birds basking on the rocks, or dolphin fins just offshore. The cove is also a favorite of rough-water swimmers, while the area just north is best for kayakers wanting to explore the Seven La Jolla Sea Caves. Amenities: lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Ringed by modern high-rises, this peaceful, beautifully landscaped, 43-acre park is the verdant heart of Downtown. Its mile-long walking path attracts families, health enthusiasts out for a run, and culture mavens exploring area offerings; its well-lighted playground is alive with children; and ducks, geese, swans, and native Florida birds like cormorants call its lake home. A popular farmers' market takes up residence on Sunday; the lakeside Walt Disney Amphitheater is a dramatic site for concerts, festivals, and July 4 fireworks; and a landmark fountain sometimes features LED-and-music shows.

Don't resist the park's biggest draw: a ride in a swan-shape paddleboat that can comfortably accommodate up to five people (children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult). The Relax Grill, by the swan-boat launch, is a great place for lunch, and the park is surrounded by a variety of restaurants and lounges in both Downtown and Thornton Park.

At this small and carefully arranged museum, displays of plantation-era clothing and tools, ranch memorabilia, old maps, precious feather lei, poi pounders, photographs, family portraits, and other artifacts and memorabilia give you insight on the history of the island and its people. Postcards, maps, books, and pamphlets are for sale. The friendly staff can provide information on and directions to the island's historical sites, making this the best place to start your explorations. The Heritage Center's Lanai Guide app is a trove of information—both practical and historical—on the island's sites.

Built in 1889, this indoor farmers' market gave a new home to the city's original open-air market, in operation since 1742. The grand Romanesque building is a city fixture as a place to shop for fresh produce, meat, flowers and baked goods, most of it from the county's farms. In addition to Amish and Mennonite staples like Lebanon bologna and chowchow, there are stalls selling globally inspired prepared foods, from pierogis to Puerto Rican empanadas. It's open 6 am--3 pm on market days (Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday).

Preferred by divers and snorkelers, this laid-back beach is a gateway to magnificent coral reefs. When you're not underwater, look up and you'll likely see a pelican flying by. It's a super-relaxing retreat from the buzz of Fort Lauderdale's busier beaches. That said, the southern part of the beach is crowded near the restaurants at the intersection of A1A and Commercial Boulevard. The no-frills hotels and small inns for families and vacationers visiting for a longer stay are typically filled with Europeans. Look for metered parking around Commercial Boulevard and A1A. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee). Best for: family outings; snorkeling; swimming.

This is the beach park of all beach parks: both a surf break and a beach, it offers a little something for everyone with its inviting stretch of lawn, soft white sand, and gentle waves. The shoreline reef creates a protected wading pool, perfect for small children. Outside the reef, beginner surfers will find good longboard rides. From the long sliver of beach, you can enjoy superb views of neighboring islands, and, landside, of deep valleys cutting through West Maui's mountain. Because of its endless sunshine and serenity—not to mention such amenities as picnic tables and grills—Launiupoko draws a crowd on the weekends, but there's space for everyone (and overflow parking across the street). Amenities: parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; sunset; surfing; swimming.

Stop, rest awhile, and have some fun. That's the purpose of The Lawn on D, a free-to-all open green space that features a plethora of games like bocce, corn hole, Ping-Pong, and pickleball, and chairs for lounging. In warmer weather, you can often catch a live concert or film screening here, or a public art installation. A concession stand makes sure visitors are well fed. The only catch? You can't bring Fido.

Self-guided tours reveal how chinook salmon are released into the Wenatchee River in the hope they will return someday to spawn and keep the species thriving. Even if nothing's spawning, the view of millions of eggs in the nursery or thousands of small, 4-inch "fries" wriggling in the aquarium is something to see. Be sure to set aside time to walk the pretty, 1-mile Icicle Creek Nature Trail loop, an easy and enjoyable stroll with wildlife viewing platforms, interpretive signs, and great bird-watching. A butterfly garden is in front of the hatchery building.

Salt Lake's oldest (and second-largest) park contains a wealth of intriguing amenities, including the Tracy Aviary, the Chase Home Museum, several playgrounds, a large pond, a swimming pool, and volleyball and tennis courts, on its eight square city blocks, which total about 80 acres. Weekly farmers' markets on Friday nights and the city's biggest Pioneer Day celebration (July 24) mark a busy summer schedule annually. Within walking distance of a number of inviting neighborhood restaurants, it's also a nice place for a stroll before or after brunch or dinner.

The Allen Elizabethan Theatre overlooks this park, a wooded nearly 100-acre jewel founded in 1916 that serves as Ashland's physical and spiritual anchor. The park is named for the town's mineral springs, which supply water fountains by the band shell and on the town plaza—be warned that the slightly bubbly water has a strong and rather disagreeable taste. From morning through evening, picnickers, joggers, dog walkers, and visitors congregate in the park's most popular areas, which include dozens of paved and unpaved trails, two duck ponds, a rose garden, a Japanese garden, and ice-skating rink, and a reservoir with a beach and swimming. A great way to get a sense of Lithia Park's vastness, and just how much wilderness there is in the northern section, is to make the 3-mile loop drive around its border. On weekends from mid-March through October, the park hosts a lively artisans' market, and free concerts take place Thursday evenings in summer.

Much like the High Line when it opened, Little Island was an instant hit with locals and visitors when the gates to this man-made isle in the middle of the Hudson River first swung open in May 2021. The 2.4-acre park is elevated on 132 tulip-looking concrete stilts and connected to Manhattan by two footbridges. Funded mostly by Barry Diller and Diane von Fürstenberg, the island park and its rolling stair-clad hills make for a fun wander. It also provides stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. There's a small outdoor food court and an ambient amphitheater for free concerts.

One of three official Japantowns in the country—all of which are in California—Little Tokyo is blossoming again thanks to the next generation of Japanese Americans setting up small businesses. Besides dozens of sushi bars, tempura restaurants, and karaoke bars, there's a lovely garden at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center and a renovated 1925 Buddhist temple with an ornate entrance at the Japanese American National Museum.

On 1st Street you'll find a strip of buildings from the early 1900s. Look down when you get near San Pedro Street to see the art installation called Omoide no Shotokyo ("Remembering Old Little Tokyo"). Embedded in the sidewalk are brass inscriptions naming the original businesses, quoted reminiscences from residents, and steel time lines of Japanese American history up to World War II. Nisei Week (a nisei is a second-generation Japanese American) is celebrated every August with traditional drums, dancing, a carnival, and a huge parade.

Docent-led walking tours are available by appointment on occasional Saturdays starting at 10:15 am. The cost is $15 and should be reserved in advance at littletokyohs.org.

The Long Beach Peninsula consists of 28 continuous miles of broad sandy beach, which fills with kite flyers, sand-castle builders, sunbathers, bicyclists, horseback riders, and drivers during summer months. Watch out for horses, cars, and other motor vehicles as you drive on the sand—some sections are open for driving year-round, while other parts don't allow it in summer. The beach has seven official access points, and bonfires are allowed. Bring a windbreaker—strong gusts are common near the water, which remains consistently frigid throughout the year. Amenities: parking (free), toilets. Best for: solitude; sunrise; sunset; walking.

The Pacific Surfliner trains stop at the 1894 depot at the entrance of the oldest residential street in Southern California. Some of the houses date back to the 1790s. Train fans can stay overnight in the historic Los Rios Cottages. Located near Mission San Juan Capistrano, this was the first Californian mission to allow workers to live outside the mission grounds. On the street you'll find quaint shops, the Ramos House Cafe, and a beautiful Tea House in a flower garden.

As many as 500 bald eagles make Klamath Basin their rest stop, amounting to the largest wintering concentration of these birds in the contiguous United States. Located along the Pacific Flyway bird migration route, the more than 50,000 acres of freshwater wetlands in this complex of six different refuges serve as a stopover for around 1.8 million waterfowl in the fall. Any time of year is bird-watching season; more than 400 species of birds—including about 30 types of raptors—have been spotted in the Klamath Basin, along with many mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. For a leisurely excursion by car, follow the tour routes in the Lower Klamath and Tule Lake refuges—the latter has a superb bookstore and visitor center and is also a short drive from Lava Beds National Monument.

Traversing the full length of the 144-mile Maah Daah Hey Trail is a true multiday wilderness adventure. A popular and well-maintained route, it runs through private and public lands—including the Little Missouri Grasslands and both the North and South units of the national park—with several access points and numerous campgrounds. Maps are available at the park visitor centers and through the U.S. Forest Service and the Maah Daah Hey Trail Association. The 7.1-mile one-way segment that runs through the park's South Unit will take you three or four hours; plan on a full day out and back. Moderate–Difficult.

Located near multiple dining venues, art galleries, and shops, Main Beach Park is the epicenter of Laguna Beach. Walk along this soft-sand beach to Bird Rock and explore nearby tide pools or just sit on one of the benches and watch people bodysurfing, playing beach volleyball, or shooting hoops around two half-basketball courts. The beach also has a children's play area with climbing equipment. Most of Laguna's hotels are within a short (but hilly) walk. Amenities: lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: sunrise, sunset; swimming.

This trail has breathtaking views of the ocean, mountains, and the windward Islands. The point of land jutting out in the distance is Mokapuu Peninsula, site of a U.S. Marine base. The spired mountain peak is Mt. Olomana. On the long pier is part of the Makai Undersea Test Range, a research facility that's closed to the public. Offshore is Manana Island (Rabbit Island), a picturesque cay said to resemble a swimming bunny with its ears pulled back. Ironically enough, Manana Island was once overrun with rabbits, thanks to a rancher who let a few hares run wild on the land. They were eradicated in 1994 by biologists who grew concerned that the rabbits were destroying the island's native plants.

Nestled in the cliff face is the Makapuu Lighthouse, which became operational in 1909 and has the largest lighthouse lens in the United States. The lighthouse is closed to the public, but near the Makapuu Point turnout is the start of a paved mile-long road (it's closed to vehicular traffic). Hike to the top of the 647-foot bluff to get a closer view of the lighthouse and, in winter, to do some whale-watching.  Park in the free parking lot for the trail (it's busiest on the weekends), but don't attempt to continue driving to the gates for the military base since civilian vehicles are not allowed.

The Confederacy won two important victories—in July 1861 and August 1862—at this battlefield, also known as Bull Run. General Thomas Jackson earned his nickname Stonewall here, when he and his brigade stood "like a stone wall." When the second battle ended, the Confederacy was at the zenith of its power. Originally farmland, the battlefield bore witness to casualties of nearly 30,000 troops. The Stone House, used as an aid station during the war, still stands. In 1911, 50 years after the first, battle, President Taft led a "Peace Jubilee," a peaceful reunion of thousands of veterans here.. .A self-guided walking or driving tour of the park begins at the visitor center, whose exhibits and audiovisual presentations greatly enhance a visit. Manassas is a 30-mile drive from Washington; from Arlington and Fairfax take I–66 west to Exit 47B (Sudley Road/Route 234 North). Don't be fooled by the earlier Manassas exit for Route 28. The visitor center is ½ mile north on the right.

Once a casual spot next to the local electric plant's discharge waters, this center celebrating the manatee—South Florida's popular winter visitors—opened at a spot where the peaceful creatures naturally congregate. The airy, two-story facility is surrounded by wraparound decks to accommodate sea-cow spotters from fall to spring. Educational, interactive displays tell the story of this once-endangered species. A long deck along the seawall leads to picnic pavilions from where you can watch the action at nearby Peanut Island and the Port of Palm Beach. Free admission makes it group-friendly; a live "manatee cam" shows manatee counts before you go. The center offers various community events but requires advance registration; check their calendar for details.

A pleasant place to stroll in summer, this 90-acre park has a formal Renaissance-style garden, Japanese garden, duck pond, rose and perennial gardens, and a conservatory. In December the park hosts a festive and free holiday lights event over 10 nights, with a drive-thru option the first four nights. The half-mile trail is lit up with more than five million lights in animated and whimsical displays. The park's café is open daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Snowy winters find the park's hills full of sledders and its frozen pond packed with skaters.