571 Best Sights in USA

This area of the park has taken on a near-mythical lure for park visitors, who are drawn to challenging yet breathtaking terrain. Rangers strongly discourage inexperienced hikers from entering here—in fact, you can't enter without watching a video about how to help protect this very special section of the park and obtaining a permit ($10). Reservations open seven days in advance for a spot on the 2-mile round-trip ranger-led hikes ($16), offered from March through October, through this unique formation. A hike through these rugged rocks and sandy washes is tiring but fascinating. Hikers will need to use their hands at times to scramble up and through narrow cracks and along vertigo-inducing ledges above drop-offs, and there are no trail markings. If you're not familiar with The Furnace, you can easily get lost or cause damage, so watch your step and use great caution. The less intrepid can view The Fiery Furnace from the overlook off the main road. Difficult.

This trail follows a ridgeline to the Second Creek drainage into the Nolin River valley, then descends along the Nolin to First Creek Lake before climbing upward past broken sandstone blocks to the trailhead at Temple Hill. Stream crossings, wet and muddy areas, and some rocky slopes may challenge footing. At 3 miles, the Second Creek Campsite can by accessed by a short spur. At 4.2 miles, a spur leads to First Creek Campsite 1. At 5.2 miles, a spur accesses First Creek Campsite 2. Horses and hiking only. 6.3 mi. Moderate. Note: First Creek Trail forms a 19.1-mile loop with McCoy Hollow Trail and Wet Prong Trail that can be accessed from either First Creek Trailhead or Temple Creek Trailhead.

Fisherman's Walk, which begins near Harbor Beach, is an easy stroll. Starting across Stage Neck Road from the beach, it passes waterfront businesses, historic homes, and rocky harbor beaches on the way to York's beloved Wiggly Bridge. This pedestrian suspension bridge alongside Route 103 (there is minimal parking here) leads to Steedman Woods, a public preserve with a shaded loop trail along the York River estuary's ambling waters. You can also enter the preserve near the George Marshall Store Gallery in York Village.

This is one of the hidden gems in the park. It's a little known but delightful hike, especially in summer when the higher elevation means respite from stifling temperatures. The 2.6-mile path stretches through pretty woodlands with evergreens, birch, rhododendron, and wildflowers. The elevation gain is about 570 feet. Moderate.

Florida's 1,500-mile hiking trail starts in Big Cypress National Preserve and stretches all the way to the western tip of the Panhandle, at Gulf Islands National Seashore. It's broken up into smaller trails of 6 to 28 miles each. Two 5-mile trails, Concho Billie and Fire Prairie, can be accessed in Big Cypress off Turner River Road. Pick up maps and a hiking permit at the Oasis Visitor Center. Moderate.

Of the handful of trails in the Bartlett Cove area, this is the shortest and easiest. It's a 1-mile round-trip route that starts just across the road from Glacier Bay Lodge and travels through the rain forest and along the beach. Boardwalks make up the first half of the trail, allowing those using wheelchairs to access the two viewing platforms that overlook a pond where moose can sometimes be spotted. Daily guided walks with a ranger are also offered. Easy.

This 0.6-mile loop trail offers views of the Bates Old River, an oxbow lake left behind when the Congaree River changed course. The new-growth forest can be thick and muddy, so despite the short distance, it's not ideal for families. Moderate.

A multiuse path, much of it flat and steps from the rocky and highly photogenic shoreline, stretches the length of Fort Bragg. An enjoyable section lined with benches created by local artists follows the coast north about 2 miles between Noyo Headlands Park in southern Fort Bragg and Glass Beach. You can continue into MacKerricher State Park from the beach.

Take the ½-mile loop boardwalk to see the fumaroles (steam vents), blue pools, pink mud pots, and mini-geysers in this thermal area. The trail is popular, and sometimes a bit overcrowded, in summer and winter because it's so accessible. Easy.

If you decide to hike up Four-Mile Trail and back down again, allow about six hours for the challenging, 9½-mile round-trip. (The original 4-mile-long trail, Yosemite's first, has been lengthened to make it less steep.) The trailhead is on Southside Drive near Sentinel Beach, and the elevation change is 3,220 feet. For a considerably less strenuous experience, you can take a morning tour bus up to Glacier Point and enjoy a one-way downhill hike. Difficult.

This historic 1¼-mile loop trail begins across Skyline Drive from the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, allowing visitors a peek into rural mountain life by stepping foot onto what was once a family farm. Stroll past carefully placed rock walls, periwinkle vines, and a family cemetery filled with grave sites of the Fox family, one of more than 400 families that lived on the land before Shenandoah National Park was established in 1935. Hiking time is less than one hour. No pets allowed on this trail. Easy.

One of the neighborhood's best features is the Freedom Park Trail, a particularly pleasant stretch of the PATH Foundation's more-than-250-mile trail system in the metro area. It gives runners, bikers, and dog walkers a peaceful thoroughfare inside the 210-acre Freedom Park. The PATH is the largest public green space in a major metro area developed in the United States in the last century.

Learn a bit about the history of homesteading in the region on this 1-mile loop. Look for owls living in the cliffs above as you make your way through the lowland vegetation. Easy.

What starts as a quiet little stroll beside the river turns into an adventure. The first 0.3 miles of the trail wanders past orchards next to the Fremont River. After you pass through a narrow gate, the trail changes personality and you're in for a steep climb on an exposed ledge with drop-offs. The views at the top of the 480-foot ascent are worth it. It's 2 miles round-trip; allow 90 minutes. Moderate.

Branching off the Frijole Ranch Trail, this relatively flat hike leads to Pine Springs Campground. The 5½-mile round-trip through desert vistas takes about four hours; you can shorten it to 4½ miles if you start and finish at Frijole Ranch. Moderate.

This is one of only two trails in the park where dogs and bicycles are permitted (the other one is Oconaluftee River Trail on the North Carolina side). Dogs must be on leashes. The 1.9-mile trail starts at Sugarlands Visitor Center and follows the Little Pigeon River. Easy.

This 20.6-mile path hugs Geneva Lake, affording lovely vantage points for watching boats cruise the crystal-clear waters of the second deepest lake in Wisconsin. But it's what's on the shore that piques most curiosity: the grandiose mansions built by wealthy business moguls of the late-19th and early 20th century, like an 18,000-square-foot Italianate stone home (converted to six luxury condos) and the 30-room Queen Anne, now the Baker House Inn and restaurant. While the path is open to the public, it varies from paved to gravel to dirt, depending on individual property upkeep. Learn a little more insider info in the "Walk, Talk & Gawk" guide (available at many local shops; $6.95), which divides the path into seven shorter segments.

Along the easy 1.3-mile Geyser Hill Loop boardwalk, accessed from the Old Faithful Boardwalk, you'll see active thermal features such as violent Giantess Geyser. Erupting only a few times each year (but sometimes going quiet for several years), Giantess spouts from 100 to 250 feet in the air for five to eight minutes once or twice hourly for a few to as long as 48 hours. Nearby Doublet Pool's two adjacent springs have complex ledges and deep blue waters that are highly photogenic. Starting as a gentle pool, Anemone Geyser overflows, bubbles, and finally erupts 10 feet or more, every three to eight minutes. The loop boardwalk brings you close to the action, making it especially fun for kids.

At 0.4 mile, Giant Logs is the park's shortest trail. The loop leads you to Old Faithful, the park's largest petrified log—9 feet, 9 inches at its base, weighing an estimated 44 tons. Easy.

Piggy-backing off the Glacier View Loop, this additional 0.6-mile hike is moderately strenuous. Moderate.

This 1-mile, wheelchair-accessible trail offers an increasingly distant but still impressive view up toward Exit Glacier. There's also a slightly longer 2-mile round-trip hike, also from the Exit Glacier Nature Center, that gets you a closer look at the glacier and entails a roughly 300-foot elevation gain. Easy.

There are four forested trails in the Glade Creek area, including the scenic Glade Creek Trail, which is noted for swimming holes, cascades, and waterfalls. It’s nearly 6 miles to reach Kates Falls, but there are plenty of spots along the creek to pause for a splash in the water.

This 1.1-mile loop trail is an easy stroll through an old-growth forest with canyon views. Its dirt path is accessible to wheelchairs with assistance. Easy.

In a small canyon abuzz with songbirds, squirrels, and chipmunks, this picnic area has a south-facing, protected location. The half dozen picnic tables here are in a small meadow; there are also a few fire grills and a pit toilet.

Just south of Furnace Creek, these glimmering mountains are perhaps best known for their role in the original Star Wars. The canyon is a fine hiking spot, with a 3-mile out-and-back route offering gorgeous views of the Panamint Mountains, ancient dry lake beds, and alluvial fans. Moderate.

As you hike to the base of The Golden Throne, you may be lucky enough to see one of the park's elusive desert bighorn sheep, but you're more likely to spot their split-hoof tracks. The challenging but rewarding hike sees a steady elevation gain of nearly 800 feet and sheer drop-offs. The Golden Throne is hidden until you near the end of the trail, when suddenly this huge sandstone monolith appears before you. If you hike near sundown, the throne burns gold. The round-trip hike is 4 miles and takes two to three hours. Difficult.

This quick little stroll provides a great introduction to Capitol Reef and the surrounding landscape. You'll enjoy the dizzying views from the overlook. It's only 0.2 miles round-trip to the overlook. Easy.

Give yourself about four hours, which allows time for relaxing and soaking up dramatic views back toward Jackson Lake and the Teton Range, to complete this moderately challenging 5.8-mile round-trip trek that starts at Jackson Lake Lodge. The trail curves around tiny Christian Pond and along the western shore of the much larger Emma Matilda Lake before climbing nearly 1,000 feet in elevation to this lovely viewpoint. Moderate.

At the end of unpaved Grand Wash Road you can continue on foot through Bear Canyon all the way to Highway 24. This mostly level hike takes you through a wide wash between canyon walls and is an excellent place to study the geology up close. The round-trip hike is 4.4 miles; allow two to three hours. Check the weather conditions before you start, as this wash is prone to flooding after thunderstorms. Another (more strenuous) hiking option from the same starting point is the rugged 7-mile round-trip trail (it's fairly steep) to Cassidy Arch. Easy.

There are six area trails that expose visitors to wildly scenic panoramas of the New River Gorge. Take in the views from Main Overlook, then hike north on the Grandview Rim Trail, making stops at North Overlook and Turkey Spur Rock on this moderate 3.2-mile round-trip hike. The Castle Rock Trail is a moderate 0.6-mile trail with towering sandstone rock faces and coal seams. Both hikes start steps from Grandview Visitor Center (seasonal).