10451 Best Sights in USA

This 236-acre outdoor memorial pays tribute to Americans who have sacrificed their lives in service to their country. There's an inspiring view of Mt. Monadnock and Mt. Kearsarge from the Altar of the Nation, which is composed of rock from every U.S. state and territory. All faiths are welcome, and you can hear organ music some afternoons. The Memorial Bell Tower, built in 1967 with a carillon of bells from around the world, is built of native stone. Norman Rockwell designed the bronze tablets over the four arches. Flower gardens, an indoor chapel, and a museum of military memorabilia share the hilltop, and several trails lace the property, leading to tranquil peaceful areas.

It's almost impossible not to be drawn to this butte's towering, variegated spires. The approximately 1,200-foot-high Cathedral Rock looms dramatically over town. When you emerge from the narrow gorge of Oak Creek Canyon, this is the first recognizable formation you'll spot. The butte is best seen toward dusk from a distance. Hikers may want to drive to the Airport Mesa and then hike the rugged but generally flat path that loops around the airfield. The trail is ½ mile up Airport Road off AZ 89A in West Sedona; the reward is a panoramic view of Cathedral Rock without the crowds. Those not hiking should drive through the Village of Oak Creek and 5 miles west on Verde Valley School Road to its end, where you can view Cathedral Rock from a beautiful streamside vantage point and take a dip in Oak Creek if you wish.

The north end of Capitol Reef, along this backcountry road, is filled with towering monoliths, panoramic vistas, water crossings, and a stark desert landscape. The area is remote and the road through it unpaved and extremely rough, so don't even think about entering without a suitable mountain bike or high-clearance vehicle, some planning, and a cell phone (although reception is virtually nonexistent, you'll want to download maps to it before you get here). The trail through the valley is a 58-mile loop that you can begin at River Ford Road, 11¾ miles east of the visitor center off Highway 24; allow half a day. If your time is limited, consider touring just Caineville Wash Road, which takes about two hours by ATV or four-wheel-drive vehicle. If you are planning a multiday trip, there's a primitive campground about halfway through the loop. Pick up a self-guided tour brochure at the visitor center.

Nearly 6,000 acres of thick pine forests, rocky ledges, and magnificent views make Catoctin a true retreat. America's presidents apparently think so, too—Camp David is hidden within the park, although, of course, it is not open to the public. Catoctin also rents rustic cabins built during the era of the federal Works Progress Administration, and there's a dining hall that seats 120 people.

About 6 mi from Catoctin Mountain Park, this preserve/zoo holds more than 350 animals on some 30 acres. The zoo is easily navigated by children, and the tall trees and winding paths make for comfortable walking. Exotic animals here include tigers, macaws, monkeys, and boas. A petting zoo allows kids to mingle with goats and other small animals. Throughout summer there are interactive shows, when the little ones can touch snakes and learn about grizzlies.

A primary destination here is the splendid Catwalk National Recreation Trail, a 250-foot-long metal walkway drilled into the sides of the massive rock cliffs of the breathtaking Whitewater Canyon—which is only 20 feet wide in places. This is one of the most verdant, beautiful canyons in the state, with the creek and tumbling waterfalls surrounded by gorgeous rocks and shade trees. The Catwalk, first installed as an access route for water lines critical to local gold- and silver-mining operations in the late 1800s, was rebuilt in 1935 for recreation purposes, and rebuilt again after a 2012 flood. A number of famous outlaws, including Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch, have used the canyon as a hideout because of its remote, and almost inaccessible, location. You need to be in reasonably good physical condition to scramble up some stone stairways, but the 2.2-mile round-trip trail is well-maintained and worth the effort; there is a nice alternate route that is wheelchair accessible. Bring your bathing suit so you can enjoy standing under the waterfalls and splashing in the creek. Admission is $3.

Set in magnificent Lloyd Neck, which juts into Long Island Sound, this park covers 1,500 acres and includes a sliver of beach and a bridle path for those who bring horses in by trailer. You can also hike, fish, bike, and cross-country ski here. The park was originally the estate of Marshall Field III; his mansion can be viewed from the outside, but is closed to the public.

Exhibits at the Cave Creek Museum depict pioneer living, mining, and ranching. See an original 1920s tuberculosis cabin and a collection of artifacts from the Hohokam and Yavapai tribes.

This is an idyllic spot 7,350 feet above sea level in the pine and juniper forest of the big Schell Creek Range that borders Ely to the east. You can spend a day fishing for rainbow and brown trout in the reservoir and a night sleeping under the stars. Arrive early; it gets crowded. Access may be restricted in winter.

This 2-mile hike takes you to the bluffs northwest of Scorpion harbor on Santa Cruz, where there are magnificent coastal views and pods of migrating gray whales from December through March. Moderate.

At this restored 1816 mill you can take a self-guided tour and watch the 12-foot-round waterwheel power the 1,400-pound millstone.

This winery's Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon twice won Wine Spectator wine of the year. You can sample the latest vintage and a few other wines outdoors in landscaped areas or inside at tables amid or near aging barrels. Chuck Wagner started making wine on this property in 1972 and still oversees Caymus production. His children craft wines for other brands within the Wagner Family of Wine portfolio, including oaked and unoaked Mer Soleil Chardonnays, Conundrum white and red blends, Red Schooner Malbec, and Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. All visits require an appointment.

The Cayuga Wine Trail has 16 wineries stretching from Seneca Falls down to Ithaca, with most concentrated on the western-central lakefront. Montezuma Winery, on the trail, is known for its mead (honey wine).

Off the main road and behind the Sentinel Campground, this small ranger station has books and maps, plus information about hikes and other activities.

This 0.4-mile round-trip interpretive trail leads out from South Rim Road to two overlooks. It's an easy stroll, and signs along the way detail the surrounding plants. Easy.

A forest trail leads to the brim of Cedar Sink. From there, stairways down to viewing platforms along the path leading into the sink allow hikers a peek at the underground waters from the Sinkhole Plain as it makes its way toward Green River. This massive sinkhole creates a microclimate of its own where wildflowers often bloom slightly out-of-season. The first half-mile through the woods is an easy, level path. Getting down into the sink from there requires navigating stairs, and the footing inside the sink is uneven. Those with limited mobility may wish to enjoy the view from the top. 1 mile. Moderate.

A self-guided tour takes you to, but not through, a tower and kiva built between 1100 and 1300 AD and connected by a tunnel. The tower-and-kiva combinations in the park are thought to have been either religious structures or signal towers.

You can step back into the past at Centennial Park, which re-creates a period streetscape and hosts a farmers' market called the "Fresh Market" every Saturday, as well as festivals, pottery classes, and other events throughout the year.

Home to the Parthenon, this 132-acre park has a 1-mile walking trail, Lake Watauga, the Centennial Art Center, Musicians Corner, sunken gardens, and a bandshell. It's home to the bench that was famously dedicated to Taylor Swift by the city of Nashville in 2023 to honor the park's mention in Swift's song “Invisible String.” It's also a great place to explore an outdoor festival or hear live music.

Constructed to celebrate South Dakota's centennial in 1989, this trail bisects the Black Hills, covering about 124 miles from north to south, from Bear Butte State Park through Black Hills National Forest, Black Elk Wilderness, Custer State Park, and into Wind Cave National Park. Designed for bikers, hikers, and horses, the trail is rugged but accommodating (note, however, that bicycling on the trail is not allowed within park boundaries). It will take you at least a half day to cover the 6-mile Wind Cave segment. Moderate.

Four centuries' worth of artifacts bring Brooklyn's story to life at this marvelous, renovated space inside an 1881 Queen Anne–style National Historic Landmark building. The center surveys the borough's changing identity through interactive exhibitions, landscape paintings, photographs, portraits of Brooklynites, and fascinating memorabilia. Upstairs, the Othmer Library’s spectacular reading room, with its stained-glass windows and carved wooden columns, transports visitors to an earlier era.

Sprawling and detailed, the elaborate Victorian house previously known as the Byers-Evans House Museum went up in 1883 as the home of Rocky Mountain News publisher William Byers. Restored to its pre–World War I condition, the historic landmark has occasional exhibitions and regular guided tours. Its main appeal is the glimpse it provides into Denver's past, specifically 1912 through 1924; more recently, the Center for Women's History has taken up residence here, which means an enhanced focus on women's studies and free rotating exhibits. The furnishings are those the Evans family acquired during the 80-some years they lived here.

Ansel Adams conceived the idea of a photographer's archive and donated the majority of his negatives to this museum. In addition to its superb collection of his work, the center houses the David Hume Kennerly Archive and works by other major photographers, including Paul Strand, W. Eugene Smith, Edward Weston, and Louise Dahl-Wolfe. Changing exhibits in the main gallery display selected pieces from the collection. 

You're entering hallowed ground, because this building was once the Espresso Café, where Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, and others entertained countercultural dreamers. Now a gallery space for photography, the center aims to provoke serious consideration of the medium, offering a dynamic series of exhibits, lectures, and workshops.

Nestled between a residential lakefront neighborhood to the east and the University of Washington campus to the west are the 16-acre landscaped gardens of the Center for Urban Horticulture and the 74-acre Union Bay Natural Area, part of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens. Inside the Center is the Elisabeth C. Miller Library, open to the public and home to 15,000 books and 500 periodicals on gardening techniques. The Union Bay Natural Area serves as an outdoor laboratory for UW research with some of the best bird-watching in the city. With a ¾-mile loop gravel trail, it's also a terrific place for a walk or a jog, and on a nice day, the views of Mt. Rainier and the surrounding waterfront are simply divine. From the U-District, head east on NE 45th Street and take a right onto Mary Gates Drive.