571 Best Sights in USA

Take Jenny Lake Boating's 20-minute boat ride or the 2¼-mile (each way) Jenny Loop Trail around the south side of the lake from the Jenny Lake Visitor Center to the start of a gentle, ½-mile climb to 200-foot Hidden Falls, the park's most popular (though crowded) hiking destination. Listen for the distinctive bleating of the rabbitlike pikas among the glacial boulders and pines. The trail continues half a mile to Inspiration Point over a moderately steep, rocky path with sweeping lake views. From here, continue west another 1½ miles into the heart of Cascade Canyon, with its dramatic views through the mountains and out toward Petersen Glacier. With the 10-minute boat shuttle ($20 round-trip or $12 one-way), plan on a couple of hours to experience this trail—add another two hours if you hike the whole way, which is your only option from October through mid-May, when the shuttle doesn't run. Easy–Moderate.

Begin this full-day, 8.6-mile hike early in the morning to minimize exposure to afternoon storms. Depart and return to Summit Trailhead near the end of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. Most of the route follows a ridge up the mountain. Elevation gain is 3,100 feet to 13,063 feet above sea level, so hikers should have good stamina and watch for altitude sickness and hypothermia, as the temperature drops and the air becomes thinner the higher you climb. The trail is especially steep and challenging toward the summit, with lots of loose rock, but the reward is incredible. On a clear day, you can see more than 100 miles in every direction from the top. Difficult.

Part of the Appalachian Trail Corridor, this National Natural Landmark has chasms, cliffs, four major waterfalls, smaller drops, pools, exotic flora, and intriguing rock formations like The Jaws, where outcroppings almost form a land bridge along the gulf or gorge. The West Branch of the Pleasant River drops a few hundred feet as it flows through 3-mile, slate-walled Gulf Hagas east of Greenville. Managed by Maine North Woods and open for public recreation, but not staffed like a park, this remote forest is accessible by gravel logging roads (always yield to logging trucks; roads aren't plowed in winter). A per-person fee is charged during the warm season at entry checkpoints or gates (cash or check only), where you can get trail maps and hiking information.

The difficult Rim Trail and the less challenging Pleasant River Tote Road are approximately 8 to 9 miles, depending on where you start; connector trails create shorter loops. Because of the rim trail's slippery rocks and rugged terrain, hikers are urged to wear sturdy footwear, not sneakers or sandals. Not up for such a rigorous trek? From either parking area you can hike to a premier waterfall on a route that only briefly includes the rim trail. These are good choices for families with young children and anyone lacking the preparation, experience, skill, and time the rim trail demands. From the Gulf Hagas (Lower Gulf) parking area, where most hikers start, it's a 3½–mile round-trip trek to spectacular Screw Auger Falls on the gulf's eastern end. After fording the Pleasant River—usually easily done in summer but dangerous in high water—you'll pass through The Hermitage, a stand of old-growth white pine. Near the falls, there's a stream crossing. From the Head of Gulf (Upper Gulf) parking area, the hike to Stair Falls at the gulf's western end is 3.4 miles round-trip. There's a bridge over the river—no fording required.

This natural rock opening, which measures 306 feet from base to base and looks like a delicate ribbon of rock bending over the horizon, is the longest geologic span in North America. In 1991, a slab of rock about 60 feet long, 11 feet wide, and 4 feet thick fell from the underside, leaving it even thinner. You reach it via a rolling, gravel, 1.8-mile-long trail. Easy.

The park's most ambitious trail is arguably its most rewarding, too, as it crosses an ancient lakebed now piled high with dunes, and once you're about a mile into it, it can feel as though you're on another planet, as you'll see almost nothing but white sand. Despite the name, it's actually an undulating 5-mile round-trip route over sometimes quite steep dunes. It's not the distance that makes it challenging but those hills, and that walking on dunes is slower going, and more taxing—especially in summer—than over conventional terrain. Along the way, you'll cross ridges and pinnacles, and see some of the biggest dunes in the park. Pack lots of water, hike with at least one buddy, and keep an eye out for the bright red trail markers—it can be easy to get disoriented if there's a lot of wind (common in spring), which can greatly reduce visibility. Difficult.

One of the best and most popular hikes in the national park, the fairly short 2.3-mile one-way hike to Alum Cave Bluffs contains some of the most interesting geological formations in the Smokies. Arch Rock, a natural arch created by millions of years of freezing and thawing, and Alum Bluffs, a large overhanging rock ledge, are the highlights. This very well-known trail does not offer much solitude, especially on weekends. From the bluffs you can continue on another 2.8 miles to reach Mt. LeConte, passing awe-inspiring mountain vistas. Alum Cave Bluffs is the shortest of five trail routes to LeConte Lodge, but it is also the steepest, with an elevation gain of more than 2,700 feet. Moderate.

From the Kuwohi parking, taking the trail less traveled to Andrews Bald feels like being in on a secret. To get there, walk the 1.8-mile Forney Ridge Trail, a rocky path with an elevation gain of almost 600 feet. The payoff is several acres of grassy bald at more than 5,800 feet, with stunning views of Fontana Lake and the southeastern Smokies. This is one of only two balds in the Smokies that the park service keeps clear (the other is Gregory Bald). Difficult.

As much a trial as a trail, this serpentine path beneath The Great White Throne, which you access from the Lower West Rim Trail, is one of the park's most challenging and genuinely thrilling hikes. It had also been on the verge of becoming a victim of its own popularity, suffering badly from overcrowding, until the park service instituted a permit system in 2022, which has greatly reduced the number of hikers at any given time and vastly improved the experience. You now must apply online at  www.recreation.gov (both seasonal and day-before lotteries are held, and the cost is $6) for the chance to hike the famed final section beyond Scout Lookout.

Once you've ascended from the Lower West Rim Trail, you'll encounter Walter's Wiggles, an arduous (but not at all scary) series of 21 switchbacks built out of sandstone blocks that leads up to Scout Lookout. From here, assuming you've secured a permit, you'll continue along a narrow, steadily rising ridge with sheer cliffs that drop some 1,400 feet on either side. Chains bolted into the rock face serve as handrails in the steepest places. In spite of its hair-raising nature, and taking into consideration that 14 people have fallen to their deaths on this hike since 2000, the climb doesn't require technical skills and is quite safe as long as you step deliberately and use the handrail chains. Still, children and those uneasy about heights should not attempt this hike. Allow 2½ hours round-trip to hike to Scout Lookout (2 miles), which is itself an impressive viewpoint, and four to five hours if you continue to where the angels (and birds of prey) play. The total hike is about 4.5 miles round-trip from the Grotto shuttle stop. Difficult.

Join the thousands of Austinites who frequent downtown's beloved hike-and-bike trail, which makes a sweeping 10-mile loop around the beautiful Lady Bird Lake. The trails are open to all ages and speeds, welcoming walkers, runners, cyclists, and people-watchers alike. This lush, urban path has recently expanded with a new boardwalk extension, allowing the full circuit to wind through some of the city's best sights, including lakeside parks, art installations, and downtown restaurants and coffee shops with walk-up windows.

The Appalachian Trail's 72 miles through the Great Smokies are among its most scenic. The trail follows ridges, offering vistas throughout the traverse. Park in the Newfound Gap Overlook parking lot and cross the road to the trail. From Newfound Gap to Indian Gap, the trail travels 1.7 miles through spruce and fir forests, and in late spring and summer there are quite a few wildflowers. The total round-trip distance is 3.4 miles. Easy. Walking in the other direction (north on the AT), it's 4.4 miles (each way) to Charlie's Bunion, with scenic views most of the way.

On a busy day in summer, only a handful of parties will fill out the trail register at the Avalanche Peak trailhead, so if you're seeking solitude, this is your hike. Starting across from a parking area on the East Entrance Road, this rigorous 4.2-mile, four-hour round-trip climbs 2,150 feet to the peak's 10,566-foot summit, from which you'll see the rugged Absaroka Mountains running north and south. Look around the talus and tundra near the top of Avalanche Peak for alpine wildflowers and butterflies. From early September to early July, the trail is often impassable due to snow, and fall also can see grizzly bear activity. Stick to summer. Difficult.

One of the city's most relaxing outdoor spaces, Back Cove Trail is a 3.6-mile paved loop with gorgeous views of the Cove, harbor, and downtown. It's a favorite route for walking, running, biking, and dog walking. Several benches and seasonal water fountains can be found along the trail.

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.

This 12-mile series of hike-and-bike trails follows the contour of Barton Creek and the canyon it created west along an 8-mile-long area from Zilker Park to west of Loop 360. The popular Greenbelt features even more sought-after swimming holes when the creek is full (very rain-dependent, it's usually in spring and fall). Several access points will get you on the riverside trails, including at Zilker Park, Loop 360, Twin Falls, Scottish Woods Trail Falls (near the intersection of MoPac and Loop 360), and Scottish Woods Trail (at the trail's northern border, off Loop 360).

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.

This scenic, calorie-burning hike begins with a moderately level, half-mile journey to Nymph Lake. From here, the trail gets steeper, with a 425-foot elevation gain, as it winds around for 0.6 miles to Dream Lake. The last stretch is the most arduous part of the hike, an almost all-uphill 0.7-mile trek to lovely Emerald Lake, where you can perch on a boulder and enjoy the view. All told, the hike is 3.6 miles, with an elevation gain of 605 feet. Allow two hours or more. Moderate.

The largest state park in Texas serves as an enormous western buffer to Big Bend National Park. This rugged desert wilderness extends along the Rio Grande across more than 300,000 acres from east of Lajitas to Presidio. It's far less developed than the national park (if that seems possible) and nearly one-third as large, and it's filled with amazing opportunities to hike, mountain bike, backpack, raft, and ride horseback. A collection of hiking trailheads spoke off from FM 170 across from the Barton Warnock Visitor Center at Lajitas, which serves as the park's eastern information post and contains excellent exhibits on the region as well as a covered picnic area. The western visitor center is at 23-acre Fort Leaton State Historical Site near Presidio and contains a thick-walled adobe fort and trading post that dates back to pioneer days, plus exhibits, a ½-mile nature trail, and picnic sites.

The 0.7-mile, wheelchair-accessible portion of this path is a must, as it does not take long, and the setting is spectacular: beautiful Round Meadow, surrounded by many mature sequoias. Well-thought-out interpretive signs along the way explain the ecology on display. Parking at the trailhead lot off Generals Highway is for cars with handicap placards only. The full, round-trip loop from the Giant Forest Museum is about a mile long. 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.

Most visitors to Congaree come to walk this easy 2.6-mile loop. The elevated boardwalk lets you experience perennially flooded areas of the forest that are otherwise difficult to access. Bring binoculars to spy on woodpeckers, and look out for otters at the Weston Lake overlook. Benches built into the handrails offer idyllic spots to stop for a picnic along your walk. Easy.

Stretching for 43 continuous miles, Boston Harborwalk is a walking trail that skirts the twists and turns of the coast from Charlestown down to the city of Quincy. In the Seaport District specifically, the Harborwalk journeys along Fort Point Channel, around Fan Pier, up Seaport Boulevard, and out and around the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal. Along the way, pedestrians can see art exhibits, stationary viewfinders, open green spaces, and incredible Boston Harbor views. Marked signs point the way, and maps can be found online.

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 well-maintained trail is one of the most scenic (and busiest) hiking paths from the South Rim to the bottom of the canyon (9.6 miles each way). Rest houses are equipped with water at the 1½- and 3-mile points from May through September and at Havasupai Gardens (4 miles) year-round. Water is also available at Bright Angel Campground, 9¼ miles below the trailhead. Plateau Point, on a spur trail about 1½ miles below Havasupai Gardens, is as far as you should attempt to go on a day hike; the round-trip will take six to nine hours.

Bright Angel Trail is the easiest of all the footpaths into the canyon, but because the climb out from the bottom is an ascent of 5,510 feet, the trip should be attempted only by those in good physical condition and should be avoided in midsummer due to extreme heat. The top of the trail can be icy in winter. Originally a bighorn sheep path and later used by the Havasupai, the trail was widened late in the 19th century for prospectors and is now used for both mule and foot traffic. Also note that mule trains have the right-of-way—and sometimes leave unpleasant surprises in your path. Moderate.

Though the park has several bristlecone pine groves, the easiest way to see the gnarled, ancient trees up close is to hike this trail. From the parking area to the grove, it's a moderate 2.8-mile hike that takes about an hour each way. Rangers offer informative talks in season; inquire at the visitor center. The Bristlecone Pine Trail also leads to the Glacier Trail, which skirts the southernmost permanent ice field on the continent and ends with a view of a small rock glacier, the only one in Nevada. It’s less than 3 miles back to the parking lot. Allow three hours and remember the trailhead is at 9,800 feet above sea level. Moderate.

This 3-mile round-trip hike leads to arguably the park's most mesmerizing feature, a wondrous landscape of hydrothermal activity characterized by boiling springs, hissing steam vents, and roiling gray mud pots. Allow two hours to complete the loop, which involves a gradual 300-foot descent into the Bumpass Hell basin, venturing to the basin's several upper viewpoints, which provide amazing views of the entire scene. Stay on trails and boardwalks near the thermal areas, as what appears to be firm ground may be only a thin crust over scalding mud.  The trail usually opens in June (after a snowy winter in July or August) and closes in early fall. Moderate.

Past the entrance to Bunsen Peak Road, this moderately challenging 4.4-mile round-trip trek climbs 1,280 feet to 8,527-foot Bunsen Peak for a dramatic panoramic view of Blacktail Plateau, Mammoth Hot Springs, the Gallatin Mountains, and the Yellowstone River valley. Allow about three hours. Moderate–Difficult.

The parking area just east of the Zion–Mt. Carmel Tunnel leads to this highly popular trail, which is about 1 mile round-trip and takes about an hour to finish. From the breathtaking overlook at the trail's end, you can see the West and East Temples, Towers of the Virgin, The Streaked Wall, and other Zion Canyon cliffs and peaks. The elevation change is 160 feet. There's no shuttle to this trail, and the parking area often fills up—try to come very early or late in the day to avoid crowds. Easy–Moderate.