46 Best Sights in USA

A paved, 10-minute loop trail (approximately ½ mile) takes you to the best spots to see the spectacular cascades of Akaka, including the majestic upper Akaka Falls, which drops more than 442 feet. It tumbles far below into a pool drained by Kolekole Stream amid a profusion of fragrant white, yellow, and red torch ginger and other tropical foliage. Another 400-foot falls is on the lower end of the trail. Restroom facilities are available but no drinking water. The park is 4 miles inland, and vehicle parking closes at 6. Visitors are encouraged to reserve parking online in advance at this popular spot. A series of steps along parts of the trail may prove challenging for some visitors, and they are not wheelchair accessible.

The 65-foot Brandywine Falls, one of the park's most popular attractions, are named after the once booming mill town of Brandywine, which no longer exists. Visitors will see restrooms and a picnic table when they enter the parking lot. To view the falls, head toward the forest and begin walking on a wooden boardwalk that borders a slate and sandstone cliff. You can either walk along a flat upper walkway to a lookout near the top of the falls, or you can take a stairway to a point about midway down the gorge where you’ll come upon a wooden overlook with a perfect view of the falls.

At Katmai's biggest draw, Brooks Falls, viewing platforms overlook the 6-foot cascade. Here, salmon leap upriver to their spawning grounds while brown bears stand on the edge of the falls to catch them, particularly in July and September. An access trail and boardwalk are separated from the river to avoid confrontations with bears. Note, too, that the daily tour to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes starts from nearby Brooks Lodge, and there's camping at Brooks Camp ($18 nightly per person per night in peak season, June–mid-September; $10 at other times). It's a good idea to reserve a spot for high season.

In this urban outdoor oasis, sloping green hills, giant boulders, and winding walkways offer great views of the Reedy River, but the best views of the waterfalls are along the architecturally ingenious Liberty Bridge. The Peace Center amphitheater hosts moonlight movies, Shakespeare plays, and open-air concerts during the summer.

Havasu Canyon has five major waterfalls. The first three—Fifty Foot Falls, Little Navajo Falls, and Havasu Falls—sit between the village of Supai and the Havasu Falls Campground; Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls are past the campground on the way to the confluence of the Colorado River. Often overlooked because it’s a short trek off Hualapai Trail, Fifty Foot Falls typically has fewer crowds than Little Navajo Falls, roughly 30 feet farther down Havasu Creek. The large turquoise pools of Havasu Falls make a great place to cool off with a swim. Getting to the waterfalls past the campground becomes a little more challenging. Water spray from Mooney Falls, a ½ mile from the campground, makes the descent to its base slick, especially on the rock stairs near the end. But the effort rewards with awe-inspiring views of the water plunging 190 feet into a colorful pool. Beaver Falls is another 2 miles farther down the trail and offers multiple swimming holes. Visitors often bring inflatable water tubes to float in the pools, in addition to extra towels and plenty of sunscreen. Water shoes for walking on slippery travertine are highly recommended.

A 620-foot-high double-decker torrent, the second-highest year-round waterfall in the nation, Multnomah is by far the most spectacular of the Gorge cataracts east of Troutdale. It's also incredibly popular, drawing some 2.5 million visitors annually. To help manage the sometimes excessive crowds, U.S. Forest Service has begun requiring visitors to obtain timed-use permits to visit the falls and drive the Waterfall corridor between late May and early September; you can reserve your ticket, which costs $2, at  recreation.gov. Access to the falls and Multnomah Lodge is via a parking lot at Exit 31 off Interstate 84, or via the Historic Columbia River Highway; from the parking area, a paved path winds to a bridge over the lower falls. A much steeper, also paved, 1.1-mile trail climbs to a viewing point overlooking the upper falls, and from here, unpaved but well-groomed trails join with others, allowing for hours of hiking in the rugged mountains above the Gorge. Even the paved ramble to the top will get your blood pumping.

It's a 3½-mile bike ride or shuttle bus ride to popular Rainbow Falls in Stehekin. The quarter-mile round-trip Rainbow Falls Mist Trail takes you up some stairs (step carefully; it can get slippery from dampness) to a landing platform for a closer view of the 312-foot falls. When the sun hits the mist just right, you can see the rainbow—hence the name.

Once you've made it past Hana town, you're rewarded with views of what many consider to be the most beautiful and most photographed waterfall in Maui. The best part is that you don't even have to get off of the highway to see the stunning 80-foot falls that end in a gorgeous pool. Look for the occasional local vendors in the parking area.

Kauai has plenty of noteworthy waterfalls, but this one is especially gorgeous, easy to find, and easy to photograph from the road. You may recognize the impressive cascade from the opening sequences of the Fantasy Island television series. To reach it, drive north from Lihue following Maalo Road in Hanamaulu, then travel uphill for 3 miles.  Do not hike down to the base of the falls to access the water.

If you enjoy hiking, go up the stream from the Pools of Oheo on the 2-mile hike to Waimoku Falls via Pipiwai Trail. The trail crosses a spectacular gorge, then turns into a boardwalk that takes you through an amazing bamboo forest. The hike also includes a giant banyan tree, views of Makahiku Falls, and forests of tropical plant life. After returning from your hike you can pitch a tent in the grassy campground down by the sea if you've made reservations in advance.

Together these three cascades constitute the highest combined waterfall in North America and the fifth highest in the world. The water from the top descends a total of 2,425 feet, and when the falls run hard, you can hear them thunder across the valley. If they dry up—that sometimes happens in late summer—the valley seems naked without the wavering tower of spray. If you hike the mile-long loop trail (partially paved) to the base of the Lower Fall in spring, prepare to get wet. You can get a good full-length view of the falls from the lawn of Yosemite Chapel, off Southside Drive.

Getting to this waterfall is easy, as it's right beside the road in Pisgah National Forest, though parking is limited. Water cascades 60 feet into a clear pool, where you can wade or take a swim. There's a parking area and a sometimes slippery walkway down to the falls.

One branch of Haleakala National Park runs down the mountain from the crater and reaches the sea here, 12 miles past Hana at mile marker 42 on the Hana Highway, where a basalt-lined stream cascades from one pool to the next. Some tour guides still incorrectly call this area Seven Sacred Pools, but in truth there are more than seven, and they've never been considered sacred.

While you may be tempted to take a dip, know that the pools are often closed because of landslides and flash flooding. If you see a closure notice, take it seriously, as people have died here.

The place gets crowded, as most people who drive the Hana Highway make this their last stop. It's best to get here early to soak up the solace of these waterfalls. The $30 entrance fee per car is good for three days and includes entry to Haleakala's Summit District.

On the north side of the historic part of town is the 26-foot-high Black Eagle Falls, one of the places where the Missouri River takes a sharp dive on its 500-foot descent through town. A pedestrian bridge from the parking area leading to an island alongside the falls makes a nice place to watch birds. The adjacent golf courses and baseball diamond give the area plenty of green space, but it's hard not to notice the concrete dam looming above.

Blue Hill Falls is a tide-reversing waterway on Route 175 between Blue Hill and Brooklin. Water flowing in and out of the salt pond from Blue Hill Bay roars beneath the newly built bridge (which replaced the historic and beloved Stevens Bridge). Take care when walking near the road here; the sound of the water drowns out the sound of oncoming cars. Kayakers—who bring their boats and gear, as none are rented here—can find surfable currents when the tide is running full force. To experience the tidal phenomenon at its most dramatic, check local tide charts, then visit at the time of absolute low tide, and wait for the change.

Four separate streams fall into a series of circular pools here, fed by Peepee Falls just above, and the resulting turbulent action—best seen after a good rain—has earned this scenic stretch of the Wailuku River the nickname Boiling Pots. Swimming is not allowed at Boiling Pots or anywhere in the Wailuku River, due to extremely dangerous currents and undertows. The falls are 3 miles northwest of downtown Hilo off Waianuenue Avenue; keep to the right when the road splits and look for the sign. The gate opens at 7 am and closes at 6 pm. You may want to combine a drive to this site with a visit to Rainbow Falls, a bit closer to downtown.  You may be tempted, as you watch others ignore the signs and climb over guardrails, to jump in, but resist. Swimming is prohibited and unsafe, and people have died here.

One particularly gorgeous jaunt is to Box Cañon Falls, where the turbulent waters of Clear Creek thunder 285 feet down a narrow gorge. A steel suspension bridge and well-marked trails afford breathtaking views. Birders flock to the park to see the rare black swift and other species, and a visitor center has interpretive displays.

This 620-foot waterfall is often diverted dozens of feet one way or the other by the breeze. It is the first marvelous site you will see up close when you drive into Yosemite Valley.

These two-tiered falls were named in honor of Christine Louise Van Trump, who climbed to the 10,000-foot level on Mt. Rainier in 1889 at the age of nine, even while coping with a disabling nervous-system disorder.

This site of a Civil War–era whiskey distillery and, later, an exotic plant nursery (some species still thrive in the wild) is now best known as the site of the Falling Waters Sink. The 100-foot-deep cylindrical pit provides the background for a waterfall, and there's an observation deck for viewing this natural phenomenon. The water free-falls 73 feet to the bottom of the sink, but where it goes after that is a mystery. Once you've seen the cascade, stay for the birding—more than 100 species have been seen here. Campsites are available.

The water of this 84-foot fall on the Gibbon River rushes over the caldera rim. Driving east from Madison to Norris, you can see it on your right, but the angle is even better from the paved trail adjacent to the canyon's edge.

At mile marker 24, just as you approach the bridge, look toward the mountains to catch a glimpse of Hanawi Falls. This lush spring-fed stream travels 9 miles to the ocean, and the waterfalls are real crowd-pleasers, even when rains have been light. The best views are from the bridge.  It is not safe to hike to the falls, and you must cross private property to get there. We strongly advise against this.

The hike to Holland Falls is about 1½ miles from the lodge. The last bit is a steep climb, but it's well worth it for the view.

A half-mile hike winds through evergreens and rhododendrons to overlooks with views of cascades tumbling into Linville Gorge. There's a visitor center, a campground, and a picnic area.

These 125-foot-tall tiered falls thunder in springtime, as water from melting snow rushes down—though it's beautiful even at a trickle in the late summer. A moderately strenuous, 4.6-mile hike starts off Glen Road and follows old logging roads and wooded trails to the falls; it takes four hours.

A 2½-mile hike (one-way) leads to the lovely cascades of Morrell Falls. It is actually a series of falls, with the longest about a 100-foot drop. This is a moderately difficult family hike, perfect for a picnic, and often used by bicyclists and horse riders. Maps and travel information are available at the Seeley Lake Ranger District office. Don't forget your bear spray.

A steep but short trail leads to the viewing area for these spectacular 168-foot falls, which expand to a width of 75 feet during peak flow times. In winter the frozen falls are popular with ice climbers.

Climb Mist Trail from Happy Isles for an up-close view of this 594-foot cascading beauty. If you don't want to hike (the trail's final approach is quite taxing), you can see it—albeit distantly—from Glacier Point. Stay safely on the trail, as there have been fatalities in recent years after visitors have fallen and been swept away by the water.

The mighty Wailua River produces many dramatic waterfalls, and Opaekaa (pronounced "oh-pie-kah-ah") is one of the best, plunging hundreds of feet to the pool below. It can be easily viewed from a scenic overlook with ample parking. Opaekaa means "rolling shrimp," which refers to the tasty native crustaceans that were once so abundant they could be seen tumbling in the falls. Do not attempt to hike down to the pool. Just before reaching the parking area for the waterfall, turn left into a scenic pullout for great views of the Wailua River and its march through the valley to the sea.