66 Best Sights in USA

The Kobuk Valley provides a glimpse into what the thousand-mile-wide grassland of Beringia, the land connecting Asia and North America during the last ice age, looked like. The Kobuk River bisects the national park, with dunes to the south and broad wetlands leading to the Baird Mountains to the north. Running hundreds of miles from the Endicott Mountains to Kotzebue Sound, the generally wide river has been used for transportation for thousands of years. It also sustains a big population of sheefish, a large predatory whitefish in the salmon family that spawns in the river's upper reaches every fall. A portion of the vast Western Arctic caribou herd uses the Kobuk Valley as a winter range, and the boreal forest reaches its northernmost limits here.

If you need a little relief from the Texas heat, a trip here will certainly cool you off. Just a few miles east of Marble Falls in Spicewood, the springs are actually two separate swimming holes on a private ranch opened to the public. From Route 71, splash through a low-water crossing and up to a hilltop bluff with hypnotic views of rolling grasslands, sprawling oak trees, and an undisturbed horizon. Park your car near the main house and stroll down a flight of outdoor stairs to the spring-fed pools. Be prepared for the biting chill as your toes hit the water.

One of the six lakes built by the Georgia Railway and Power Company, this 2,800-acre lake is in the Chattahoochee National Forest. On the lake, at Route 197, is the Lake Burton Fish Hatchery, alongside Moccasin Creek State Park, which offers a boat ramp, fishing pier, picnic spots, and shady campsites. It also has trout raceways (used to raise trout from fingerlings) and a kids-only trout-fishing area. In extremely hot weather, the hatchery is sometimes closed.

Lunker largemouth bass, rainbow trout, crappie, redears, and channel catfish live in the waters at this park, one of the country's best bass-fishing areas. Nestled below the Santa Ynez Mountains' Laguna Ridge, Lake Casitas is also a beautiful spot for pitching a tent or having a picnic. The Casitas Water Adventure, which has two water playgrounds and a lazy river for tubing and floating, provides kids with endless diversions in summer.

This 320-acre, man-made lake outside Henderson is regarded for its golf courses, boating, fishing, and hotels. Two resorts sit on the lake shore: Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa and The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa. The lake was created by an earthen dam in 1991.

People come to Lake Mead primarily for boating and fishing. Adjacent marinas offer watercraft rentals, restaurants, and paddle-wheeler cruises; the turn-off for them is just past the entry gate. A few cultivated areas allow for swimming but they are not designated swim beaches, so no lifeguards are on duty. In fact, the National Park Service highly recommends wearing life jackets, as high winds come up fast on the lake making for potentially dangerous swimming conditions. The rocky Boulder Beach swimming area is about 2 miles past the visitor center.  A fishing license is required within the states of Nevada and Arizona, so if you plan on fishing Lake Mead, get one.

With roughly 2,000 miles of shoreline, Lake Powell could keep you busy for years and still leave plenty unexplored. Most visitors only have a few days, but that’s enough to get a feel for the place. As the country’s second-largest reservoir, it’s built for being on the water, whether you’re waterskiing, fishing, or simply cruising between canyons. Houseboats and camping are popular ways to stay close to the landscape, though you’ll also find small clusters of hotels, restaurants, and supply shops around the marinas in Page and Wahweap for an easier base.

South of Lake Powell the landscape gives way to Echo Cliffs, orange-sandstone formations rising 1,000 feet and more above the highway in places. At Bitter Springs the road ascends the cliffs and provides a spectacular view of the 9,000-square-mile Arizona Strip to the west and the 3,000-foot Vermilion Cliffs to the northwest.

Built in 1915, the first of six lakes in the state built by the Georgia Railway and Power Company, Lake Rabun covers only 834 acres. Its small size is misleading, as its narrow fingers dart through mountain valleys. Lightly visited by tourists and populated with weekend homes and old boathouses, it has a low-key charm. The lake offers boating, fishing, and camping. There's a small beach at Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area at the east end of the lake available for day use for a fee.

Created when Shasta Dam corralled the Sacramento River in the 1940s, Lake Shasta evolved into a habitat for numerous types of fish, including rainbow trout, salmon, bass, brown trout, and catfish. The region also supports a large nesting population of bald eagles. You can rent houseboats, fishing boats, ski boats, sailboats, canoes, paddleboats, Jet Skis, and windsurfing boards at marinas and resorts along the 370-mile shoreline.

The cliffs of Mt. Pisgah and Mt. Hor drop to the edge of Lake Willoughby on opposite shores, giving this beautiful, deep, glacially carved lake a striking resemblance to a Norwegian fjord. The trails to the top of Mt. Pisgah reward hikers with glorious views. Take note: the beach on the southern end is Vermont's most famous nude beach.

In 1985, crews completed construction of an irrigation dam across the Dolores River, forming the McPhee Reservoir, the second largest in the state. It draws anglers looking to bag a variety of warm- and cold-water fish along its 50 miles of shoreline, which is surrounded by spectacular specimens of juniper and sage as well as large stands of pinyon pine. There are two boat ramps. The area also has camping, hiking, and a relatively easy mountain-bike trail, and the mesa offers panoramic views of the surrounding San Juan National Forest.

Set at the point where Menemsha Pond meets Vineyard Sound, this tiny seaside outpost has been an active fishing center for centuries. Well-weathered fishing boats, including some that have been in the same family for generations, tie up at the docks when not out to sea. Spectacular sunsets make this a very popular evening spot. Several fish markets offer the freshest catch of the day. There's also a beach here, with gentle waters that are welcoming to families. If the harbor looks familiar, it might be because several scenes from the movie Jaws were filmed here.

A mile north of the crest of Bald Mountain Pass on Highway 150, this is arguably the best known lake in the High Uintas Wilderness. At an altitude of 10,000 feet, it offers a cool respite from summer heat. It's easy to reach by car, and families enjoy fishing, hiking, and camping along its rocky shores. Its campgrounds provide a base for hikes into the surrounding mountains, and the Uinta Highline Trail accesses the 460,000-acre High Uintas Wilderness Area to the east.

Shaped somewhat like a morning glory, this pool once was a deep blue, but the color is no longer as striking as before due to tourists dropping coins and other debris into the hole. To reach the pool, follow the boardwalk past Geyser Hill Loop and stately Castle Geyser, which has the biggest cone in Yellowstone. Morning Glory is the inspiration for popular children's author Jan Brett's story Hedgie Blasts Off, in which a hedgehog travels to another planet to unclog a geyser damaged by space tourists' debris.

Claw-shape, 38-foot-deep, 18-mile-long Moses Lake is filled by Crab Creek—which originates in the hills west of Spokane—with three side branches known as Parker Horn, Lewis Horn, and Pelican Horn. The city of Moses Lake sprawls over the peninsulas formed by these "horns," and can therefore be a bit difficult to get around. This is the state's second-largest lake.

There's a shady picnic area and a large fishing lake that's open April through October at this scenic and popular hiking area along the High Road, just east of Pojoaque. It's $15 per carload for a day pass, and an additional $3 to go fishing on the lake; additionally, kayaks are available to rent from $30 per hour. The waterfalls are about a 15-minute hike from the parking and picnic area along a rocky, clearly marked path. The water pours over a rock precipice—a loud and dramatic sight given the river's modest size.

A few miles south of Brooklin, take Naskeag Point Road to a broken shell beach at the tip of the point. From there you'll have a view of the small islands of Jericho Bay while you sit on a bench dedicated to "all the fishermen who brave the sea."

The Alatna, John, Kobuk, Noatak, and Tinayguk Rivers with the North Fork of the Koyukuk River make up six of the 13 National Wild and Scenic Rivers in Gates of the Arctic National Park. They have been byways for people and animals for thousands of years, and they support each summer's explosion of life. They're also navigable, with a variety of access points. Boating through the park reveals mountains, glacial valleys, and rolling tundra, plus glimpses of animals along the landscape.

Most people use rafts, inflatable canoes, packrafts, or other collapsible boats, as air taxis will not haul rigid vessels. Although the waters are generally Class I and II rapids, a few sections include Class II–IV rapids. The water is cold, and conditions constantly change, with levels fluctuating dramatically and the possibility of log jams and strainers. But when the going is good, boating can beat walking through thick tussocks and boggy ground. Many outfitters offer paddling options. If you're heading out on your own, talk to your air-taxi operator or local guides about current conditions.

Located just off the park's main road 11 miles north of Flamingo, this marked kayak trail leads through freshwater marsh and mangrove tunnels that make it a favorite spot for paddlers. You can rent a kayak or canoe at the Flamingo Marina or go on a ranger-led tour from the Flamingo Visitor Center. Don't be shocked if you see an alligator or two swimming nearby. In fact, be surprised if you don't.

Adjacent to Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, 6.5-million-acre Noatak National Preserve encompasses much of the basin of the Noatak River. This is the largest mountain-ringed river basin in the country, and part of it is designated by the National Park Service as a Wild and Scenic River. The river carves out the "Grand Canyon of the Noatak" over 425 miles and serves as a migration route between arctic and subarctic ecosystems. Its importance to wildlife and plants has resulted in its designation as an International Biosphere Reserve. The Noatak River also serves as a natural highway for humans and has for thousands of years. These days, river runners head here because of its beauty, inviting tundra for camping, and good hiking in the nearby Poktovik Mountains and Igichuk Hills. Birding can be exceptional; horned grebes, gyrfalcons, golden eagles, parasitic jaegers, owls, terns, and loons are among the species you may see. You may also spot grizzly bears, Dall sheep, wolves, caribou, and lynx, as well as the occasional musk ox. The most frequently run part of the river, ending at Lake Machurak, is mostly an easy Class I–III paddle. As with other parks and preserves in this northwest corner of Alaska, no visitor facilities are available and you are expected to be self-sufficient. Do not forget first-aid supplies, clothing for all conditions, and precautions for being on the water and around wildlife. Most trips on the Noatak use the inland town of Bettles as a gateway.

In summer, this 2,800-acre lake dotted with several marinas and sandy beaches is festooned with colorful umbrellas and the graceful arcs of water-skiers and wakeboarders. In winter it's a popular spot for ice-fishing. Middle Inlet, Cemetery Point, and Anderson Cove are the three developed beaches, and Anderson Cove also allows overnight camping. The Cove has a boat launch. The beaches at Pineview Trailhead, North Arm, and Spring Creek are free and have restrooms but no other amenities.

Sandhill cranes, trumpeter swans, and other migratory birds, as well as the occasional moose or beaver, frequent this marsh about 10 miles south of Downtown on the Seward Highway. An elevated boardwalk makes viewing easy, and in summer there are salmon runs in the creek beneath the bridge. An old railroad service building just south of the marsh operates as a state park office.

Serving as the port for the city of Seward, this 18-mile long fjord is the epic destination for kayakers from all over the world, as well as the entry point to Kenai Fjords National Park. Framed by snow-tip peaks, this scenic body of water is an exciting place for viewing birds and marine life in the summer months.

Dammed in 1928, this lake's name means "blue waters" in the Cherokee language. Cheoah Point Beach, in a cove on the north shore, is an attractive popular place to swim. Santeetlah has 76 miles of shoreline, with good fishing for crappie, bream, and lake trout, and is part of the Nantahala National Forest.

Vermont lakes don't get more picturesque than this gem across the street from the Barnard General Store. Plus, it's open for swimming, boating, fishing, and camping.

The water is high in dissolved carbonates, sulfates, and chlorides, and the lake has long been famous for its mineral waters and therapeutic mud baths; in fact it was called the "World's Greatest Medical Marvel" more than a century ago. Yet the eponymous small town has never quite succeeded as a modern-day resort—perhaps because the miraculous waters have been heavily diluted by irrigation waters. Still, a loyal contingent of believers return to the lakeshore each year to cover themselves in the mud that they find healing.

When the breezes calm, the park's second-largest lake mirrors the snowcapped granite peaks that line the St. Mary Valley. To get a good look at the beautiful scenery, follow the Sun Point Nature Trail along the lake's shore. The hike is 1 mile each way.

Russian seniors feed the pigeons, kids watch turtles sunning themselves, and joggers circle this placid body of water, Golden Gate Park's largest lake. Early park superintendent John McLaren may have snarked that man-made Stow Lake was "a shoestring around a watermelon," but for more than a century visitors have come to walk its paths and bridges, enjoy a boat ride, and climb Strawberry Hill (the "watermelon"). Cross one of the bridges—the 19th-century stone bridge on the southwest side is lovely—and ascend the hill; keep your eyes open for the waterfall and an elaborate Chinese pavilion. Or head out on the lake in a pedal boat or rowboat.