43 Best Sights in USA

Held each evening at 9 pm from May through October in Watchman Campground Amphitheater, these 45-minute ranger-led talks cover geology, biology, and history. You might learn about coyote calls, the night sky, the secret life of bats, or observing nature with all your senses. Slide shows and audience participation are often part of the proceedings.

Scenic beauty, biodiversity, and miles of trails make this former U.S. Army training grounds a haven for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. The 7,200-acre park, which stretches east over the hills between Monterey and Salinas, is also protected habitat for 35 species of rare and endangered plants and animals. There are 86 miles of single-track, dirt, and paved trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The main trailheads are the Creekside, off Creekside Terrace near Portola Road, and Badger Hills, off Highway 68 in Salinas. Maps are available at the various trail-access points and on the park’s website. Dogs are permitted on trails, but should be leashed when other people are nearby.

When most people think about Haleakala, it's the volcano in the park's western (Upcountry) Summit District that comes to mind. However, the so-called backside of the park runs down from the mountain's volcanic crater east to the sea, encompassing the Kipahulu District, an area that's rich with greenery, waterfalls, ocean vistas, and archaeological sites.

The Kipahulu Visitor Center, about 12 miles southwest of Hana (mile marker 42 on the Hana Highway) is a good first stop, not only to get your bearings, but also find out about scheduled cultural demonstrations and other activities. The center is open daily year-round, though hours can vary by season.

The 4-mile round-trip Pipiwai Trail truly showcases this district's natural beauty. It's a moderately strenuous trek, with an 800-foot gain in elevation, but it's well worth the effort, taking you to Makahiku Overlook—with views of its namesake falls—and through a remarkable bamboo forest before ending at Waimoku Falls.

If time is short, consider the easier, 1-mile round-trip Kuloa Point Trail, which offers views of Oheo Gulch and its famous pools. (Some tour guides incorrectly call this area Seven Sacred Pools, but in truth there are more than seven when the water is high, and they've never been considered sacred.) Note that many people who drive the Hana Highway make Oheo Gulch their last stop, so visit earlier in the day to avoid crowds.  Although you may be tempted to take a dip, know that the pools are generally closed for safety reasons. Take closure notices seriously, as people have died here.

You'll need to make reservations ( recreation.gov) to camp at the 20-site Kipahulu Campground just south of the visitor center; be sure to stock up on provisions before arriving. Note, too, that entrance tickets are valid for three days and are honored both here and in the Summit District, so hold onto your receipt if you're also planning a visit to the crater.

Located off Highway 11 at mile marker 70.5, the Kahuku section of the park takes visitors over many trails through ancient lava flows and native forests. Ecological wonders abound in this beautiful but isolated region that encompasses more than 116,000 acres. Guided hikes with knowledgeable rangers are a regularly scheduled highlight.

Educational activities aimed at younger visitors include the chance to earn a Junior Ranger badge. Kids do so by attending at least one nature program and completing the free Junior Ranger Handbook, available at visitor centers and the Zion Human History Museum.

Home to moose, bald eagles, salmon, Canada lynx, and bobcats, two rivers flow and streams and ponds abound at this rugged 87,500-acre North Woods preserve east of Baxter State Park. Mt. Katahdin can be seen from many locales here including Lookout Mountain, where the inspiring 7,900-square-foot Tekαkαpimək Contact Station opened in 2025. Winglike sections sided with raw cedar jut into the landscape, anchoring walking paths and outdoor spaces such as the gathering circle and lookout. True to its Penobscot name, which means "as far as one can see," the visitor center has a Katahdin viewing deck, and you can see the monument's expanse from the curving, open interior. Exhibits relate the history and importance of these lands and waters through the "perspective" of Maine's Wabanaki nations, whose artisans crafted the floor tiles and woven ceilings. All monument roads are gravel or dirt; local roads leading here are rough. There aren't services for water, food, and fuel, and cell service is unreliable. Except at Tekαkαpimək, there are only pit toilets. In the monument's southern portion, 17-mile Katahdin Loop Road has Katahdin views and trailheads for short hikes and Barnard Mountain, a 4-mile round-trip that links with the International Appalachian Trail. Winding through the monument, it's part of the 50-plus-mile trail network here, much of it along old logging roads where visitors can hike side by side. You can bike on monument roads; mountain bike–designated routes link with the loop road. Visitors paddle and fish, and there's primitive camping year-round (two rustic cabin rentals are winter only). When the snow flies, folks cross-country ski (some groomed trails), snowshoe, and fat-tire bike along and near the waterfall-dotted East Branch of the Penobscot River in the preserve's northern section.

Located inside the park, Kilauea Military Camp, established in 1916, offers visitor accommodations to members of the military and their families but also has places open to the public, including an arcade, bowling alley, diner, buffet, general store, and gas station. The Lava Lounge cocktail bar is open nightly and features live music on weekends.

The 150-mile-long lake was created by the Columbia River when it was backed up by Grand Coulee Dam. Several Native American villages, historic sites, and towns lie beneath the waters. Visitors find abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation on the lake, including fishing, swimming, and boating. The Fort Spokane Visitor Center and Museum operates from the former guardhouse and provides detailed and interesting information about the area's history, including its use as a military fort and later a boarding school for Native Americans and a tuberculosis hospital. 

West of Lexington's center stretches this 1,000-acre park that also extends into nearby Lincoln and Concord. Begin your park visit at the Minute Man Visitor Center in Lexington to see the free multimedia presentation, "The Road to Revolution," a captivating introduction to the events of April 1775. It is worth noting that 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and new exhibits and events will be showcased all year at the park.

Continuing along Highway 2A toward Concord, you pass the point where Revere's midnight ride ended with his capture by the British; it's marked with a boulder and plaque, as well as an enclosure with wayside exhibits. You can also visit the 1732 Hartwell Tavern, a restored drover's (driver's) tavern staffed by park employees in period costume; they frequently demonstrate musket firing and militia drills and talk about life in Colonial Massachusetts.

Stunning natural bridges, ancient Native American ruins, and magnificent scenery throughout make Natural Bridges National Monument a must-see if you have time to make the trip. Sipapu is one of the largest natural bridges in the world, spanning 268 feet and standing 220 feet tall. You can take in the Sipapu, Owachomo, and Kachina Bridges via an 8.6-mile round-trip hike that meanders around and under them. A 13-site primitive campground is an optimal spot for stargazing. The national monument is 40 miles from Blanding.

This designated part of the Sonoran Desert preserves more than two dozen species of cacti, including the park's namesake, as well as other desert plants and animals. Because organ pipe cactus tend to grow on the warmer, usually south-facing slopes, you'll get the best views by taking either the 21-mile scenic loop Ajo Mountain Drive (a one-way, partly dirt road) or Puerto Blanco Drive, a 42-mile loop road (4-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended). Ranger-led talks and guided hikes are offered December through April.

A 20-minute drive southwest of Kanab, this 40-acre plot of stone buildings and sagebrush- and red rock–dotted hillsides with a pond and gardens preserves a site where indigenous Kaibab Paiute people thrived for a thousand years, followed by Spanish missionaries and Mormon pioneers in the mid-19th century. A modern visitor center contains artifacts and interactive exhibits and presents a short video detailing the history of this community and its reliance on the natural springs that run beneath it. Rangers give guided tours and crafts demonstrations during the summer months, but any time of year you can explore the grounds, buildings, orchards, and horse and cattle corrals on your own and hike the ½-mile Ridge Trail for an astounding view of the Arizona Strip, as this region is known.

This 4½-acre park dedicated to Rhode Island's founder has a symbolic well to mark the site of the spring around which Roger Williams built Providence's original settlement in 1636. A visitor center has a five-minute film about the park's namesake. The modest park has gardens, several picnic tables, public restrooms, and 20 free parking spaces (a two-hour parking limit is strictly enforced).