311 Best Sights in USA

People-watching and/or eating takeout lunch are the things to do in this park. Swing by in the morning, and you'll see men and women practicing tai chi; the afternoons bring intense games of cards and mah-jongg. In the 1880s, a neighborhood-improvement campaign brought about the creation of the park, which was, in the mid-19th century, the site of the infamous area—ruled by dangerous Irish gangs—known as the Five Points because it was the intersection of Mulberry Street, Anthony (now Worth) Street, Cross (now Park) Street, Orange (now Baxter) Street, and Little Water Street (no longer in existence).

Como Park has picnic areas, walking trails, playgrounds, and swimming facilities. The adjacent Como Park Conservatory, in a domed greenhouse, has sunken gardens, a fern room, biblical plantings, and seasonal flower shows.

Italian gardens, ponds, fountains, and statuary punctuate wide lawns at this park in the heart of the city. Fifty cents buys you a ride on a carousel with 28 horses that were carved and painted about a century ago.

Given the rapid growth of Seattle's Eastside suburbs, it's a little hard to believe you can still find completely wild and secluded woodland trails less than 10 miles southeast of downtown Bellevue. This 3,115-acre county park centered on 1,614-foot Cougar Mountain is indeed wonderfully peaceful and undeveloped, with nearly 40 miles of hiking trails connected by four different trailheads. You can discover everything from lush wetlands to sheer cliffs here—even a few caves. Near the park's northeast border, the 11-acre Cougar Mountain Zoo ( www.cougarmountainzoo.org) is home to lemurs, Siberian reindeer, Bengal tigers, and many other species; it's well worth a visit if you're in the area.  

The highest point in Portland, at 1,073 feet, this 43-acre bluff-top patch of greenery is a superb spot to take in sunsets and sunrises. Along with nearly 180-degree views of the Portland metro area, a clear day also affords views of the surrounding peaks—Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, Mt. Jefferson, and Mt. Rainier. Trails connect Council Crest with Marquam Nature Park and Washington Park.

A former industrial part of the bay waterfront was beautifully redesigned from a shipbuilding area into a city park with two lawn areas; plenty of space for dogs, joggers, and picnickers; splendid East Bay and Bay Bridge views; and, yes, a small beach. However, it's not recommended to actually swim in the area—it's best to kayak or just dip your toes in the water. This is an urban renewal triumph enjoyed by all ages.

The newest park in New Orleans stretches along the Mississippi riverfront and provides for spectacular views of the New Orleans skyline, Algiers, and the mighty Mississippi itself. The best place to enter the park is at Mazant Street in the Bywater, where you can explore the park's promenades, green spaces, and repurposed wharves, and walk the 1.4-mile path along the water. Plans are in the works to extend the park through the Marigny and beyond.

This park on the east bank of the Cumberland River at the foot of the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge was designed with kids and families in mind. Sandboxes, a playground, an obstacle course, a climbing wall, and trails (one designed to attract butterflies) are among the offerings for kids; there's also a picnic area and 1,200-seat amphitheater. You can also enjoy great views of the river with the Nashville skyline just beyond the bank.

Frequent weekend festivals, including an annual celebration of seafood, take place at this scenic city park next to the Intracoastal Waterway. Sit on one of the piers and watch the yachts and fishing boats pass by. Put on your jogging shoes—the park is at the north end of a 6.3-mile waterfront biking-jogging-skating path. Tennis courts, a boat ramp, and a playground are here, along with the Maritime Museum. DivaDuck tours launch from this park.

This bright garden is known for its painterly display of colors. There's a perennial garden, wildflower meadow, Canal Garden, an orchid conservatory, and other themed areas.

A lovely 55-acre space designed by the Olmsted Brothers, Deering Oaks is frequented for its sparkling pond, playground, and games at its baseball diamond. It’s also the summer home of the Portland Farmer’s Market, and you’ll find its playground and water features enjoyed by kids on any warm day. A well-kept rose garden and wide clusters of native trees are draws for gardeners and botanists. Note that unhoused people occasionally set up camp in the park in the summer season; the city continues to struggle to find places for them to reside.

This welcoming outdoor space has a café and a spacious Great Lawn for relaxing. There's a fountain for cooling off in the summer, and the space transforms into the Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink in the winter. It's also home to free events throughout the year, including the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market.

This 12-acre greenspace across from the George R. Brown Convention Center features Wi-Fi access, a lake, a model-boat pond, an amphitheater, and The Grove, serving steaks, seafood, and acclaimed burgers.

Once the grounds of the Domino Sugar Factory, this riverside park tastefully incorporates clunky metal remnants of its refinery past, including its Artifact Walk, an elevated walkway with Manhattan skyline views. There's also a playground, a garden, dancing fountains, and Tacocina, a walk-up eatery from Danny Meyer of Shake Shack fame. You’ll see locals at the bocce court or playing with their pooches at the dog run, but most of all, you’ll marvel at a truly spectacular view of the Williamsburg Bridge, seemingly right above your head.

At its western edge, downtown Bend slopes down to these 13 acres of manicured greensward and trees lining the edge of the Deschutes, attracting flocks of Canada geese as well as strollers from downtown. Concerts and other live events are staged in the park during the summer months. Note the 11-foot-high wheel log skidder, harkening back to Bend's logging industry in the early 20th century, when four draft horses pulled the wheel to move heavy logs.

Just north of the Petersburg Fisheries cannery, this small roadside park is a great place to spot eagles, especially at low tide. On a clear day you will also discover dramatic views of the sharp-edged Coast Range, including the 9,077-foot summit of Devil's Thumb.

This 328-acre finger of land extends south of the Jefferson Memorial from the Tidal Basin, between the Washington Channel and the new Southwest Waterfront redevelopment neighborhood to the east and the Potomac River to the west. Locals consider the park a retreat with playgrounds, picnic tables, tennis courts, swimming pools, a driving range, one 18-hole and two 9-hole golf courses, and miniature golf. There's also a scenic riverfront trail that winds around the park's perimeter. It's a fantastic spot for bird-watching, with more than 250 species identified at the park. If you're lucky, you may spot a bald eagle. Double-blossoming Japanese cherry trees line Ohio Drive and bloom about two weeks after the single-blossoming variety that attracts crowds to the Tidal Basin each spring.

Cherished by residents for its grassy knolls and superb Manhattan views, this park contains vestiges of the 19th-century dock that once occupied these 7 acres. On Saturday, more than a hundred vendors sell artisanal goods at the Smorgasburg open-air market (see Chapter 8, Park Slope and Prospect Park, for full listing). The park can get crowded on summer weekends, so don't be surprised if you find yourself scavenging for an open patch of grass.

If this charming little park and its lake of swan boats looks a little familiar to you, it’s most likely because you’ve seen it in one movie or another (Chinatown, for instance). After a major overhaul, the park has blossomed into a beautiful urban landscape, set against the backdrop of the Downtown skyline. Weekends are always bustling, as are mornings when joggers and early risers take laps around the lake.

Cincinnati is known for its grand and sumptuous parks, and this aptly named green space is the best of them all. Overlooking downtown Cincinnati, it has a brilliant reflecting pool, gardens, and playing fields. The park is also the site of the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and Krohn Conservatory.

Catch the best west-side, land-based view of Cleveland's skyline from upper Edgewater on the bluffs above Lake Erie's shore. Lower Edgewater is where you will find the park's swimming beach and summer sun–bathed playgrounds. A tree-lined path that buzzes with walkers, runners, and rollerbladers in summer connects the upper and lower parks. The lower park has a fishing pier, bait shop, and fitness course. The stiff wind off Lake Erie attracts kite flyers, boomerang enthusiasts, windsurfers, and the occasional hang glider. Picnic facilities are also available.

One of the best-known dive sites in Puget Sound, Edmonds Underwater Park is immediately north of the ferry landing and offers 27 acres of sunken vessels, man-made reefs, and developed dive trails at no charge. Adjacent Brackett's Landing Park—where there's parking—has trails, picnic areas, and restrooms.

Though not Los Angeles’s biggest park—that honor belongs to Griffith Park—Elysian comes in second and also has the honor of being the city’s oldest. It's also home to one of L.A.'s busiest and most beloved attractions, Dodger Stadium, the home field to the Los Angeles Dodgers. For this reason, baseball fans flock to this 600-acre park for tailgate parties. The rest of the time, however, Elysian Park serves as the Echo Park residents’ backyard, thanks to its network of hiking trails, picnic spaces, and public playgrounds.

Once a Native American burial ground, the lovely tree-shaded park is named for Robert Emmet, a late-18th-century Irish patriot and orator. The park contains monuments to Georgia Hussars, fallen soldiers from the Vietnam War, and the Celtic Cross Irish memorial, among others. Various small festivals are held in the park each year.

Urban Encanto (Spanish for "enchanted") Park covers 222 acres at the heart of one of Phoenix's oldest residential neighborhoods. There are many attractions, including picnic areas, a lagoon where you can paddleboat and canoe, a municipal swimming pool, a nature trail, Enchanted Island amusement park, fishing in the park's lake, and two public golf courses.

Originally developed in 1872 as an agricultural park, this 160-acre park has a lovely sunken rose garden and three museums—the California African American Museum, the California Science Center, and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County—as well as an IMAX theater. There's also Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum where Olympic festivities were held in 1932 and 1984 and where USC games are now played. The newest addition to the park is the Banc of California Stadium, a 22,000-seat arena that's home to the LAFC soccer club. Good news for commuters: the Metro Expo Line, which connects the Westside to Downtown Los Angeles, has a stop at Exposition Park.

Note that the park and neighborhood are sketchy at night.

A place to play for humans and dogs, this green space has paved walking paths, sports fields, restrooms, and a dog park. The Bransford Avenue and Craighead Street entrance is a good spot to enter the park.

While Hillsboro Village itself offers plenty of charming outdoor walking space, the nearby Fannie Mae Dees Park is the perfect place to stop for a picnic with your Fido goodies. Take the little ones to play on the playground, and check out the large dragon statue. Kids can play on it, but, with its bright colors and funky design, it's just as fun for adults who love a good photo op.

Completed in 2015, East Village's first public park sits atop the Rose Canyon Fault system, an earthquake fault line that's still active today. Nevertheless, most of the shaking visitors feel is from children's pounding footsteps as they run around the 1.3-acre grassy area, complete with a playground, dog run area, and "Fault Whisper," two large stainless steel sculptures built as visual and audio aids for seismic activity.