205 Best Sights in USA

A little more than a ½ mile past Hanauma Bay as you head toward Makapuu Point, you'll see a turnout on the ocean side with some fine views of the coastline. In winter, you'll have an opportunity to see storm-generated waves crashing against lava cliffs. This is also a popular place for winter whale-watching, so bring your binoculars, some sunscreen, and a picnic lunch, and join the small crowd scanning for telltale white spouts of water only a few hundred yards away. On clear days, you should be able to see the islands of Molokai and Lanai off in the distance, hence the name.

The arresting 35-mile drive along Highway 12 from Boulder to Torrey climbs high up through the evergreen-dotted mountains of Dixie National Forest and passes a handful of dramatic pullouts where you can stop to stretch your legs, dine alfresco at a picnic table, and soak up the eye-popping easterly views of Capitol Reef and Escalante. Interpretive signs discuss the area's history and show the names of mountain peaks and geological features in the distance. At around 9,000 feet in elevation and offering restrooms and plenty of parking, Larb Hollow is one of the most inviting of these overlooks. Homestead and Wildcat Rest Area are other scenic options.

Infrequently visited, this area has a primitive campground and, just beyond the park boundary, two nearby reservoirs that offer the only significant fishing opportunities near the park. Lava Point Overlook, one of the park's highest viewpoints, provides vistas of Zion Canyon from the north. The higher elevation here makes it much cooler than the Zion Canyon area. Park visitors looking for a respite from crowds and heat find the campground a nice change of pace—the six sites are available by reservation only, May through September.

Easily the most popular overlook in the park, this sandstone outcrop affords visitors an unobstructed, west-facing view across the vast Cuyahoga Valley which is particularly beautiful at sunset. A series of stone "shelves," the Ledges are often called the "Ritchie Ledges" by locals. William Ritchie was a farmer who owned the land in the 19th century, then sold it in 1913 to wealthy Cleveland industrialist Hayward Kendall, who used it as a hunting retreat. The Ledges connect to a 1.8-mile loop and larger trail network in the historic Virginia Kendall Area, named after Hayward's mother. From the parking lot, walk to the southwest corner of the nearby grass field to get there.

This hairpin turn on Kolob Canyons Road has a roadside pullout that provides the opportunity to glimpse deep into the canyon carved by the South Fork of Taylor Creek. This is the trailhead for the 14-mile round-trip Kolob Arch hike, which also connects you to the main section of Zion National Park via the backcountry (if overnighting in the backcountry, a wilderness permit is required). The final ½ mile of road to Lee Pass is closed to vehicles until at least early 2024, but you can still access the viewpoint on foot or by bike.

This state picnic ground is a good place for examining tidal pools and watching otters frolic in the surf.

Situated at around 8,800 feet, the Leleiwi Overlook provides your first breathtaking glimpse of Haleakala Crater. The small hills scattered across the basin are ancient Hawaiian cinder cones, or puu. If you visit in the late afternoon, you might witness a rare and magical sight: your shadow cast on the clouds, surrounded by a rainbow halo—a phenomenon known as the Brocken Specter. However, don’t linger too long in anticipation, as this mesmerizing occurrence is far from guaranteed and happens only under perfect conditions.

Here, at the canyon's widest point, you can get an astonishing visual profile of the gorge's geologic history, with a view of every eroded layer of the canyon and one of the longest visible stretches of Colorado River. The spacious panorama stretches to the Vermilion Cliffs on the northeastern horizon and features a multitude of imaginatively named spires, buttes, and temples—intriguing rock formations named after their resemblance to ancient pyramids. You can also see Unkar Delta, where a creek joins the Colorado to form powerful rapids and a broad beach. Ancestral Pueblo farmers worked the Unkar Delta for hundreds of years, growing corn, beans, and melons.

The viewpoints looking east on the western section of Foothills Parkway around Look Rock have remarkable vistas. This is also a great spot to enjoy the sunrise over the Smokies. Stargazers gather at the five overlooks south of the Look Rock exit because light pollution is especially low.

Accessed via the western section of the beautiful Foothills Parkway, Look Rock Picnic Area is almost never crowded. A ½-mile hike takes you to the observation tower, which offers panoramic views of the Smokies. There are 51 picnic tables, restrooms, and a ranger station.

Midway on the North Rim Trail—also accessible via the one-way North Rim Drive—Lookout Point provides a view of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Follow the right-hand fork in the path to descend a steep trail, with an approximately 500-foot elevation change, for an eye-to-eye view of the falls from ½ mile downstream. The best time to hike the trail is early morning when sunlight reflects off the mist from the falls to create a rainbow.

This small city park makes up for its little, albeit picnic-friendly lawn with a scenic pier, offering an unobstructed view of the Statue of Liberty, plus the cargo ships cruising up and down the Hudson River.

Get ready for a workout—and a spectacularly rewarding view at the top—when tackling the 332 steps at the eastern edge of the Presidio. There will likely be no shortage of exercise seekers bounding up the steps, but feel free to conquer the climb slowly. The trimmed hedge landscaping is worthy of its own visit, but the views of the Presidio forests and the bay are the reason these steps are a top attraction. The opulent mansions surrounding them are equally stunning.

This point was named for American landscape artist Thomas Moran, who was especially fond of the play of light and shadows from this location. He first visited the canyon with John Wesley Powell in 1873. "Thomas Moran's name, more than any other, with the possible exception of Major Powell's, is to be associated with the Grand Canyon," wrote noted canyon photographer Ellsworth Kolb. It's fitting that Moran Point is a favorite spot of photographers and painters.

Despite the name, this landmark is more a hill than a peak. Still, it's a steep 15-minute climb up the John Muir Trail from town to the top. The observation platform there provides views of waterways and islands whose names—among them Zarembo, Vank, and Woronkofski—recall the area's Russian history. The trail is named for naturalist John Muir, who, in 1879, made his way up the trail and built a campfire. Locals didn't realize there was anybody up on Mt. Dewey and the light from the fire caused a commotion below. Access the trail, which passes through a second-growth forest, on 3rd Street behind the high school.

Ever since a carriage road and observation tower were created in 1882, intrepid souls have ventured to the 3,365-foot summit to take in the sweeping vistas of Delaware and Schoharie counties and the Berkshire, Green, Adirondack, and Catskill mountains. (It's a bone-rattling drive up a steep gravel road). A 1926 wooden observation tower is under renovation at this writing, as are the steel fire tower and hiking trails. According to local lore, the mountain takes its name from an American Indian princess who drowned herself in a lake after her father killed her white lover and their child; the princess is supposedly buried on the mountain.

Look upriver from this North Rim viewing spot and you'll be able to see into the canyon's narrowest section, just a slot really, with only 40 feet between the walls at the bottom. The canyon is also taller (1,725 feet) here than it is wide at the rim (1,150 feet).

For a different view of the town along a less-traveled road, drive out Nash Road, around Resurrection Bay, and look down at Seward, nestled at the base of the surrounding mountains like a young bird in its nest.

This scenic overlook commands a sweeping view of the city, including the prominent Crook County Courthouse built in 1909, and the hills, ridges, and buttes beyond.

There are several thrills involved in visiting One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, not the least of which are the spectacular views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. If you time your visit around dusk, you'll get daytime views as well as sunset and sparkling evening lights. The observatory occupies the 100th, 101st, and 102nd floors of One WTC, and the experience includes an exhilarating trip up in the world's fastest elevators, during which a journey through history is projected on the elevator walls. After you step out at the top, there's also a two-minute video of time-lapse images of Lower Manhattan. The ground floor has exhibits and personal stories about the building of the tower. Admission prices rise for "priority" entrance and other combo tickets (best bought online with timed entry); the box office, security checkpoint, and observatory entrance are on the West Street side of the tower. With some reservations, you can purchase prix-fixe dining or bar packages for ONE Dine restaurant on the 101st floor, which include observatory tickets.

The view from this spot at the end of the North Unit drive looks over the unit's westerly badlands and the Little Missouri River, where it takes a sharp turn east. This is the place to come for stargazing.

For expansive views of the River of Grass and a chance to glimpse Everglades wildlife, walk the short Pa-hay-okee Overlook Trail, which ends at a covered observation tower. Take your time here, look around, and tune into the silence of this immense landscape. It's really something.

Catch your first glimpse of badlands majesty here—the South Unit canyon's colors change dramatically with the movement of the sun across the sky.

The junction of U.S. 160 with U.S. 89, 4 miles west of the Dinosaur Tracks, is one of the most colorful regions of the Painted Desert, with amphitheaters of maroon, orange, and red rocks facing west—it's especially glorious at sunset.

Gaze into the Paria River watershed below at one of the park's only southwest-facing overlooks. Far below you, hardy hikers on the Under-the-Rim Trail may be refilling their supplies at the lush, green Yellow Creek meadow. Also, look for mule deer, elk, and pronghorn in the meadows near here—and peregrine falcons nesting or hunting along the cliffs. Skiers love the 3½-mile cross-country loop accessed from this point in winter.

Even the most seasoned traveler may develop vertigo peering from the cliff top into a deep river canyon. It is a view that gives insight into why Oregon's high desert looks the way it does, with sheer drops and austere landscapes. You'll want to take pictures, but hang on to your camera.

From this point you can get a close look at Phantom Ship, a rock formation that resembles a schooner with furled masts and looks ghostly in fog.