425 Best Sights in USA

The only public access in Bellingham to rippling, 14-mile-long Lake Whatcom is at its north end, in this park about a 10-minute drive east of downtown. Locals swim in the sheltered, if rather brisk, waters of a cove. Keep an eye out for beavers, river otters, ducks, great blue herons, and yellow pond lilies at Scudder Pond, which is another 100 feet west (reached by trail from the parking area at Northshore and Alabama).

The Blowing Rock itself is a jagged boulder atop a cliff that overlooks the Johns River Gorge about 3,000 feet below. If you throw your hat over the sheer precipice, it may blow back to you, should the wind gods be playful. The story goes that a Cherokee man and a Chickasaw maiden fell in love. Torn between his tribe and his love, he jumped from the cliff, but she prayed to the Great Spirit, and he was blown safely back to her. The compact grounds at this worthwhile attraction include an observation tower, several overlooks, and the fascinating Blowing Rock Museum, which tells the century-old history of this area as a tourist destination and includes a display of locally mined gemstones.

The trail to 15-foot Blue Hen Falls is a favorite of many of the park's own rangers. Hikers can park at Boston Mill Visitor Center, follow the Buckeye Trail uphill, cross Boston Mills Road, and then hike half a mile down a steep incline; don't miss the beautiful little waterfall. The 3-mile round-trip hike requires an unmarked road crossing so be extra cautious during this stretch. Hiking boots for this trail are highly recommended as the trail can get extremely muddy. Moderate.

About a half mile beyond the Schoodic Point spur on the scenic one-way loop drive, this spot looks out on nearby Little Moose and Schoodic Islands and the ocean beyond. It’s also where to park if you’re planning to hike a loop consisting of the Alder and Anvil trails across the road from the parking lot.

New-growth loblolly pines form the canopy over this 1.8-mile trail that passes through a dramatically different habitat than the lowland swamp. The trail loops past both campgrounds. When high water levels prevent a deeper exploration of the swamp, the Bluff Trail is a pleasant alternative. Easy.

The team at Boochcraft sells canned hard kombucha juices made from whole, organic fruits at their Boochery in Chula Vista, but serves it by the glass at this Del Mar taproom; you can also take six-packs to go. Local ingredients are essential and come from places like San Diego's Dickinson Family Farms and Santa Barbara's Cuyama Orchard. Look for seasonal releases like passionfruit blood orange or try a core flavor like ginger lime and hibiscus lemonade that are available year-round.

There are some steep sections on the 2-mile trail network, but this lovely preserve provides easy access to the Bold Coast. Visitors marvel at sweeping ocean views from cliffs and amble on rocky beaches; a viewing platform looks across Grand Manan Channel. Other geographical features add to the mystical vibe: wind-stunted trees, a heath (raised peatland), and forest carpeted with sphagnum moss. Two headlands are on the 400-acre coastal section of the preserve, while the 300-acre inland parcel connects with owner Maine Coast Heritage Trust's Hamilton Cove Preserve—among several the conservation group has in the Lubec area. Check the website to learn about these preserves and others Down East and all along the Maine coast.

With a long pier, a boardwalk over an old rail trestle, and a paved trail that skirts the waterfront overlooking the islands of Bellingham Bay, this leafy community park between downtown and Fairhaven is one of the loveliest spots in the area to stroll, jog, read a book, or watch the sailboats. At the center of the park is a branch of the popular local café Woods, which offers sweeping water views. Other amenities include a playground, a small beach, barbecue grills, and picnic tables.

Small-batch superpremium wines sold exclusively in the tasting room are the focus of this much-lauded, 40-acre, Westside estate winery. Specialties include Albariño, Cabernet Franc, and Rhone blends. Brecon also crafts Bordeaux varietals, including the reserve Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, with estate grapes from one of the oldest vines in Paso Robles. Taste wines within the urban-chic cedar barn, which combines Scandinavian and Australian design elements, or at tables on the shady patio.

Just steps from the subway, this stretch of golden sand is the showpiece of Brooklyn's oceanside playground. Families set up beach blankets, umbrellas, and coolers, and pickup games of beach volleyball and football add to the excitement. Calm surf, a lively boardwalk, and a handful of restaurants for shade and refreshments complete the package. That spit of land in the distance is the Rockaway Peninsula, in Queens. Amenities: toilets. Best for: people-watching; sunsets.

This beach is usually not crowded, mostly because it is a bit hard to find, and it’s a 10-minute walk from parking (at Chaplin Community Park  35 Cast Net Dr.). However, it’s a nature-lover’s hideaway on an otherwise bustling island. October through March off-leash dogs are welcome; outside of that window, they are permitted with restrictions. At sunrise, birds and deer bring the adjacent marsh to life. Time a visit around low tide—the marsh flooding during high tide can cut off access. Amenities: lifeguards (seasonal); parking; restrooms. Best for: solitude; sunrise; swimming; walking; windsurfing.

Swans Island is a picturesque 6-mile ferry ride from Bass Harbor at the bottom of Mount Desert Island ( see the Getting Here and Around section of the Chapter Planner for more information). Opportunities abound for outdoor activities like hiking, swimming, biking, fishing, and beachcombing, but the 35-foot-tall white Burnt Coat Harbor Lighthouse on the south shore is not to be missed. Both the light (you can climb up!) and the keeper's house, which has history exhibits, art displays, gift shop, bathrooms, and free island and trail maps, are open from mid-June to mid-September. An apartment upstairs can be rented on a weekly basis from June through October. Aside from vacation rentals, Swans Island only has one lodging, Harbor Watch Inn ( www.harborwatchinnswansisland.com)—four rooms with kitchens or kitchenettes as well as an upstairs suite. The Island Market & Supply ( www.tims-swans-island.com) is a great place to get picnic supplies or other general needs.

The mostly exposed 4.4-mile round-trip summit hike rewards with expansive views of Bar Harbor, Frenchman Bay, and the Schoodic Peninsula for much of the way. The trail is worth undertaking at either sunrise or sunset (or both!). Parking can be limited, especially in high season, so park officials recommend taking the Island Explorer bus for access via a 0.1-mile section of the Kebo Brook Trail. Moderate.

Part of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area and best known for the Raven Cliff Falls here, Caesars Head is about 30 miles north of Greenville. The trail leading to the 420-foot-tall falls can be reached a mile north of the park's main entrance; along the way there are spectacular views of river gorges and pine-covered mountains. Cross Matthews Creek on a suspension bridge; the view of the falls is worth the terror of knowing you're held in the air by nothing but wire.

Palo Alto’s “second downtown” actually was its own town named Mayfield until it joined the neighboring city in 1925. Back then, the main difference between the towns was that Palo Alto was dry and Mayfield was predominantly saloons. Things are quite different a century later; the old Mayfield’s main thoroughfare, California Avenue, is now a favorite dining and shopping destination for the nearby Page Mill Road tech workers and Stanford students.

Térun’s ( 448 California Ave.) Neapolitan pizzas are among the best on the Peninsula, while the Latin cuisine and rum cocktails at La Bodeguita del Medio ( 463 California Ave.), named for Ernest Hemingway’s favorite bar in Havana, have a devoted following. Bistro Elan ( 2363 Birch St.) and Protégé ( 250 California Ave.) are the two fine-dining standard bearers on the street, while Sekoya ( 417 California Ave.) is the destination to know for exciting cocktails and contemporary Californian cooking. Mediterranean Wraps’ ( 443 California Ave.) lamb and beef shawarma plates and falafel wraps are a popular choice for the lunchtime crowds. A trio of coffee shops are the morning (and, to be realistic with all of the nearby offices, the afternoon) heart of the corridor, with Backyard Brew ( 444 California Ave.) serving excellent coffees in a hidden garden setting; California Cafe ( 320 California Ave.) offering perfect cortados in a modern space; and the quirky Zombie Runner ( 344 California Ave.) producing a terrific chai tea in addition to coffee from beans roasted by the café (it was previously a running shoe store with a small coffee kiosk, then fully switched and no longer sells shoes). California Avenue really shines every Sunday morning when it hosts what most residents consider the Peninsula’s most impressive farmers' market. And every day of the week, there’s a fun European vibe because it’s now permanently pedestrian-only to expand restaurants' outdoor seating options.

Named for a German immigrant who was a prominent statesman and newspaper editor in the 19th century, this 14.9-acre park is so tranquil that you'd never guess you're directly above the FDR Drive. Walk along the esplanade and soak up views of the East River and Roosevelt Island across the way. To the north is Randalls (which is conjoined with Wards Island on the east side) and the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (formerly the Triborough Bridge)—while the sights of locals pushing strollers, riding bikes, or walking their dogs surround visitors. Within the park is a Federal-style, wood-frame house that belies the grandeur of its name: Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the city's mayor. It was built in the 18th century.

It's impossible to miss this delightfully weird roadside collection of massive scrap-metal sculptures, from huge dinosaurs to tiny, buglike creatures. The longer you stay, the more details you see, and somehow the small sign reading "Welcome to the Center of the Universe" feels right on. The "garden" promotes love and is free, though it does take donations in a little box. 

Carmel-by-the-Sea's greatest attraction is its rugged coastline, with pine and cypress forests and countless inlets. Carmel Beach, an easy walk from downtown shops, has sparkling white sands and magnificent sunsets.  Dogs are allowed to romp off-leash here. Amenities: parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: sunset; surfing; walking.

This sugar-white beach, stretching 106 acres along Carmel Bay, is adjacent to a bird sanctuary, where you might spot pelicans, kingfishers, hawks, and sandpipers. Dogs are allowed on leash. Amenities: parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: sunrise; sunset; walking.

Occupying an entire corner of the Cole Hersee Building, this taproom has signature brews, from IPAs to lagers, as well as some limited releases, on draft. In nice weather, the front garage doors open to reveal a contemporary rendezvous spot for craft beer lovers. Children are welcome if they're accompanied by adults, but it's 21 and over after 8 pm. Check the website for frequent public events, including weekly trivia on Tuesday.

This is an idyllic spot 7,350 feet above sea level in the pine and juniper forest of the big Schell Creek Range that borders Ely to the east. You can spend a day fishing for rainbow and brown trout in the reservoir and a night sleeping under the stars. Arrive early; it gets crowded. Access may be restricted in winter.

Home to the Parthenon, this 132-acre park has a 1-mile walking trail, Lake Watauga, the Centennial Art Center, Musicians Corner, sunken gardens, and a bandshell. It's home to the bench that was famously dedicated to Taylor Swift by the city of Nashville in 2023 to honor the park's mention in Swift's song “Invisible String.” It's also a great place to explore an outdoor festival or hear live music.

At more than 1,300 acres (one of Sonoma County's largest estates), this is the most prominent winery of the Russian River Valley AVA’s Chalk Hill sub-appellation. Most guests taste on the châteaulike production facility's terrace, basking in views of woodsy, vineyard-studded hills. Although even in summer you might detect Pacific breezes, the estate, which has 15 separate microclimates, isn't cool enough for Pinot Noir, so the winery grows it on land nearer the ocean. About half the Chalk Hill property's 300 vineyard acres are devoted to Chardonnay, with Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, a few other Bordeaux grapes (the Malbec makes a delicious powerful wine), and Syrah also planted.

An eco-friendly winery built from straw bales, C&C makes small lots of aromatic Alsatian-style wines such as dry Rieslings and Gewürztraminers, plus Pinot Noir blends, Syrahs, and Chardonnays. The outdoor garden is a prime spot for a bring-your-own picnic when the weather is nice.

Paleontologists and geologists have excavated more than 12,000 dinosaur bones from the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, making this the densest concentration of Jurassic fossils ever found. Since the quarry's discovery by herders in the 1920s, scores of dinosaur remains have been uncovered here, and much of what the world knows about the Allosaurus was discovered on these grounds. Although many of the bones found in the quarry now reside in museums around the world, a trip to the remote landscape surrounding the quarry pit is worth the journey. Paleontologists still come here for digs every year. The visitor center, which generates its own electricity from rooftop solar panels, has a reconstructed dinosaur skeleton and exhibits about the quarry, and the area has some short hiking trails. The center is 15 miles on a gravel road from the nearest services, so bring food and water and dress for desert conditions. It's 33 miles south of Price: take Highway 10 south to the Cleveland/Elmo turnoff and follow the signs.

There's free admission for ages 15 and younger.

Cycling trips through the Italian wine country inspired Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford, best known for the Clif energy bar, to establish a Howell Mountain winery and certified organic farm whose bounty they share at two valley-floor spaces. Sessions at the Main Street tasting room center on current releases paired with small bites. A block west at the Enoteca Private Tasting Salon ( 1334 Vidovich Ave.), the culinary team prepares bites for the elevated Cima experience. The estate Cabernet Sauvignons featured at the Enoteca tastings, which include the splendid Pane e Vino lunch, show winemaker Laura Barrett at her most nuanced, but she crafts whites, a Grenache rosé, and reds for all palates.

Cobscook Bay is a mishmash of small coves and sub bays, as though a giant tried to claw his way inland from Lubec and Eastport. Even for Maine, the coast here is nooks and crooks, and a number of exceptional parcels on these wildly shaped waters have become part of a nonprofit, foundation-funded public park system with 20 parks and miles of shore frontage. Amenities include woodsy screened-in picnic shelters, restrooms, water fountains, and spiffy kiosks with large maps and information about the park's ecology and history. Old Farm Point Shorefront Park off Route 189 serves as an outdoor (unstaffed) visitor center for Cobscook Shores and has a few short trails. Black Duck Cove and Race Point are two of the larger parks. The park system draws bikers, paddlers, hikers, walkers, and campers.

About 15 miles from Waynesville in the Shining Rock Wilderness Area of the Pisgah National Forest, this 6,030-foot rise had long stood in relative anonymity. But with the success of Charles Frazier's bestselling novel Cold Mountain, people want to see the region that Inman and Ada, the book's Civil War–era protagonists, called home. For a view of the splendid mass, stop at any of a number of overlooks off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Try the Cold Mountain Overlook, just past mile marker 411.9, or the Wagon Road Gap parking area, at mile marker 412.2. You can climb the mountain, but be prepared—the 10-mile hike to the summit is strenuous as you ascend nearly 3,000 feet in elevation.

At Collier-Seminole State Park, opportunities to try biking, birding, hiking, camping, and canoeing in Everglades territory are plentiful. This makes the 7,000-plus-acre park a prime introduction to the elusive mangrove swampland. The campground sites come complete with electricity, water, a grill, and a picnic table. Leashed pets are allowed. Alternatively, there are "primitive" campsites accessible by foot or canoe. Of historical interest, a Seminole War blockhouse has been recreated to hold the interpretative center, and one of the "walking dredges"—a towering black machine invented to carve the Tamiami Trail out of the muck—stands silent on the grounds. Kayaks and canoes can be launched into the Blackwater River here. Bring your own, or rent a canoe from the park. The Friends of Collier-Seminole State Park organization offers guided canoe trips from December to March; reservations are recommended.