205 Best Sights in USA

Offering an impressive range of panoramas, this peaceful overlook that's popular for picnicking lies ¼ mile north of Farview Point (to which it's connected by an easy trail), slightly off the main road.

At 8,803 feet, Point Imperial has the highest vista point at either rim. It offers magnificent views of both the canyon and the distant country: the Vermilion Cliffs to the north, the 10,000-foot Navajo Mountain to the northeast in Utah, the Painted Desert to the east, and the Little Colorado River canyon to the southeast. Other prominent points of interest include views of Mt. Hayden, Saddle Mountain, and Marble Canyon.

Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway. The 5-mi corkscrew road takes you most of the way up 2,035-foot Prospect Mountain. From the parking lot it's just 100 feet to the summit, which you may reach via a shuttle. The views can stretch to 100 mi and take in up to five states, along with Lake George and the High Peaks region. You may also hike all the way up from the village.

The 282-foot-tall Prospect Point Observation Tower offers dramatic views of all three falls from an observation deck high above the gushing waters. When the Maid of the Mist is in operation, you can take a glass elevator to boat launch at the base of the tower.

The highest point on Maui is this 10,023-foot summit, where a glass-enclosed lookout provides a 360-degree view. The building is open 24 hours daily, and many visitors gather to view the sunrise. Bring jackets, warm layers, hats, and blankets to stay warm on the cold and windy summit. On a clear day, you can see the islands of Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii; on a crystal clear day, you can even spot Oahu glimmering in the distance.

The inspiring overlook has far-reaching vistas along the length of the rugged Blue Ridge Mountains. Direct your gaze southward for Stony Man Mountain, Pickerel Ridge, and Keyser Mountain.

Although some of the best panoramic views of the park and surrounding hills can be seen from this 5,013-foot tower, it's never staffed or open to the public. Still, if you want to stretch your legs on a car ride along Rankin Ridge Drive, consider following the 1-mile Rankin Ridge loop to the tower and back.

While most of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail takes you on a narrow and winding one-way road through forested areas where the views are limited, at the beginning of the drive the first and second overlooks present good views of the distant mountain ridges. The best scenery is from the second overlook, marked as the number 3 site on the Roaring Fork Auto Tour.

This west-facing scenic overlook allows you to savor the views of cascading mountains, one right behind the next in the more rugged South District. Rockytop Mountain is the pointy one right in the middle, flanked on either side by Lewis Mountain and Loft Mountain.

Named after the president who gave the Grand Canyon its national monument status in 1908 (it was upgraded to national park status in 1919), Roosevelt Point is the best place to see the confluence of the Little Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. The cliffs above the Colorado River south of the junction are known as the Palisades of the Desert. A short woodland loop trail leads to this eastern viewpoint.

Get out your camera and set it for high speed at the fish ladder, a series of pools arranged like steps that allow fish to travel upstream around a dam or falls. When the salmon start running, from June onward, thousands of fish leap the falls or take the easier fish-ladder route. They spawn in Ketchikan Creek's waters farther upstream. Many can also be seen in the creek's eddies above and below the falls. The falls, fish ladder, and a large carving of a jumping salmon are just off Park Avenue on Married Man's Trail. The trail was once used by married men for discreet access to the red-light district on Creek Street.

For awesome views of Albuquerque and half of New Mexico, take NM 536 up the back side of the Sandia Mountains through Cibola National Forest to Sandia Crest. At the 10,378-foot summit, explore the dramatic but relatively level and easy trails along the rim. Always bring an extra layer of clothing, even in summer—the temperature at the crest can be anywhere from 15 to 25 degrees cooler than down in Albuquerque. This is also the route to the popular Sandia Peak Ski Area.

On a clear day, you'll have unbeatable views of Scargo Lake, Dennis Village's scattered houses below, Cape Cod Bay, and distant Provincetown from the top of this tower. A wooden tower built on this site in 1874 was one of the Cape's first tourist attractions; visitors would pay a nickel to climb to the top for the views. That tower burned down, and the present all-stone 30-foot tower was built in 1901 to replace it. Winding stairs bring you to the top.

The view from here is similar to that from Glacier Point, except you can't see the valley floor. A moderately steep, 1.1-mile path climbs to the viewpoint from the parking lot. Topping out at an elevation of 8,122 feet, Sentinel is more than 900 feet higher than Glacier Point.

At the halfway point of the Shark Valley loop or tram tour, you’ll see (and likely be persuaded to scale) the observation tower, which, at 50 feet, is the highest accessible point in Everglades National Park. From the summit you’ll be able to see roughly 20 miles in any direction; do the math and that's 1,600 square miles of Everglades goodness. As you take in the River of Grass in all its subtle glory, observe waterbirds as well as alligators and maybe even river otters crossing the road. The tower has a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the top. If you don't want to take the tram from the Shark Valley Visitor Center, you can either hike or bike in, but private cars are not allowed.

In mid-September, hundreds of elk congregate in the morning and evening at the Slippery Ann Wildlife Viewing Area. During the autumn mating season the bulls bugle and spar with their antlers while herds of cows come to watch and be courted. Be sure to bring binoculars and zoom lenses for your camera, because you must keep your distance from these massive animals.

Paddlers planning a one-way canoe day trip from Bannister Bridge Canoe Access will take out here, and it's also the primary access point for out-and-back paddles into the swamp.

The Colonel Zephaniah Spalding Monument commemorates the Civil War veteran who purchased this splendid property overlooking an area from Anahola to Kapaa in 1876 and established what became the Kealia Sugar Plantation. To reach it, turn onto Kealia Road toward the mountains, just after Mile Marker 10. Immediately on your right is a small post office and, on your left, rodeo grounds sometimes in use on summer weekends. The very rough road ascends, and 2½ miles later you'll reach a grassy area with the concrete remains of a monument, though all the interpretive signs have been destroyed.

For a great view of the Missouri River's 90-degree angle, hike the 2.4-mile round-trip stretch of the much longer Achenbach Trail to this spot 430 feet above the riverbed.

It's a relatively easy ½-mile loop hike through wildflowers and dry meadow to this overlook, which has views of Crater Lake and Phantom Ship. Mind the cliff edges.

Watch the late-day sun paint the hoodoos from this famous overlook a short walk from the Lodge at Bryce Canyon (or you can drive here via the short spur road off the main park road). You'll be treated to a striking view of Thor's Hammer, a delicate formation similar to a balanced rock. Sunset Point is also the access point for the tremendously popular hike 550 feet down into the amphitheater on the Navajo Loop.

Located halfway along the ½-mile Heritage Trail, the overlook provides views of the Green River Valley and surrounding hills, with an outdoor exhibit panel about the history of the formation of Mammoth Cave National Park. Accessible.

This overlook enjoys an elevation of nearly 2,500 feet. Peer out into Thornton Hollow, then refocus for expansive views of rolling mountains, including Fork Mountain, Mt. Marshall, and Oventop Mountain. Captivating panoramas make this a crowd-pleasing destination for sunrise-seekers.

Look down on a dramatic view of the Bright Angel and Plateau Point trails as they zigzag down the canyon. In the deep gorge to the north flows Bright Angel Creek, one of the region's few permanent tributary streams of the Colorado River. Toward the south is an unobstructed view of the distant San Francisco Peaks, as well as Bill Williams Mountain and Red Butte.