2339 Best Sights in USA

On the south shore of beautiful Wallowa Lake, just a 10-minute drive south of downtown Joseph, this alpine park with a highly popular campground is surrounded on three sides by 9,000-foot-tall snowcapped mountains. Popular activities include fishing and powerboating on the lake, plus hiking wilderness trails, horseback riding, and canoeing. Nearby are a marina, bumper boats, miniature golf, and the tramway to the top of Mt. Howard.

This is a relatively easy way to take in the natural splendor of the Eagle Cap Wilderness and reach Baker City without backtracking to La Grande. The loop is a segment of the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, which continues for a three-and-a-half hour trip from Joseph to Baker City. It winds through the national forest and part of Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, passing over forested mountains, creeks, and rivers. Before you travel the byway, check with the Forest Service about road conditions; the route can be impassable when snowed over. From Joseph, take Highway 350 east for 8 miles, turn south onto Forest Service Road 39, and continue until it meets Highway 86, which winds past the town of Halfway and then continues to Baker City.

Forming a rugged U-shaped fortress between Hells Canyon on the Idaho border and the Blue Mountains, the Wallowas are sometimes called the Alps of Oregon or Little Switzerland. The granite peaks in this range are between 5,000 and 9,000 feet in height. Dotted with crystalline alpine lakes and meadows, rushing rivers, and thickly forested valleys that fall between the mountain ridges, the Wallowas have a grandeur that can take your breath away. Bighorn sheep, elk, deer, and mountain goats populate the area. Nearly all the trails in the Wallowa Mountains are at least partially contained within the Eagle Cap Wilderness. The offices and visitor center for the mountains are in Joseph at the Wallowa Mountains ranger office of Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, but you can access different parts of the range from different towns in the region, including Enterprise, La Grande, and Baker City.

The group of cliff dwellings that make up Walnut Canyon National Monument were constructed by the Sinagua people, who lived and farmed in and around the canyon starting around AD 700. The more than 300 dwellings here were built between 1080 and 1250, and abandoned, like those at so many other settlements in Arizona and New Mexico, around 1300. The Sinagua traded far and wide with other Indigenous groups, including people at Wupatki. Even macaw feathers, which would have come from tribes in what is now Mexico, have been excavated in the canyon. Early Flagstaff settlers looted the site for pots and "treasure"; Woodrow Wilson declared this a national monument in 1915, which began a 30-year process of stabilizing the site.

Part of the fascination of Walnut Canyon is the opportunity to enter the dwellings, stepping back in time to an ancient way of life. Some of the Sinagua homes are in near-perfect condition in spite of all the looting, because of the dry, hot climate and the protection of overhanging cliffs. You can reach them by descending 185 feet on the 1-mile, 240-stair Island Trail, which starts at the visitor center. As you follow the trail, look across the canyon for other dwellings not accessible on the path. Island Trail takes about an hour to complete at a normal pace. Those with health concerns should opt for the easier 0.5-mile Rim Trail, which has overlooks from which dwellings, as well as an excavated, reconstructed pit house, can be viewed.  Do not rely on GPS to get here; stick to I--40.

The Walters' prodigious collection of more than 30,000 artworks provides an organized overview of human history over 5,500 years, from the 3rd millennium BC to the early 20th century. The museum houses major collections of Renaissance, Baroque, and Asian art as well as one of the nation’s best collections of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ethiopian works. It also houses Medieval armor and artifacts, jewelry and decorative works, a gift shop, a family activities and arts center on the lower-level, and a café.

Cleveland's first neighborhood and downtown's oldest commercial district is a National Historic Landmark. Originally a residential area, the district became the hub of Cleveland commercial life in the post-Civil War years. Between downtown's Public Square and the east bank of the Flats, the Warehouse District encompasses 43 acres and contains more than 70 historic buildings. Some of the finest examples of Victorian commercial architecture (circa 1850–1920) in the United States, the structures were built to house wholesale groceries, dry goods merchants, hardware distributors, garment manufacturers, and chandleries. The areas is within walking distance of the Gateway District (the area around Jacobs Field and Quicken Loans Arena), Tower City (a shopping complex), and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but it's by no means just a path to somewhere else. One of Cleveland's premier destinations, it hosts trendy restaurants; dance, jazz, and blues clubs; coffee shops; specialty shops; and galleries.

Tour exterior sets and soundstages, visit hot sets, grab a coffee at a Central Perk replica, and marvel at costumes and props from more than 100 years of Hollywood history at Warner Bros. Studios. You might even see stars at work like the teachers of Abbott Elementary, as this is still very much a functioning studio. After a short film, knowledgable tour guides chauffeur small groups around the 110-acre lot by golf cart, pointing out where various blockbusters including Casablanca and Rebel Without a Cause or award-winning TV shows like Friends, Shrinking, and Gilmore Girls are/were shot. You'll see the bungalows where Marlon Brando, Bette Davis, and other icons relaxed between takes, and the current production offices for famous directors.

Tours change from day to day depending on what areas current productions are using. There are also multiple immersive exhibits where visitors learn the secrets behind movie magic, take pictures on old sets, and do deep dives into the Harry Potter and DC superhero universes. The deluxe tour option includes lunch in the fine dining Commissary.

The 1½-mile round-trip hike starts from High Point. It provides fabulous vistas of the San Juan and West Elk mountains and Uncompahgre Valley. Warner Point, at trail's end, has the steepest drop-off from rim to river: a dizzying 2,722 feet. Moderate.

The top of the Washington Monument is perhaps the best, most breathtaking place to see the city and get a good idea of its layout.

The 555-foot, 5⅛-inch monument, which punctuates the capital like a huge exclamation point, was part of Pierre L'Enfant's plan for Washington, but his intended location proved to be so marshy that the structure was moved 100 yards southeast. Construction began in 1848 and continued until 1884. Upon completion, the monument was the world's tallest structure and weighed more than 81,000 tons. Six years into construction, members of the anti-Catholic Know-Nothing Party stole and smashed a block of marble donated by Pope Pius IX. This action, combined with funding shortages and the onset of the Civil War, brought construction to a halt. After the war, building finally resumed, and though the new marble came from the same Maryland quarry as the old, it was taken from a different stratum with a slightly different shade. Inserted into the walls of the monument are 193 memorial stones from around the world. The monument reopened in spring 2019 after an elevator modernization project. Up to six tickets can be requested for just $1 per person at  recreation.gov.

Completed on July 4, 1829, the impressive monument was the first one dedicated to the nation's first president. An 18-foot statue depicting Washington caps the 160-foot white marble tower. The tower was designed and built by Robert Mills, the first architect born and educated in the United States; 19 years after completing Baltimore's Washington Monument, Mills designed and erected the national Washington Monument in D.C. After extensive restorations, the monument's lower-level museum has reopened; visitors can climb the 227-step circular staircase to the top and enjoy stunning bird's-eye vistas over downtown.

Washington's official history museum presents interactive exhibits and multimedia installations about the exploration and settlement of the state. Exhibits are wide-ranging and artfully designed, and feature Native American, Inuit, and pioneer artifacts, and mining, logging, and railroad relics. The upstairs gallery hosts rotating exhibits, and summer programs are staged in the outdoor amphitheater. During the winter holiday season, the Model Train Festival is one of the museum's top draws.

This is one of the park's best and most easily accessed hikes. Though it's just more than 1½ miles round-trip, the trail climbs more than 400 feet—not counting the steps up to the actual lookout, which has great views of Wizard Island and the lake. Moderate.

This formerly derelict industrial district and railroad depot underwent a remarkable transformation in the late '80s and early '90s into a gorgeous stretch of green, with a boardwalk lapped by the lake. It's also a linchpin for a number of sights and facilities, with the Echo Center on the south end, a bodacious skate park on the north, four seasonal creemee stands, and the Burlington Bike Path running through it all. Sunsets are particularly popular.

Adjacent to San Diego's County Administration Center is one of the city's most playful destinations—this 12-acre, family-friendly space is a great place to stretch out and cool off with fountain jets that are operational during the warmer months and a playground where children can climb, swing, and slide to their hearts' content. Even if you're just taking a moment to rest, the seaside view is worth the stop. Numerous concerts, festivals, and other events take place throughout the year, so check the website for a full schedule.

Weaverville's main attraction is the Joss House, a Taoist temple built in 1874 and called Won Lim Miao ("the temple of the forest beneath the clouds") by Chinese miners. The oldest continuously used Chinese temple in California, it attracts worshippers from around the world. With its golden altar, antique weaponry, and carved wooden canopies, the Joss House is a piece of California history best appreciated on a guided 30-minute tour.

At Weeki Wachee Springs, the spring flows at the remarkable rate of 170 million gallons a day with a constant temperature of 74°F. The spring has long been famous for its live "mermaids," clearly not the work of Mother Nature, as they wear bright costumes and put on an underwater choreography show that's been virtually unchanged since the park opened in 1947—making it a classic piece of Florida history and culture.

It also features snorkel tours and canoe trips on the river, and a wilderness boat ride gives an up-close look at raccoons, otters, egrets, and other semitropical Florida wetlands wildlife. In summer Buccaneer Bay water park opens for swimming, beaching, and riding its thrilling slides and flumes.

Wekiva is a Creek word meaning "flowing water," and wekiwa means "spring of water," so the different spellings you might see are both correct. Regardless, this 7,000-acre state park is, indeed, well suited to swimming, canoeing, and fishing (license required), as well as hiking, cycling, riding, picnicking, and camping. The area is also full of Florida wildlife: otters, raccoons, alligators, bobcats, deer, turtles, birds, and bears.

Park canoe or kayak rentals cost $35 for two hours, and trips can range from a simple paddle around a lagoon where you can observe a colony of water turtles to a full-day excursion through less-congested stretches of the river. Some of the park's 60 campsites are "canoe sites" accessible only via the river; others are "trail sites" that require hiking a good bit of the park's 13½-mile trail to reach them. Most sites, however, are for the less hardy—you can drive right up to them, and they have electric and water hookups.

At this picturesque 220-acre park on the west shore of glorious Newfound Lake, about 14 miles from Plymouth, you'll find the largest freshwater beach in the state park system. Enjoy the picnic and fishing areas, numerous hiking trails, and boat launch. 

The road that winds along an oceanfront bluff from the municipal wharf to Natural Bridges State Beach makes for a spectacular drive, but it's even more fun to walk or bike the paved path that parallels the road. Surfers bob and swoosh in Monterey Bay at several points near the foot of the bluff, especially at a break known as Steamer Lane. Named for a surfer who died here in 1965, the nearby Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse stands at Point Santa Cruz, the cliff's major promontory. From here you can watch pinnipeds hang out, sunbathe, and frolic on Seal Rock.

Sandwiched between the Pioneer Square area and the upscale Pearl District, this triangular patch of vintage buildings—interspersed with a handful of contemporary ones—has evolved since the early 2000s into one of the city's most eclectic hubs of fashion, nightlife, and dining. Boutique hotels like the Ace and Sentinel rank among the city's trendiest addresses. Along Harvey Milk Street, formerly the heart of Portland's LGBTQ+ scene, there's still a popular gay bar, but now you'll also find noteworthy restaurants and lounges, and plenty of indie boutiques.

Candy cane–striped West Quoddy Head Light marks the easternmost point of land in the United States. One of Maine's most famous lighthouses, it guards Lubec Channel as it flows into much wider Atlantic waters that also demarcate Canada and the United States. Authorized by President Thomas Jefferson, the first light and keeper's house was built here in 1808. Just inside the park entrance are their 1858 replacements. You can’t climb the tower, but a video of the inside is shown at the former keeper’s house, now a seasonal museum with displays about the lighthouse and its keepers, works by local artists, and a gift shop. Plan for more than a lighthouse visit at this enticing 541-acre Bold Coast park. Whales are often sighted offshore, the birding is world-famous, and there’s a seaside picnic area. Visitors beachcomb, walk, or hike several miles of trails; a 2-mile trail along the cliffs yields magnificent views of Canada’s cliff-clad Grand Manan Island, while the 1-mile round-trip Bog Trail reveals arctic and subarctic plants rarely found south of Canada. Leading to a lookout with views of Lubec across the channel, the western leg of the 1-mile Coast Guard Trail is wheelchair-accessible. In the off-season, visitors can park outside the gate and walk in.

The primary Yellowstone caldera was created by one massive volcanic eruption, but a later eruption formed the West Thumb, an unusual and particularly photogenic geyser basin because its active geothermal features are on the shore of Yellowstone Lake. Two boardwalks loop through the basin and showcase a number of sites, including the stunning blue-green Abyss Pool and Fishing Cone, where fishermen used to drop their freshly caught fish straight into boiling water without ever taking it off the hook. This area is popular in winter, when you can take advantage of the nearby warming hut and stroll around the geyser basin before continuing your trip via snowcoach or snowmobile.

First-time day-trippers head to this wild headland at the bottom of Isle au Haut, the open Atlantic beyond. Western Head is most often hiked as a loop that includes Western Head Road and Cliff and Western Head trails. From Duck Harbor, it's approximately 4 miles round-trip. Take the unpaved road to the trailhead for the 0.7-mile Cliff Trail, which alternates between forest and volcanic rock clifftop, with opportunities to go off-course and explore the rocky shoreline. More cobblestone beaches await as the hike continues along the 1.3-mile Western Head Trail, which connects with Western Head Road north of the Cliff Trail. Rock scrambling makes for challenging going at times, but spectacular seascapes and secluded coves are your reward for visiting what is perhaps Acadia National Park's most remote spot. Some visitors bike to one of the trailheads and walk back to their bike after reconnecting with the road. Bicycles are not allowed on park trails; the ferry only drops off bikes at the Town Landing, not in the park at Duck Harbor.

The centerpiece of this 560-acre beach park is a paved promenade, sometimes called the Dunes Trail, that winds along the sandy beach north from the dunes near Grays Harbor Lighthouse, before exiting the park and curving along Half Moon Bay to the Westport Viewing Tower at the end of Westhaven Drive. The trail runs 2½ miles total, about half of it through the park, which is popular for beachcombing, bird-watching, and clamming but is too rough and cold for swimming. Several picnic tables overlook the sea along the trail. There's parking near downtown at the end of Jetty Haul Road and at the park's main entrance, at the end of West Ocean Avenue. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: sunrise; sunset; walking

Check out the 17-foot-tall Destruction Island Lens, a lighthouse beacon that was built in 1888 and weighs almost 6 tons, at this engaging maritime museum set inside a former Coast Guard station. Operated by the Westport South Beach Historical Society (WSBHS), it is filled with historic photos, equipment, clothing, and other relics from the life-saving service and artifacts related the area's local fishing, logging, and cranberry farming industries. WSBHS also operates the octagonal 1898 Grays Harbor Lighthouse, which at 107 feet is the tallest on the Washington coast. It's 2 miles south of the museum and adjacent to Westport Light State Park.

A New York entrepreneur, Thomas Whaley came to California during the gold rush. He wanted to provide his East Coast wife with all the comforts of home, so in 1857 he had Southern California's first two-story brick structure built, making it the oldest double-story brick building on the West Coast. The house, which served as the county courthouse and government seat during the 1870s, stands in strong contrast to the Spanish-style adobe residences that surround the nearby historic plaza and marks an early stage of San Diego's "Americanization." A garden out back includes many varieties of prehybrid roses from before 1867. The place is perhaps most famed, however, for the ghosts that are said to inhabit it. You can tour on your own during the day, but must visit by guided tour after 4:30 pm. The evening tours are geared toward the supernatural aspects of the house. Tours start at 5 pm and are offered every half hour, with the last tour departing at 9:30 pm.

With exhibits that include a fully rigged whaleboat and a skeleton of a 46-foot sperm whale, this must-see museum—a complex that includes a restored 1846 spermaceti candle factory—offers a crash course in the island's colorful history. Items on display include harpoons and other whale-hunting implements; portraits of whaling captains and their wives (a few of whom went whaling as well); the South Seas curiosities they brought home; a large collection of sailors' crafts; a full-size tryworks once used to process whale oil; and the original 16-foot-high 1850 lens from Sankaty Head Lighthouse. The museum also offers a rotating gallery with new exhibits each season, a fine art gallery, and a world-class scrimshaw collection. The Children's Discovery Room provides interactive learning opportunities. Be sure to climb—or take the wheelchair-accessible elevator—up to Tucker's Roofwalk for a view of the harbor.

Bellingham's art and history museum fills three buildings near one another downtown; its centerpiece is the Lightcatcher, a LEED-certified building with an 180-foot-long translucent wall. It's home to FIG, the hands-on Family Interactive Gallery, along with permanent collections of contemporary Northwest artists and spaces for rotating exhibits. Three blocks away, Bellingham's imposing redbrick former city hall dates to 1892, became a museum in 1941, and now contains historic exhibits. The third building, the Syre Education Center, contains a photographic archive. The museum's restaurant, Bar Cicotti, is in the Lightcatcher and garners raves for its creative Northern Italian lunch and dinner fare.

The star ICON Park attraction is the 400-foot-tall observation wheel known simply as The Orlando Eye at ICON Park, which offers an almost unobstructed view of all the distant theme parks, lush green landscape, and the soaring buildings of the City Beautiful. Visibility on clear days can be more than 50 miles, reaching all the way east to Cape Canaveral. The Eye's 30 high-tech capsules complete a rotation every 30 minutes, and riders can use onboard Apple iPad Air tablets to locate points of interest. Rent a private capsule for up to 15 people, with champagne, for a sky-high experience. Ticket packages for ICON Park attractions are available.