571 Best Sights in USA

This rocky 1½-mile hike guides visitors parallel to a flowing stream all the way to the tumbling cascades of Dark Hollow Falls, a 70-foot waterfall that's among the most popular sights in the park. It's all uphill on the return, so plan accordingly. Hiking time is under two hours. No pets allowed on this trail. Moderate.

Despite its name, the 6-mile Deadhorse Trail is actually a pleasant hike, starting on an old service road from the Kneeling Camel view on the North Rim Road. The trail's farthest point provides the park's easternmost viewpoint. From this overlook, the canyon is much more open, with pinnacles and spires rising along its sides. Moderate.

This 7.7-mile out-and-back trail climbs some 2,400 feet, with lots of hills to traverse, a great view of Phelps Lake, and a final 1,061-foot climb up to a patrol cabin in this verdant glacial canyon. Give yourself at least four hours to manage this rugged adventure. Difficult.

This 6-mile round-trip trek to the top of 10,083-foot Deer Mountain is a great way for hikers who don't mind a bit of a climb to enjoy the views from the summit of a more manageable peak. You'll gain more than 1,000 feet in elevation as you follow the switchbacking trail through ponderosa pine, aspen, and fir trees. The reward at the top is a panoramic view of the park's eastern mountains. Difficult.

You can reach this officially designated Urban Wilderness Area only by boat on the weekends. The coastal hammock island contains a mangrove swamp that provides a critical habitat for manatees, gopher tortoises, gray foxes, raccoons, and armadillos. County-operated free boat shuttles run on the hour from 10 am to 3 pm Friday and weekends. The last shuttle departs for the mainland at 4 pm. The ride is five minutes each way. Amenities within the 53.3-acre park include nature trails, a butterfly garden, kayaks and paddleboards, and picnic areas. Pets and fishing are prohibited on the island.

Walkers and cyclists in Lambertville have easy access from downtown to part of the park's 70-mile-long, multiuse trail (the former canal towpath), which travels through 22 towns and five New Jersey counties. Built in the 1830s to connect the Delaware and Raritan rivers, the D&R canal, as it's known, includes a feeder canal along the Delaware that runs past towns such as Frenchtown, Stockton, and Lambertville down to New Jersey's Washington Crossing State Park.

Learn about plants and animals native to the region on this paved path in Saguaro West. The ½-mile loop is wheelchair accessible, and has resting benches and ramadas (wooden shelters that supply shade). Dogs on leash are permitted here. Easy.

Exhibits on this ¼-mile loop near the Mica View picnic area explain how local plants and animals subsist on limited water. Dogs on leash are permitted. Easy.

A paved pathway takes visitors across a barren lavascape strewn with chunky cinders that descended from towering lava fountains during the 1959 eruption of nearby Kilauea Iki Crater. The easy 1-mile (round-trip) hike ends at the edge of the Kilauea Iki Crater. This must-see view of the crater could yield such memorable sights as white-tailed tropic birds gliding in the breeze or a rainbow stretching above the crater's rim after a sunlit rain shower. Easy.

Explore nearly 4 miles of waterside terrain on this route, which is accessed from the Sourdough Creek parking lot. An excellent alternative for parties with young hikers is to take the Seattle City Light Ferry one-way. Moderate.

This forested trail ventures from the Historic Entrance to its possible predecessor, Dixon Cave, further along the ridge. Now enclosed and not open to the public—you can peer into the entrance from the nearby overlook platform—Dixon Cave is thought to have once been an opening to the Mammoth Cave system. The trail continues on toward its junction with Green River Bluffs Trail. 0.4 mile. Moderate.

This trail climbs 4,000 feet up the cool north-facing slope of the Kings River canyon, passing Sheep Creek Cascade and providing several fine glimpses of the canyon and the 11,000-foot Monarch Divide. The trail leads to Lookout Peak, which affords a panorama of the park's backcountry. This strenuous, all-day hike covers 13 miles round-trip. Difficult.

The ¾-mile round-trip trail leads through a natural opening, or door, in a badlands rock wall. The eerie sandstone formations and passageways beckon, but it's recommended that you stay on the trail. The first 100 yards of the trail are on a boardwalk. Even a patient and observant hiker will take only about 30 minutes. Easy.

If it's not too hot, it's a simple walk to here from the Windows Trail. This relatively flat trek leads to two massive arches, including the park's tallest arch, that make for great photo opportunities. The ½-mile round-trip gives you a good taste of desert flora and fauna. Easy.

This challenging 6-mile trail, steep in some parts, leads almost due east into the Rincon Mountains. After a half mile through a dense concentration of saguaros, you reach the open desert. About 3 miles in is Bridal Wreath Falls, worth a slight detour in spring when melting snow creates a larger cascade. Moderate.

This trail follows parts of the lower drainage of the Dry Prong of Buffalo Creek. There are gradual ascents and descents, with some rocky treads and downed trees. At 0.8 miles, Homestead Campsite can be accessed by spur trail. Horses and hiking only. 2.4 mi. Moderate.

An easy hike of 0.3 miles from East Inlet trailhead, just outside the park in Grand Lake, will get you to Adams Falls in about 15 minutes. The area around the falls is often packed with visitors, so if you have time, continue east to enjoy more solitude, see wildlife, and catch views of Mount Craig from near the East Meadow campground. Note, however, that the trail beyond the falls has an elevation gain of between 1,500 and 1,900 feet, making it a more challenging hike. Easy.

This 16-mile round-trip hike along beautiful white-sand beaches yields the opportunity to see rare Torrey pines. Some beaches are closed between March and September, so you have to remain on the road for portions of this hike. Difficult.

To experience the city's busy shoreline and take in the grand views of Casco Bay, walkers, runners, and cyclists head out on the 2.1-mile Eastern Prom Trail.

Beginning at the intersection of Commercial and India Streets, this paved trail runs along the water at the bottom of the Eastern Promenade, following an old railbed alongside the still-used railroad tracks of the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum. There are plenty of places with benches and tables for a picnic break along the way. From the trailhead, it's about 1 mile to the small East End Beach.

Continuing along the trail, you’ll pass underneath busy I–295, and emerge at the Back Cove Trail, a popular 3½-mile loop you can connect with for a long trek. To return to the Old Port, backtrack along the trail or head up the steep path to the top of the promenade. Here you can continue along the promenade sidewalk or take the trails through this 68-acre stretch of parkland to the lovely picnic area and playground.

Continuing along the sidewalk toward the Old Port, a gazebo and several old cannons to your left indicate you’re at the small Fort Allen Park. Use one of the coin-operated viewing scopes to view Civil War–era Fort Gorges, which never saw action.

Where the Eastern Prom becomes Fore Street, continue on for a few blocks to India Street and take a left, which will bring you back to where you started. Or, continue into the Old Port.

Plan at least an hour to walk the trail with brief stops, or two if you continue along the Back Cove Trail. But if you can, make time for the Prom—it’s truly an urban jewel.

This trail leads to where the cave's best-known underground river, the Echo River, emerges to join the Green River. This trail near Green River Ferry has been designed as fully ADA-accessible, with accessible interpretive exhibits. The trail is mostly level, occupying the river bottom. 0.6 mile. Easy.

Several trails combine to form a popular loop through the low desert. El Capitan skirts the base of El Capitan peak for about 3.5 miles, leading to a junction with Salt Basin Overlook. The 4.7-mile Salt Basin Overlook trail begins at the Pine Springs Trailhead and has views of the stark white salt flat below and loops back onto the El Capitan Trail. The 11.3-mile round-trip is not recommended during the intense heat of summer, because there is absolutely no shade. Difficult.

This 2½-mile round-trip walk takes you across Santa Barbara to a point where you can view magnificent elephant seals from steep cliffs. Moderate.

This 1-mile loop is good for families, especially if you're camping at Elkmont. It passes by many of the remaining buildings in the Elkmont Historic District. Pick up a self-guided brochure at the start of the trail. Easy.

Multiple waterfalls cascade (or drip, in dry weather) into algae-filled pools along this trail that begins along the Virgin River on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. (The path leading to the lower pool is paved but is too steep and narrow to be appropriate for wheelchairs, at least not without assistance.) If you've got any energy left, keep going past the lower pool. The ½ mile from there to the middle and then upper pools becomes rocky and somewhat steep but offers increasingly scenic views. A less crowded and exceptionally enjoyable return route follows the Kayenta Trail, connecting to the Grotto Trail. Allow 50 minutes for the 1¼-mile round-trip hike to the lower pool, and an hour more each round-trip to the middle (2 miles) and upper pools (3 miles). Lower, easy. Upper and Middle, moderate.

Hike into whimsical Fairyland Canyon on this trail that gets more strenuous and less crowded as you progress along its 8 miles. It winds around hoodoos and across trickles of water, finally arriving at a natural window in the rock at the Tower Bridge, 1½ miles from Sunrise Point and 4 miles from Fairyland Point. The pink-and-white badlands and hoodoos surround you the whole way. Don't feel like you have to go the whole distance to make it worthwhile. But if you do, allow at least five hours round-trip, with 1,900 feet of elevation change. Difficult.

This is a 6-mile, round-trip hike from the Titus Canyon parking area. First, walk ½ mile north along the base of the mountains to a large wash, then go 2½ miles up the canyon to a dry fall. For something more technical and steep, continue by climbing around to the falls on the south side. Moderate.

This 30-minute, ½-mile loop begins and ends on the spur road to Cedar Tree Tower, about 1 mile north of the Chapin Mesa area. It meanders through a series of check dams, which the Ancestral Pueblo built to create farming terraces. Easy.

There are 12 trails in this area that provide a solid overview of the national park, offering scenic views of the New River Gorge Bridge and deep dives into the once-booming Kaymoor Mines. From the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, a 0.2-mile round-trip stroll on the Canyon Rim Boardwalk affords scenic views of the bridge and across the gorge. The easy 3.2-mile round-trip Long Point Trail rewards with a rocky bridge overlook, while the 3.2-mile Endless Wall Trail loop hike meanders along the cliff edge, rewarding with views from Diamond Point. The strenuous 2-mile round-trip Kaymoor Miners Trail descends a forested trail, past a flowing waterfall, then down 821 steps to remains of coke ovens and coal processing plants.

Heading to Odessa Lake from the north involves a steep hike, but on most days you'll encounter fewer other hikers than if you had begun the trip at Bear Lake. Along the way, you'll come to the Arch Rocks; the Pool, an eroded formation in the Big Thompson River; two waterfalls; and Fern Lake (3.8 miles from your starting point). Less than a mile farther, Odessa Lake itself lies at the foot of Tourmaline Gorge, below the craggy summits of Gabletop Mountain, Little Matterhorn, Knobtop Mountain, and Notchtop Mountain. For a full day of spectacular scenery, continue past Odessa to Bear Lake (9 miles total), where you can pick up the shuttle back to the Fern Lake Trailhead. Moderate.