Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m all about traveling internationally and exploring every corner of this planet, but the more I travel around the US, and the more people ask me about my trips around America, the more I realize how amazing the US actually is! USA really does have it all!
Below is a list of some amazing sights around the world that you might have on your bucket list. No matter what incredible sight you want to see around the globe, I bet you there is something similar to it in the US!
01» Salt Falts
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Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah
The world’s second largest salt flats!
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02» Salt Lake
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The Great Salt Lake, Utah
The Great Salt Lake is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit in the summer months and float all day!
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03» Volcanic Colors
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Grand Prismatic Spring, Wyoming
Located within Yellowstone National Park, Grand Prismatic Springs is the largest hot spring in the United States (and third largest in the whole world). The colors of this spring are absolutely amazing!
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04» Carved Buildings
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Mesa Verde, Colorado
Mesa Verde National Park is a National Park and World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado. It protects some of the best preserved Ancestral Puebloan archeological sites in the United States.
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05» Waterfalls
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Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls between the international border of USA and Canada. The combined falls form the highest flow rate of any water fall in the world, with a vertical drop of more than 165 feet (50 m).
Havasu Falls, Arizona
Havasu Falls is a waterfall of Havasu Creek, located in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA. It is within Havasupai tribal lands
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06» Ice Caves
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Big Four Ice Caves, Washington
Big Four Mountain is a mountain in the Cascade Range of Washington, located 21 miles east of Granite Falls. The mountain is about 6,180 ft high.
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07» One-of-a-Kind Trees
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The Redwoods, California
The Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world and a “must-see” at least once in your life. These trees are absolutely enormous! But perhaps something that is even more amazing about these trees is that the little area in California is the ONLY place in the WORLD that has these trees!
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08» Weird Rock
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Devils Tower, Wyoming
Devils Tower is an igneous intrusion in Wyoming. Just like Ayers Rock, it’s in the middle of no where, towers over everything around, and is sacred to the indigenous people.
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09» Curvy Rocks
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Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon in the American Southwest. It is located on Navajo land east of Page, Arizona.
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10» Crazy Roads
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Tail of the Dragon, North Carolina (and Tennessee)
Want to see how good you are on a motorcycle (or even a car for that matter)? The Tail of the Dragon is an 11 mile stretch of road between North Carolina and Tennessee with 318 curves!
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11» Sand Dunes
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Sand Dunes, Oregon
Great Sand Dunes, Colorado
Both Oregon and Colorado have huge sand dunes (not in a desert). Hike or sand-board around these huge sand dunes!
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12» Strange Landscape
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The Badlands, South Dakota
The Sioux Indians once called this place Mako Sica which translates to “bad land.” They called this place the Badlands because they were frustrated with the rocky terrain. It is now a national park in South Dakota and a great national park for children. Everyone is welcome to hike, climb the bizarre natural structures, view the wildlife that walk right up to the car, and search for fossils in the dirt!
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No Comparison» USA Only!
The Grand Canyon, Arizona
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If you are in the NYC area, take a trip to Sagamore Hill (near Oyster Bay, Long Island), summer home of President Teddy Roosevelt (a National Historic property administered by the US National Parks Service). The grounds are beautiful and the house is really interesting. This property re-opened recently after a multi-million dollar restoration that took 3 years. A lot of other properties are in this area, the famous “Gold Coast” that inspired so many books and films like “The Great Gatsby”.
And if you do come to Long Island, it’s worth a trip to Sayville on the south shore, voted “America’s Friendliest Town”. Main Street is only 4 blocks long and filled with unique shops. The National Seashore (administered by the US National Parks Service) is a short ferry ride away on Fire Island, a barrier beach, where park rangers will give you suggestions for hikes through interesting parts like Sunken Forest. Or take a picnic lunch and enjoy the pristine white sandy beach. Sayville is about an hour from NYC by train; walk to ferries or cabs are always at the station.
This year, if you have a 4th grader in your family, he/she can get a special pass that allows up to 4 people in to a National Park for free. It’s a special initiative to get families outdoors and enjoy nature. Take advantage of this great offer!
Never knew about half of these. Such great photos and suggestions. Thanks for sharing.
Photos are fabulous and the map is really helpful to get perspective. So much to see here at home. Now is a great time to see the States. I have traveled a lot here but have missed many of these spots. Thanks for giving us food for thought.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the National Parks System. Many special events are planned. What a wonderful time to see America. Like they used to say years ago, “See America first!” We really do have it all.
Rooms for all the lodges in the National Parks go on sale May 1st for the following year’s summer. (Example: May 1, 2016 you can book for July, 2017.) Even if you don’t stay in one of the lodges, try to go for lunch or dinner. Views are amazing.
I loved this! I have traveled all over the world but with so much political unrest and terrorist threats, a trip through the US seems like a wonderful alternative. It’s safer, keeps money here at home and obviously there is a lot to see. Also, no language barriers, no money exchange fees, familiar foods, access to good medical care, etc. Thanks for a wonderful suggestion and the photos are just awesome.
This is your best post to date. Please do more! Photos are beautiful.