21 Must-See Beautiful Places in the United States (For Your Vacation Bucket List!)

The Beauty of The United States!

Discover 21 beautiful places and hidden gems across the United States to inspire your “Traveling Feet”.

In the United States a simple road trip easily becomes one of exploration, amazement and adventure. Awe-inspiring sites across the U.S. can fill your soul with peace and calm your mind with a single glance. Discover how these places came to be, respect them and show them to your children. Learn how to protect these sites so that others can enjoy them for generations to come.

Listed below are 21 absolutely beautiful places you’ll definitely want to see across the United States.

They will literally take your breath away.

Let the Beauty of the United States Inspire Your Traveling Feet!

“Life is not Measured by the Breaths You Take, but by the Moments that take your Breath Away.”

Every picture here was taken on one of our vacations. We did not sit for hours waiting for that perfect shot. This is really what these places looked like when we were there!

1. Yosemite National Park, California

The view from Glacier Point in Yosemite - Top Beautiful Place in the United States

Towering granite monoliths, majestic waterfalls and spectacular vistas make Yosemite one of the most breathtaking National Parks in the entire United States!

This awe-inspiring view can be found from Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park in California. Both Vernal Falls (lower) and Nevada Falls (upper) are visible in this picture. And these two waterfalls are connected by the famous Mist Trail and John Muir Trail. This is an ~7 mile strenuous trail and is one of our family’s favorite hikes in the United States.

Visit Yosemite and everywhere you turn you’ll find yourself blown away by its beauty! This truly is one of the top beautiful places in the United States!

Photo note: The picture at the top of the page was taken in Cook’s Meadow of Yosemite Valley.

2. Crater Lake, Oregon

The view from Sun Notch on Rim Drive of Crater Lake, OR - Top Beautiful Place in the United States

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States (1,943 feet deep) and one of the most pristine lakes on Earth! This water’s intense blue color is simply breathtaking! Surrounded by cliffs, Crater Lake is entirely fed by rain and snow. This created a lake that is so pure that it has a depth clarity of 134 feet! Scientists consider Crater Lake to be the cleanest and clearest large body of water in the world! The brilliant blue color of Crater Lake makes this lake definitely one of the most beautiful places in the United States.

Photo note: The photo above was taken at Sun Notch on Rim Drive. We were there July 3rd and this section of Rim Drive had just opened the previous week. Before you go make sure you know which sections of Rim Drive will be open.

3. Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Our Family Loves The Badlands!

Colorful bands line these incredible wind and water sculpted landforms to reveal the history of the Earth. Watch the light dance upon this landscape at dawn and dusk for a breathtaking experience. Drive Badlands Loop Road and hike one of the many trails for an unforgettable day!

A Family Guide for One Week in South Dakota

4. Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Columbia River Gorge, OR The view from the vista house

The Columbia River Gorge is absolutely breathtaking!

My first thought upon seeing this stunning gorge was that it looked like a beautiful painting. It was hard to believe that this incredible landscape was real. Drive the Historic Columbia River Scenic Highway, gaze in wonder at the famous Multnomah Falls, hike to the beautiful Bridal Veil Falls and learn something new at Bonneville Lock and Dam for an incredible day!

This beautiful area is one that you don’t want to miss!

5. White Sands, New Mexico

White Sands is the Largest Gypsum Dunefield in the World!

This breathtaking field of gypsum covers 275 square miles of the New Mexico Desert and is unlike any other place on Earth! Dunes Drive allows you to drive 8 miles into the heart of these rolling dunes where you can climb and sled down them for a thrilling experience!

Traveler Tip: Visit in the morning or evening to avoid the intense mid-day heat. Bring plenty of water and have sunglasses o help with its intense white reflection.

6. McArthur-Burney Falls, California

McArthur-Burney Falls is my favorite waterfall in the United States!

A breathtaking cascade of water flows not only from the river above but also through the layers and pores of the basaltic lava rock that covers the ledge and cliff-face of this spectacular waterfall. President Theodore Roosevelt even pronounced this falls as one of the wonders of the world!

Seeing an image of this waterfall a few years ago was enough to inspire my traveling feet to seek it out on our last trip to California.

7. Sedona, Arizona

The city of Sedona is famous for its majestic red rock formations and breathtaking scenery. Mystical vortexes here are said to energize and heal your soul. Our family was in complete awe of Sedona’s dramatic landscapes and overwhelmed by its ever changing colors that danced upon these rocks.

8. Rialto Beach, Washington

Rialto Beach is a stunning beach found on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Picturesque driftwood lines the foggy shore; Water as still as glass lies in brilliantly colored tide pools, and waves crashing against the dramatic rock formations will simply take your breath away.

Walk along this magnificent beach to Hole-in-wall to see incredible tide pools filled with starfish and sea anemones.

9. Luray Caverns, Virginia

Luray Caverns is my favorite Decorated Cavern in the United States!

Delicately folded stone formations, enormous towering columns and spectacular displays of frozen flowing limestone will simply take your breath away. Walking through this magnificent cavern filled me with a sense of peace, wonder and awe as I gazed upon each formation.

This is a breathtaking experience you don’t want to miss!

Read More:

Spectacular Places We Found in Virginia!

10. Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina

The Blue Ridge Mountains are a breathtaking range of rolling mountains that traverse through 8 states along the Eastern U.S. from Georgia to Pennsylvania.

Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway to best experience its stunning vistas. These beautiful mountains are perfect for camping, hiking and playing in waterfalls. Go enjoy this nature lover’s paradise!

11. Grand Canyon, Arizona

The Grand Canyon is unarguably one of the most breathtaking natural wonders of the world! It is one of the deepest gorges on Earth, ~1 mile, and spans 277 miles in length. This gorge’s unearthly beauty will stop you in your tracks and completely blow you away!

12. Zabriskie Point, Death Valley, California

Zabriskie Point in Death Valley completely stunned me with its beauty.

It was unlike anything I had ever seen or expected out of Death Valley. Visit during sunrise or sunset to witness these golden colored hills catch and reflect the sun’s rays through a breathtaking display of shadows and glowing peaks.

Traveler Tip: Death Valley is the hottest place on Earth so bring lots of water and visit during evening and/or morning hours to avoid the intense mid-day heat.

13. Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Lassen Volcanic National Park was a breathtaking winter wonderland for us in July!

Being from Florida, we are always looking to find and play in some snow. And Lassen blew us away with its gorgeous snow covered mountains, stunning frozen lakes and snowdrifts that were higher than our car! When the snow melts Lassen is a great place to discover hydrothermal features including roaring fumaroles (gas vents), boiling pools and bubbling mud pots.

14. Manatees at Blue Springs State Park, Florida

Manatees at Blue Springs, Fl trying to stay warm

Blue Springs State Park is home to one of the largest winter gathering sites for manatees in Florida! Here you can see hundreds of manatees enjoying the constant 72 degree stunning spring water for a completely breathtaking site!

15. Clearwater Beach, Florida

Clearwater Beach has won the title as the Best Beach in America, according to TripAdvisor rankings, for the past two years in a row and it was rated as the sixth best beach in the world for 2019!

Gorgeous sunsets, powder fine white sand and possible dolphin sightings playing in the water offshore make this beach one of the top truly beautiful places in the United States.

16. Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California

Death Valley’s spectacular salt flats go as far as you can see in this breathtaking site! Amazing patterns mark the ground and will wow you in this unearthly landscape. Home to the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level, Badwater Basin is an experience like no other.

Traveler Tip: Death Valley is the hottest place on Earth so bring lots of water and visit in the morning before 10 am or in the evening to avoid the intense mid-day heat.

17. Everglades National Park, Florida

Everglades National Park - United States Top Beautiful Place

Everglades National Park is a 1.5 million acre wetlands preserve full of breathtaking scenery. What looks like land is really a slowly moving river (0.25 miles per day) through the grass. The Everglades is also the only place in the world where both alligators and crocodiles live together.

Come marvel at this incredible landscape!

18. Ecola State Park, Oregon

Ecola State Park, OR - United States Top Beautiful Place

Ecola State Park is a stunningly picturesque site along the Oregon coast! Wind your way through old growth rainforests on you way to this dramatic, breathtaking view.

Drive to the other side of the park to see the incredible scenery of Indian Beach.

19. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

Can you believe that the tallest sand dunes in North America are found in Colorado?

Visit this breathtaking site, climb the dunes and feel like you’re in another world!

Sunset at the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado - Top Beautiful Place in the United States

This was the breathtaking view we had from our hotel room at Great Sand Dunes Lodge! It was spectacular!

20. McWay Falls, California

McWay Falls, CA - Top Beautiful Place in the United States

McWay Falls is a breathtaking 80-foot-tall waterfall found on the coast of Big Sur in California. Here water cascades off the cliffside right down onto an unspoiled beach.

This remarkable waterfall is a perfect image of paradise!

21. Tree of Life, Washington

The “Tree of Life” is a spectacular site to see on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State!

Here a Sitka Spruce hangs in mid-air, with roots dangling below, the ground eroded away. How is this tree’s weight supported? How does it continue to thrive?

This tree is a breathtaking site that will completely leave you speechless!

I hope you enjoyed this list of beautiful & bucket list worthy places across the United States. And I hope it helped you discover a few new places that you would like to see with your “Traveling Feet.”

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