My first encounter with an epic view was of the Golden Gate Bridge and it took place long before we could look at anything with the click of a mouse. And while I’ll never forget the visual — the bridge, the clouds, the rocks — what also stays with me is the feel of the damp mist as it replaced the warm sun and enveloped us, the smell of the ocean, and the thrill of being on a rocky cliff.
I’ve seen a lot of beautiful places since then, both IRL and online, and the ones that stick with me, the ones I call to mind again and again, are the places I’ve actually visited, destinations where all that gorgeousness was more than just a feast for the eyes, but a feast for the senses.
Ready to immerse yourself in natural beauty? Take your pick of these 22 locales, each special in its own way, and each located within the United States.
Golden Gate Bridge, California
Best Time to Visit: San Francisco’s weather is fairly consistent year round, so it’s really all about timing. For the best chance of a fog-free shot, aim for late morning or early afternoon.
Whether you spot it from the highway on your way back into town from the wine country, or catch a glimpse as you’re making your way down Hyde Street aboard a cable car, it’s nearly impossible not to gawk at San Francisco’s most famous site. But if you want to get a great shot of the bridge, head to the Marin Headlands, on the Marin side of the bridge, and set up your camera at Slacker Hill, Battery Spencer, or Hawk Hill.
Big Sur, California
Best Time to Visit: Visit Big Sur September through November, and you’ll increase your chance to take in the region’s dramatic 400 foot-tall sea cliffs without that pesky layer of view-blocking marine fog. You might spot migrating whales, too, which pass by from April through December.
The twisty 90-mile stretch of Highway 1 between the Carmel Highlands and San Simeon is one of the most beautiful in the world, filled with not only ocean views, but waterfalls, turquoise coves, stunning bridges, and sculptural cypress trees. Give yourself time to explore the walking paths, parks, and beaches that line both sides of the roadway.
Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier Park, Montana
Best Time to Visit: Closed to vehicles until May and immediately crowded with bumper-to-bumper cars, motor homes, and Glacier’s historic Red Jammer buses, Going-to-the-Sun Road is best viewed in mid-to-late September. But don’t wait too long: early snow can close the upper altitude portions by mid-October.
This 50 mile-long joyride runs along the Continental Divide; you may see everything from moose feeding in crystal clear lakes and Bighorn sheep walking casually along sheer cliffs to Grizzly bears swimming across Lake McDonald. The first time I visited, I was speechless for hours as we passed glacier-topped alpine mountains, sapphire-colored lakes, and meadows where wildflowers peeked through snowpack.
Yosemite National Park, California
Best Time to Visit: There’s no bad time to visit Yosemite. Meadows and waterfalls overflow in early spring; summer brings full access to trails; fall is all about color; and winter’s dramatic landscapes can’t be beat.
Four million people visit this nearly 1,200 square-mile national park and it’s easy to see why: El Capitan and Half Dome are just two of the giant monoliths that decorate Yosemite Valley; but there are the giant Sequoia trees within Mariposa Grove, Hetch Hetchy’s thousand foot-tall waterfalls, and lofty panoramas from Glacier Point.
Canyon X, Page, Arizona
Best Time to Visit: Spring and fall offer more comfortable weather; but during the summer months, you’re more likely to spot the canyon’s famous light beams. Time of day is important as well, so shoot for midday for the most ethereal light.
Step into a slot canyon, and the world becomes an undulating trail of sunset-hued sandstone that stretches more than a hundred feet toward the shard of blue sky above. As you make your way through the narrow gorge, distant sunlight forms gorgeous spotlights that create a stunning mosaic of light and shadow. Deeper and less crowded than Antelope Canyon, Canyon X is far more dramatic.
Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia and North Carolina
Best Time to Visit: Hit the road in the spring and you’ll likely catch meadows alive with wildflowers, blooming dogwoods, and redbuds; fall brings fiery leaf displays that stretch for miles. Due to treacherous ice and snow, the parkway closes each winter.
Winding through the forested mountains of North Carolina and Virginia for 469 miles, the Blue Ridge Parkway shows off some of the most stunning scenery in the eastern United States. You can take it in from the car — Cowee Mountain and Cahas Knob overlooks offer nearly endless views — or hop onto one of the many trails that cut through the forest, such as the mile-and-a-half hike to Linville Falls.
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Best Time to Visit: Bryce Canyon is best visited during the summer, when there’s less of a chance for a freak snowstorm or rain. To avoid crowds, consider May and September.
In a park filled with hoodoos — gigantic vertical rock formations — Thor’s Hammer is, at 150-feet tall, the largest. It’s also one of the most fascinating, thanks to a huge capstone that sits atop a most delicate-looking ochre spire. Best of all, you can see the formation from a variety of viewpoints, including Sunset Point and the Rim Trail.
Savannah’s Squares, Georgia
Best Time to Visit: Thanks to Savannah’s mild climate, you can enjoy the city’s parklike squares any time of year.
New York has Central Park, Savannah has its squares — 22 jewel-like parks planted with majestic trees and lush greenery, surrounded by graceful homes and set with benches, fountains, and historical monuments. Larger than a square is Forsyth Park, where you’ll find a stunning and shady avenue of oaks, and even an outdoor restaurant, Collins Quarter at Forsyth.
Napali Coast State Wilderness Park, Hawaii
Best Time to Visit: There’s no bad time to visit Hawaii.
The island of Kauai may be known as the Garden Isle, but along a 17-mile stretch of the northwestern coastline, 4,000 foot-tall cliffs plummet into the cobalt-blue ocean. There are deep green valleys, waterfalls, tiny cove beaches, and sea caves to explore, either by boat, kayak, or hiking the Kalalau Trail, which provides the only land access to the cliffs.
Lake Fausse Pointe State Park, Louisiana
Best Time To Visit: For great weather and ample opportunity to explore the hiking trails and other outdoor activities, visit between May and September.
If you thought you had to sail down the Amazon for an epic jungle adventure, think again. Exploring the 6,000-acre Lake Fausse Pointe State Park in southern Louisiana — with its intricate labyrinth of waterways and wildlife — is a unique experience that remains under the radar.
White Sands National Park, New Mexico
Best Time To Visit: Any time but dead of summer, when temperatures within White Sands National Park can climb past 100.
The world’s largest gypsum dunefield is truly a rare beauty: 275 square miles of pure white dunes, some nearly 60-feet tall, stretch as far as the eye can see. Five hiking trails wind through the surreal landscape; the Akali Trail will take you on a challenging climb up and down the dunes. Bring a snow saucer: sledding down the dunes is a fun way to experience them.
Allerton Garden, Kauai, HI
Best Time To Visit: For fewer crowds, aim for the shoulder seasons, which occur from September through December and again in April through June.
The entire island of Kauai is a tropical paradise. But on the south shore, the island’s remote Lāwaʻi Valley is so beautiful that in the late 19th century, Queen Emma, widow of Hawaii’s King Kamehameha, retreated to a property she owned in the valley. She spent years living in a cottage on the property, her days spent transforming the site into a spectacular garden.
In the late 1930s, Robert and John Gregg Allerton purchased the property as a retreat of their own. Over the next decades, the couple created a series of garden rooms, each celebrating both European-style gardens and Hawaii’s lush landscape. Today, the 80-acre garden is filled with lush native plants — scented gingers, towering figs, vibrant bougainvillea — interspersed with gazebos, fountains, sculptures, and other European touches.
Marfa, Texas
Best Time To Visit: Head to Marfa anytime from spring to fall for pleasant temperatures and a lower chance of rain.
The smallest, strangest, middle-of-nowhere town in Texas happens to be the epicenter of America’s coolest art scene. Seemingly miles from civilization, Marfa is found between the hill-country mountains, sprawling ranches, and dusty drive-throughs of far west Texas. While it seems a population of around 1,800 would be a sleepy rancher town, it is in fact buzzing with restaurants, bars, and shops run by artists, chefs, and entrepreneurs who flock here from around the world. If lucky, you’ll experience the “Marfa Lights” — magical, mystical, and mysterious glowing orbs that hover, twinkle, and disappear unexpectedly in the mystifying dark night sky.
Pando Aspen Grove, Richfield, Utah
Best Time To Visit: For a spectacular show of fiery foliage, plan your trip to the Pando Aspen Grove in mid-to-late autumn.
In the Fishlake National Forest, a gentle giant has been quietly growing for over 80,000 years. The Trembling Giant or Pando (which translates as “I spread” in Latin) is the most massive living organism on earth with over 47,000 aspen trees that grow from one central root system. Each fall, the leaves change from green to vibrant shades of yellow and gold, creating a forest that seems to glow from within.
Havasu Falls, Grand Canyon, Arizona
Best Time To Visit: The park is open year round, but permits are tough to secure. Spring and fall offer the best weather — not too hot and not too cold.
If you vVenture beyond the Grand Canyon’s postcard-perfect vistas to discover Havasu Falls. Located in the Canyon’s North Rim in Supai Village, these five cascading waterfalls have been guarded and protected for centuries. Only a handful of visitors are allowed each year via a limited-availability reservation. The journey begins with a 10-mile strenuous hike deep into the canyon’s valley to reach this enchanted beauty where 100-foot falls cascade over the orange rock into a large turquoise pool.
Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Best Time To Visit: The park is open throughout the year, but the summer months are the best time to experience it. Winter can make the roads tricky and seas rough, and more activities are planned in the warmer months.
Alaska boasts nearly three million lakes, but Kenai Fjords National Park boasts the only one where the Ice Age still stands, making it one of the coolest places to visit in the country. Here, around 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield where wildlife thrives in its icy waters and lush forests grow in the expansive sheets of ice.
Pipiwai Trail, Maui
Best Time To Visit: High season is July through September, so aim for the shoulder season if you prefer smaller crowds.
Hiking Maui’s four-mile Pipiwai Trail is a bit like unwrapping a gift: each turn reveals yet another natural wonder. The trail rises and falls in elevation as it becomes a walking meditation through an immersive zen bamboo forest that leads to a 400-foot waterfall cascading down a sheer cliff of black lava rock.
Headlands Dark Sky Park, Michigan
Best Time To Visit: Spring and autumn pair warmer weather with great viewing conditions; if you want longer nights to enjoy the stars, visit during winter but make sure to bundle up.
Depending where you live in the world, the concept of a completely dark night sky might be hard to imagine. Headlands Dark Sky Park, a 550-acre expanse on the undeveloped shores of Lake Michigan, makes stargazing fantasies a reality. The dark-sky observatory also has an ideal low-latitude location to spot the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) during the fall and winter. The park never closes so there are plenty of places to hide out under the stars and watch the nightly illumination dance in the sky.
Grand Staircase Escalante, Utah
Best Time To Visit: March through May and September through November. Note that temperatures can get quite cold in the winter and hot in the summer.
Road trippers and adventure enthusiasts flock to Moab and Arches National Park for their dramatic sandstone arches and rock formations, but Utah’s lesser-known Grand Staircase Escalante offers the same magnificent scenery — minus the crowds. Covering 1.9 million acres, the national monument is as vast as it is scenic. And whether you choose to hike or stay in the car, you’ll be rewarded with views of rugged cliffs, mysterious slot canyons, and breathtaking plateaus.
Hamilton Pool Preserve, Texas
Best Time To Visit: On a hot Texas day Hamilton Pool’s cool water is heavenly. Spend an afternoon floating on your back while staring up at the juniper and oak trees that shade the preserve.
Mexico isn’t the only place to find cenotes, the deep natural pools that stay cool and refreshing no matter how hot it is above ground. Located less than an hour from Austin, Hamilton Pool Preserve is an insider’s best-kept secret. The 50-foot waterfall and pool formed thousands of years ago when an underground river collapsed, leaving behind a giant circular rock formation with a deep natural pool the color of jade.
Sequim-Dungeness Valley, Washington
Best Time To Visit: Fragrant lavender fields are in full bloom from June through August
Each summer, when acres upon acres of French and English lavender bloom in Washington State’s Sequim-Dungeness Valley, this pretty Olympic Peninsula locale looks and smells more like Provence than the Pacific Northwest. Wander through the rows of purple and pick your own fragrant bouquet.
Grand Portage State Park, Minnesota
Best Time To Visit: Minnesota’s summer is short, so plan your visit from July through September. For an autumn leaf show, time your trip slightly later.
Minnesota gets its fame from the largest mall in America, land of 10,000 (often frozen) lakes, great hockey, and a beloved 12-day state fair. What is little known about the northern state is its bounty of uncharted wilderness and raw beauty, especially where the tippy-top of the state meets Lake Superior (the world’s largest freshwater lake) in the gorgeous Grand Portage State Park. Several cascading waterfalls are reachable within one-or-four mile hikes in the park, while the naturally jagged Hollow Rock arch off the shores of Grand Portage will make you feel like you’re at the end of the world.
Featured Image courtesy Maarten van den Heuvel, via Unsplash. Travel Curator may earn a commission from booking links on this page.
