America may be the land of the free and the brave, but it's also one of great beauty, home to some of the most stunning sights on the planet. From teetering skyscrapers to wildflower meadows and glacier-filled national parks, we take a virtual tour of the USA's most stunning places and attractions to inspire your next trip.
Click through the gallery to reveal America's top 101 destinations and attractions...
Found in Yellowstone National Park's Midway Geyser Basin, the striking Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the United States and one of the biggest on the planet.
It's characterised by its popping blue centre which is ringed by fiery hues of green, orange and acid yellow. The incredible colours are caused by microbes which thrive in the heat.
The Mars-like landscape of Monument Valley is one of the most famous images of the USA. Sitting astride the Utah-Arizona border, the desert area, part of the Navajo Nation reservation, is studded with towering buttes and shard-like pinnacles. The most famous formations are the East and West Mitten Buttes, which both rise to more than 6,000 feet (1,829m).
Seemingly endless powdery white sand dunes make up the White Sands National Park in southern New Mexico. The preserve protects a swathe of the largest gypsum dunefield on Earth, which sprawls out over about 275 square miles (712sq km) and has been formed over hundreds of millions of years.
Hardy species make their home here, including porcupines, the desert box turtle and various species of snakes and lizard.
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This fabled natural wonder needs little introduction. The canyon, carved out by the Colorado River over millions of years, plunges a mile (1.6km) deep and stretches on for some 277 river miles (446km).
It's a picture of burnt red bluffs, broken up with bands of green, pink and orange. Bighorn sheep, mountain lions and elk call this rocky expanse home.
When spring has sprung, Antelope Valley erupts with colour as California's state flower – the California poppy – carpets the hills here. A blanket of red, yellow and orange covers this 1,700-acre reserve some 80 miles (129km) from Los Angeles, in one of the most spectacular wildflower displays in America.
Fly Geyser, a sight unlike anything else in the USA, was actually created by accident. The psychedelic landmark sits at the edge of the Black Rock Desert and was formed when a geothermal energy company carried out a test drill here.
The water they struck wasn't as hot as they needed, but they failed to properly plug the test well they'd created. Searing water still bubbles up and out of this man-made geyser, and the rainbow colours are the result of algae that lives on the rocks.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park stretches across the states of North Carolina and Tennessee, and has been the subject of country songs, the star of movies and the muse for many a painting.
Mountains, old-growth forest, wildflower meadows and waterfalls make up the preserve's great expanse, where American black bears, elk and bobcats roam free.
At first glance you might mistake these gently rolling hills and valleys for bucolic Tuscany, Italy – but they actually take up a swathe of southeastern Washington (as well as parts of Idaho and Oregon).
Covered with flaxen wheat fields and peppered with neat farmhouses, trees and waterfalls, the Palouse is one of the most scenic agricultural regions in the United States.
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Raw, rugged and incredibly beautiful, Big Sur is a storied stretch of California's Central Coast. Plenty of natural wonders punctuate this portion of the Golden State, but Pfeiffer Beach is among the most magical.
The strand is known for its purple sand, tinged by manganese garnet from the surrounding crags, and its hulking arch-like rock formation.
You might not know that a rainforest exists within the United States borders, and the Hoh Rain Forest is indeed one of America's most surprising natural wonders.
Sliced through by the winding Hoh River, the lush rainforest – all hanging moss and climbing ferns – receives about 140 inches (356cm) of rain per year. Elk and Pacific tree frogs both live under the misty canopy.
It's easy to see how this stunning state park earned its name. Fiery sandstone formations, spread out across more than 40,000 acres, are coloured orange-red and splashed with bands of pink, creamy white and grey.
Evidence of settlement here dates back millennia and the park contains striking petroglyphs from more than 2,000 years ago.
These sparkling ice caves might look more at home in Iceland than the United States, but they actually exist in America's 'Last Frontier' – the vast state of Alaska.
Undulating walls of glowing blue characterise the caves, which lie about 12 miles (19km) from Juneau. Unfortunately this glittering natural wonder is a victim of climate change and is reportedly retreating at a rapid rate.
Few downtown areas are quite as charming as Savannah's Historic District. Spanish moss hangs from oak trees in its squares and wonderfully preserved 18th and 19th-century homes line the streets.
Forsyth Park spreads itself across 30 leafy acres and, a few miles out, greenery grows up around grave sites at the hauntingly beautiful Bonaventure Cemetery.
These stunning ice castles pop up seasonally in Utah, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York and Colorado. They're actually man-made, conjured up from thousands of icicles, then illuminated with LED lights.
The result is a series of sparkling ice palaces, complete with glowing tunnels, archways, caverns and even thrones.
This light-filled slot canyon is situated within the Navajo Nation reserve in northern Arizona. A whirl of burning sandstone reaching about 120 feet (37m) from the ground, it was formed by water over many millions of years.
To the Navajo people, the canyon is known as 'Tse bighanilini', or 'the place where water runs through rocks'.
The waters of the Oneonta Creek flow through Oneonta Gorge, a lush, moss-covered ravine in northern Oregon. Its basalt walls have been hewn over millions of years and waterfalls rush over its rocky expanse. Nearby, the 611-foot (186m) Multnomah Falls is another of Oregon's great wonders.
Cobalt Lake Tahoe is nestled within the Sierra Nevada mountains, its waters spreading across two western states. The region is beautiful year- round: in winter, the lake's surrounding firs and sugar pines are dusted with snow, while in summer the canopy is a striking sea of green. The lake itself plunges to 1,640 feet (500m) at its deepest point.
Two herds of feral horses (the wild descendants of domestic animals) thrive on Assateague Island, one managed by the National Park System and one by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.
The creatures found fame in Marguerite Henry's 1947 children's novel Misty of Chincoteague, although they're all the more majestic in real life. They're hardy too, weathering the conditions of this rugged barrier island with its strong winds, searing heat and regular storms.
There are as many as 600 cliff dwellings spread across Mesa Verde National Park, but the Cliff Palace is by far the most impressive, with 150 rooms and 23 kivas.
Hewn from sandstone, mortar and wood, it's an incredible example of Ancestral Puebloan architecture. Experts think the dwelling would once have been home to about 100 people – now the wider park is populated with deer, coyotes and bobcats.
Protecting Haleakala, a dormant volcano that rises to 10,023 feet (3,055m) above sea level, this stunning national park is known as the 'House of the Sun'. Its land has been inhabited by Native Hawaiians for more than a millennia and there are spots sacred to these people spread throughout the park.
The expanse, which comprises great barren, rocky swathes and rich shrublands, is also home to species including the endangered Hawaiian goose (the nene), Hawaii's state bird.
In the northwest corner of Washington state lies a valley that could have been plucked straight from the Netherlands. Come spring, millions of kaleidoscopic tulips, irises and daffodils spread out in neat ribbons, brightening over 1,000 acres in Skagit Valley. It's one of the best floral displays in the western States.
Hearst Castle was the vision of William Randolph Hearst who, along with architect Julia Morgan, created this fairytale estate, known as La Cuesta Encantada or Enchanted Hill. It remained unfinished upon Hearst's death, but is a dazzling property even so, with tranquil gardens, glittering swimming pools and vast rooms filled with portraits and antique furniture.
Rugged and wildlife-rich, this national park spreads out over 244,000 acres in southwestern South Dakota. It's a world of craggy scarps and spires, fossils and sprawling prairie land, whose jaw-dropping rock formations were carved out over millions of years. Many animals wander freely within this spectacular wilderness, including bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, bobcats and bison.
Antelope Island juts into the Great Salt Lake, spreading out across 28,000 acres. It's the largest of the Great Salt Lake's islands – and also the most spectacular – with free-roaming bison, pronghorn antelope and billion-year-old rocks. The isle is also designated as an International Dark Sky Park and the stars put on a spectacular show on clear nights.
One of Kentucky's top natural wonders, Cumberland Falls plunges down for 68 feet (21m) and spools out to a width of 120 feet (37m). But its very respectable size isn't what makes the waterfall truly special. It's also known for its moonbows – spectacular nighttime rainbows that show up on clear nights.
Hawaii has little shortage of spectacular beaches, but the ebony sands of Punaluʻu Beach are particularly special. These inky shores are made up of tiny particles of basalt, the result of continual volcanic activity, and are fringed by lush palms and lapped by Pacific waters. Hawksbill turtles, green sea turtles and Hawaiian monk seals all lay their claim to this unique strand too.
The Devils Tower is a monumental sight, rising up 1,267 feet (386m) above the Belle Fourche River and towering over the surrounding prairieland. Experts still don't completely agree on exactly how this mighty landmark was formed, but generally concur that it began as searing molten rock deep beneath the Earth's surface.
Today, Devils Tower, formed by many rocky columns joined together, remains important to many Indigenous tribes in the region.
The lunar expanse of Death Valley's Badwater Basin represents the lowest point on the North American continent. An enormous area of salt flats, it sinks to some 282 feet (86m) below sea level, an intricate tapestry of interlocking polygons. It's also periodically flooded, leaving a mirror-like sheet of water across its flat surface for a short time.
One of the most iconic landmarks in the States, this 'international-orange' bridge spans California's Golden Gate Strait. A behemoth among bridges, it was the longest and tallest structure of its kind on the planet when it was first finished in 1937.
Now, although it no longer holds its record, it has lost none of its wow factor, with a main span of 4,200 feet (1,280m).
Alaska's Denali bustles with wildlife but grizzly bears are the national park's most famous residents. They're one of Denali's Big Five, which also includes moose, caribou, dall sheep and wolves, and are distinctive for their large, formidable claws and their grizzled light-tipped fur. Grizzly bears like their own company, hanging out by blooming berry patches or fishing from rivers.
Encompassing 1.5 million acres, the Everglades is a land of mangrove forests, cypress domes and coastal prairie stretching across southern Florida. More than 300 species of bird rely on this Floridian wilderness and the preserve is also home to mammals including the West Indian manatee. But the indisputable king of the park is the mighty American crocodile.
The endangered honu is the largest of the world's hard-shelled sea turtles. The species' name is derived from its greenish-coloured skin, the result of a diet of algae and seagrass.
They come ashore to bask on beaches across the Aloha State, but Laniakea Beach is particularly well-known as a home to these fascinating creatures. Nicknamed Turtle Beach, it's an idyllic sandy stretch on Oahu's North Shore
Floating in the waters of Lake Superior – one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world – Isle Royale National Park protects a tranquil archipelago covered with forests and bustling with wildlife.
Its man-made wonders include the striking Rock Harbor Lighthouse – perched on its namesake, Rock Harbor, the landmark dates back to the 1850s.
The famed Niagara Falls are made up of not one, but three waterfalls straddling the US-Canadian border: Horseshoe Falls, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, with a whopping drop of 167 feet (51m) and a curved crest line spreading out to 2,700 feet (823m). Collectively, they make up one of the largest cascades in the world.
The warped rock formations in Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park are among the most impressive in the States. Rocky spires called hoodoos cover the park in a riot of orange and pink – in fact, Bryce Canyon is home to the largest concentration of these striking crags anywhere on the planet. They were formed over millions of years, eventually sculpted by ice and rain.
On clear nights, in the far northern reaches of the USA, the aurora borealis paint great sweeps of fuchsia, green and purple across the sky. The Northern Lights are caused when charged particles from the sun collide with atoms within the Earth's atmosphere, and when the conditions are right they dance above Voyageurs National Park, in remote northeastern Minnesota.
Detroit hasn't always been held up for its beauty, but this once-blighted industrial city is now bright with works by local artists. Abandoned buildings have become canvasses for eye-popping murals and alleys are hung with string lights, their walls coated with colourful street art.
An entire block on the Motor City's East Side has been overtaken by an outsider art installation too. The Heidelberg Project is a curious display made up of teddy bears, dolls, clocks and painted houses.
Dominating the Big Apple's skyline since the 1930s, the Empire State Building was the tallest building in the world when it was first finished, and held its record right up to the 1970s.
Rising out from the concrete jungle that is Midtown Manhattan, the building is an Art Deco masterpiece, known for its stepped design and bold antenna.
The rambling Biltmore Estate was built by George Vanderbilt, a member of the notorious and wealthy Vanderbilt family, in the late 19th century. It took more than six years to complete and the result was a glorious French Renaissance-style chateau with around 250 rooms.
The grounds are as stunning as the enormous house itself with meadows, forests, the Walled Garden and the bloom-filled Rose Garden.
The Arches National Park is mesmerising, with more than 2,000 natural red sandstone arches dotted around – the highest density of natural arches in the world. The Delicate Arch is the most well-known, standing at 52 foot (16m) high.
Founded just before the turn of the century, The Breakers remains one of America's most storied and luxurious resorts. Well-heeled holidaymakers were attracted to the beautiful shores of the Palm Beaches in the 1890s, and wealthy industrialist Henry M. Flagler responded by building upmarket waterside hotels, including The Breakers.
Fires have ravaged the property over the years but each time it has come back bigger and better than before.
Maine's most beautiful state park spools out across 209,644 acres with dense forest, lakes and peaks including Mount Katahdin, the tallest mountain in the preserve, and in the entire state.
Moose, Maine's state mammal, roam this protected wilderness. At their most active during the fall rutting season, these giant animals gather around bodies of water such as the Sandy Stream Pond, and quieter Daicey Pond and Kidney Pond.
Eleven historic properties make up Rhode Island's Newport Mansions, each one as stunning as the next. They mostly date to the latter half of the 19th century and – surprisingly given their generous size – were once known as cottages.
Beginning life as summer homes for affluent folk from New York and other big cities, the mansions remain striking reminders of the Gilded Age today. Among the most impressive are The Breakers, The Elms and Marble House (pictured).
One of the largest live oak trees in the States, the fabled Angel Oak is a beautiful sight. It's situated on Johns Island, around 12 miles (19km) southwest of Charleston, and is thought to be at least 300 years-old – possibly even up to 400.
The focal point of leafy Angel Oak Park, the tree is a mighty 65 feet (20m) high and has a circumference of 28 feet (8.5m).
An unspoiled area of wilderness in southeastern Alaska, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve takes up some 3.3 million acres and protects mountains, rainforest and, as its name suggests, numerous stunning glaciers.
One of the most striking is the Johns Hopkins Glacier which, happily, continues to advance rather than shrink – something that's becoming less and less common.
Garden of the Gods is an apt name for this awesome natural landmark in central Colorado. The sandstone formations here dot the park's 1,300-acre expanse like rocky red castles, and were formed over a course of about 300 million years. The 14,115-foot (4302m) mountain Pikes Peak presides over it all.
Gnarled and twisted branches reach out like claws from tree trunks at this haunting beach on Georgia's Jekyll Island. A maritime forest once existed here but years of weathering and erosion has left behind nothing but warped trees and driftwood. The trees look even more otherworldly at sunrise and sunset, when they appear as inky silhouettes against the sky.
This dramatic waterfall is located within the bounds of the Havasupai Indian Reservation, just beyond the borders of the Grand Canyon National Park. The name Havasupai means 'people of the blue-green waters' and a series of bright waterfalls dot the preserve. Among them is the breathtaking Havasu Falls, whose eye-popping cyan waters crash over a jagged orange cliff face.
A surprising sight in the Aloha State, Hawaii's Byodo-In Temple sits within the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park on Oahu's eastern coast. The landmark, with its curved roof and crimson façade, is a replica of the eponymous Byodo-In Temple in Uji, Japan, and is home to a towering nine-foot (3m) buddha. Outside, peacocks strut around tranquil grounds, complete with koi-filled ponds and waterfalls.
The mammoth Gateway Arch may be St Louis' most famous attraction, but the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis is probably its most beautiful. This sumptuous church was completed in 1914, with its walls, domes and Shrine of the Heart decorated in kaleidoscopic mosaics. A striking stainless steel statue of a winged angel stands outside the basilica.
Chicago was the home of the world's first ever skyscraper – the gargantuan Home Insurance Building – so it's no surprise that the modern cityscape is such a breathtaking sight.
The Home Insurance Building was demolished in the 1930s but it has been replaced by lofty structures including 100-storey 875 North Michigan Avenue and the colossal Willis Tower, once the tallest building in the world.
You might recognise this elegant string of houses from the silver screen – they've had cameo roles in hit movies like Mrs Doubtfire (starring Robin Williams) and 1990s comedy Junior. Fronted by Alamo Square and with the city's boxy skyscrapers rising in the background, these Victorian and Edwardian homes were brightly painted in order to accentuate their architectural details.
Sedona is a beautiful town in Arizona, swaddled by sandstone buttes and sunset-red canyons, and the Chapel of the Holy Cross is one of its most surprising sights. The super-modern chapel is perched high in Sedona's blazing rocks and was completed in 1956. It was the vision of local sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude, who found herself inspired by the striking design of the Empire State Building.
Named for the cloud-piercing Teton mountain range, this national park takes up a corner of northwestern Wyoming. The mighty peaks are the stars of the show here, and the preserve's lakes act as mirrors for the mountains. Jenny Lake (pictured) is a watery expanse spreading out from the base of the Tetons, whose shores attract both black and grizzly bears.
Sequoia National Park in central California has little shortage of leafy giants, but the mammoth General Sherman Tree stands head and shoulders above them all. Found in the aptly named Giant Forest, General Sherman is the largest known living tree in the world by volume, according to the National Park Service. He towers to 275 feet (84m) with a base diameter of more than 36 feet (11m).
Wrought-iron balconies, iron lamps and pink-hued buildings make NOLA's French Quarter (or the Vieux Carre) one of the most beautiful neighbourhoods in the United States. The most historic swathe of the Big Easy, it was laid out by the French in the 18th century. Today swinging Bourbon Street and Jackson Square, presided over by St Louis Cathedral, are at the heart of the district.
Oregon's beautiful beaches are often overshadowed by those further south but this strand is one of the most dramatic in the States. It's defined by Haystack Rock, a gigantic sea stack that rises 235 feet (72m) from the Pacific Ocean. In spring and summer, puffins use the rock as a nesting site.
Acorn Street, in Boston's charming Beacon Hill neighbourhood, is often tipped as the most photographed street in the country – and it's not hard to see why. The snug cobblestoned lane is lined with gas lamps and red-brick row-houses draped with the American flag, their window boxes spilling with greenery. It swelled with tradespeople and makers in the 1800s and today the homes are worth millions of dollars.
Cape Cod, a peninsula off mainland Massachusetts, juts into the Atlantic Ocean, and into waters that swell with humpback, minke and finback whales. These majestic creatures migrate here from around April through to September in order to feed on bountiful fish. The endangered North Atlantic right whale is one of the rarest species to make the journey here.
One of the most spectacular night skies in America stretches above the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, which was given silver-tier International Dark Sky Park status in 2017. The remote reserve protects a 750,000-acre area of rugged lava-flow fields and giant cinder cones. Overhead, the Milky Way, with its stars, planets and comets, puts on a dazzling show.
The capital's National Mall is crammed with landmarks but the Thomas Jefferson Memorial is particularly elegant. The president himself was known for his love of architecture and he would surely have been suitably impressed with this landmark, with its domed roof and columns. The monument occupies a beautiful spot at the edge of the Tidal Basin.
A surprising sight in downtown Honolulu, the Iolani Palace was the official residence of the Hawaiian monarchy for many years. Royals lived on this site from 1845, although construction on Iolani Palace itself didn't begin until 1879.
Upon its completion it was home to monarchs including Queen Liliʻuokalani, the Hawaiian Kingdom's last ruler. A dazzling American Florentine-style edifice, it's known for its opulent state rooms and suites.
The hulking American bison has a long history in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, a rugged wilderness that takes up a sweep of western North Dakota. A small herd was brought to the South Unit of the park in the 1950s and now both the North and South Units have hundreds of these titanic animals. Despite their formidable size, bison are herbivores, munching on grass shoots and flowering plants.
This national park protects a gloriously rugged stretch of the North Atlantic Coast, with jagged capes, mountains and still ponds all contained within its borders. The most famous image of the park is the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, perched on a cliff above the swirling ocean. The landmark dates to the 19th century and has earned itself a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
Joining up the Big Apple boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan, this cable-stayed suspension bridge was finished in 1883. Now a National Historic Landmark, the bridge was designed by master engineer John Augustus Roebling, who sadly died in an accident before he ever saw the bridge materialise. Its hulking towers and mighty span are today one of the most famous images of New York City.
Spreading out across northern New York state, the Adirondack Mountains are covered in dense forestland, with peaks reaching over 4,000 feet (1,219m). In autumn, the mountains seem to set alight, with lush thickets coloured in red, orange, yellow and gold. White-tailed deer frolic in the woods, munching on shoots and leaves, while bobcats use the trees as cover as they hunt for prey.
Elfreth's Alley in Philadelphia is tipped as the United States' oldest continuously inhabited residential street. Some 32 homes are tucked away down this cobblestoned lane, which has a history spanning more than 300 years. In the 18th century, tradespeople populated the elegant houses here and today the street remains a residence for artisans and entrepreneurs.
There are many reasons to love Mount Rainier National Park – ancient forests, thriving wildlife, the glorious snow-capped crest of volcano Mount Rainier itself. But the preserve's display of wildflowers is something extra special.
Come summer, the meadows appear like a Monet painting, carpeted with hundreds of species of plant. The sea of colour includes lilac lupines, fuzzy purple thistles and alpine gold daisies in shocking yellow.
One of the States' most beautiful downtown areas, Charleston's entire Historic District is protected as a National Historic Landmark. With roots in the 17th century, it's an area dripping in history, with streets lined with antebellum mansions, churches and neat rows of pastel-hued townhouses. The 19th-century Charleston City Market takes up four of the city's historic blocks too.
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This castle, whose name in Italian means 'beautiful view', takes pride of place in Central Park, New York City. It was built in the 19th century, designed by architect Calvert Vaux, and still enjoys pride of place watching over Central Park's Great Lawn. It has a special purpose today too – the National Weather Service uses it to collect meteorological data.
The Sunshine State is blessed with many beautiful beaches but this one could be plucked straight from a postcard. A stone's throw from downtown Sarasota on Florida's west coast, its brilliant white sands fringe Siesta Key, which juts out into the Gulf of Mexico. Lifeguard towers in eye-popping colours complete an already perfect picture.
Crashing down in two thundering cascades, Wailua Falls is cloaked by emerald forest in the east of the Garden Isle, not far from the town of Lihue. Its striking beauty earned it a place in the opening credits of Fantasy Island, a long-running TV series originally aired on ABC – and made it rightfully famous.
The mother of all Washington DC's landmarks, the US Capitol Building dominates Capitol Hill and stands watch from the eastern reach of the National Mall. The cornerstone was first laid in 1793, but the majestic building that exists today is the result of much tinkering over the centuries. Its defining feature is a mighty cast-iron dome, which was completed in the middle of the 19th century.
One of the most mind-blowing rock formations in the States, the Wave is situated in the Coyote Buttes North area, pressed up against the Utah border. The dramatic sandstone landmark looks almost as if painted by hand, its face coloured with rippling bands of white, salmon and orange. It was formed millions of years ago, as sandwiched rocks were gradually eroded.
The Sangre de Cristo mountains watch over Taos Pueblo, a beautiful adobe settlement just over 70 miles (113km) north of Santa Fe. The settlement – a UNESCO World Heritage Site with multistorey dwellings, kivas and historic ruins – is still inhabited by Pueblo peoples, who have a rich culture with traditions of foot races, feasts and dances.
One of the most photographed sights in the American southwest, Horseshoe Bend is a striking natural landmark just beyond the bounds of Grand Canyon National Park, in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The wonder sees the Colorado River loop around a hulking sandstone scarp, in a ravine that plunges to 1,000 feet (305m).
Circus master John Ringling was the brains behind this gorgeous Venetian and Gothic-style estate, completed in the Roaring Twenties. Ringling and his wife Mable had spent a lot of time travelling and gathering circus acts in Europe, and great landmarks such as Venice's Palazzo Santa Sofia served as the inspiration for their sumptuous estate. Stucco-covered Ca' d'Zan, meaning House of John, still spreads across 36,000 square feet (3,345sqm) on the Sarasota waterside.
Sweeping over south and central Texas, Hill Country is exactly what it sounds like: a bucolic region of rugged hills that give way to lush plains and valleys. The area is most famous for its wildflowers which come out in full force in spring. Dying the hillsides of the Lone Star State a rich indigo, bluebonnets are the darling of Texas' wild blooms.
More than 119 limestone caves spread out beneath the grounds of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southeastern New Mexico. Delicate stalagmites and stalactites fill the caverns, which were formed from acid beating a passage through the limestone rocks anywhere between four and six million years ago.
The most famous of all the caves is the stunning Carlsbad Cavern, the park's namesake, although Lechuguilla Cave is the longest, spooling out for around 140 miles (225km).
Sin City, with its bright lights and over-the-top hotels, might not be known for its elegant landmarks or natural wonders – but it has plenty of beautiful sights all the same. Best of all are the Fountains of Bellagio. The illuminated waters whirl, sway and spray to music before the sleek facade of the Bellagio resort.
Monticello is the stunning mansion of architecture-loving Thomas Jefferson, America's third president. It was built in the 18th century, partly using the labour of enslaved peoples, whose lives are remembered at the estate.
Dubbed an 'autobiographical masterpiece' of Jefferson, it's known for its unique architectural features, from an octagonal room to the light-filled dome that crowns the property. The grounds include a vegetable garden, forest groves and many blooming flower beds.
Seen here from the sky, Fort Jefferson is a brooding landmark in Dry Tortugas National Park, in the Florida Keys. Nicknamed the Guardian of the Gulf, the fort dates to the 19th century, and was used as a prison for Union deserters during the Civil War. It has been defunct since World War II, now merely guarding the marine life that frolics in the national park waters.
One of the USA's newest national parks, Indiana Dunes was designated in 2019. The park spreads over 15,000 acres encompassing, as its name suggests, endless dunes, some rising more than 100 feet (30m).
But there's more than just sandy mountains in this preserve. Marshes, swamps, prairies and oak savannah come together to make one of the USA's most diverse ecosystems, home to species from deer to coyotes.
Three lighthouses rise out from Cape Hatteras National Seashore, a series of unspoiled barrier islands off North Carolina's mainland. Of the trio, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, with its bold black and white stripes, is the most beautiful.
It also boasts the title of the tallest brick lighthouse in North America. Beyond the landmarks, the park is a haven for several species of sea turtle and migratory birds.
The grande dame of Yosemite National Park (along with Half Dome to the east), El Capitan rises proudly from the western side of Yosemite Valley. Its granite face appears near vertical and the peak tops out at an eye-watering 3,000 feet (914m). El Capitan, meaning 'the captain', is a fitting name for the monolith.
One of Utah's 'Mighty Five', Zion National Park is named for Zion Canyon, a huge gorge made up of 270-million-year-old rock layers. The Narrows – named since they form the tightest section of the ravine – are cut through by the Virgin River, forming one of the most beautiful portions of the park. After dark, the canyon becomes a hunting ground for the elusive mountain lion.
The highest spot in Arkansas is also the state's most beautiful. Mount Magazine, contained within Mount Magazine State Park, swells to 2,753 feet (839m), and looms over little towns such as Paris. Blanketed with trees, including the rare maple leaf oak, the park protects wildlife from black bears to butterflies.
One of the deepest lakes in the world – and the very deepest in the United States – Oregon's Crater Lake was formed some 7,700 years ago, when a volcanic peak collapsed, leaving behind a vast caldera. It plunges to a depth of 1,943 feet (592m) and its vivid sapphire waters are ringed by mountains and old-growth forest.
It doesn't boast the same elegance as some downtown areas across America, but Nashville's Lower Broadway has a charm all of its own. This glittering gulch – with its winking neon signs in rainbow colours – has a loud, proud, unapologetic kind of beauty that you'll not find anywhere else in the States.
The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore protects a swathe of the Bayfield Peninsula's coast and 21 wild islands. The park contains plenty of beautiful sights – dramatic cliff formations, beaches, a bounty of birdlife – but the seasonal ice caves remain the most stunning wonder of all.
When the temperature drops, icy stalactites and columns form over the sandstone cliffs of the mainland, creating dazzling temporary ice caves.
Protecting a beautiful natural pool, Hamilton Pool Preserve is in south-central Texas, a stone's throw from the capital, Austin. The pretty pool is fed by Hamilton Creek, which crashes some 50 feet (15m) over craggy limestone rocks to form a waterfall. Many birds favour the preserve, including the golden-cheeked warbler, native to the Lone Star State.
Gifted to America by France in the 19th century, Lady Liberty has come to be a symbol of the USA. Crowning Liberty Island, the statue, whose full name is Liberty Enlightening the World, towers to 305 feet (93m) – the torch in her right hand alone is a colossal 29 feet (6m). In her left hand, Lady Liberty clutches a tablet inscribed with the date on which the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
A glorious mix of Greek Revival, Beaux-Arts and Art Deco design, Griffith Observatory stands proud on Mount Hollywood in Los Angeles' Griffith Park. It was finished in the 1930s and has since starred in films from James Cameron's The Terminator to hit 2016 musical La La Land. Its glowing white façade looks best framed against the night sky, high above the twinkling lights of Tinseltown.
Yale University has one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, and many of its buildings are stunning examples of the Collegiate Gothic architectural style. But, of course, this storied institution is far more than a pretty face. Founded back in 1701, it's among the most lauded colleges in America, with plenty of celebrated galleries and museums to boot.
Franconia Notch State Park enjoys a stunning location in the heart of the White Mountain National Forest so, unsurprisingly, it's a vision in autumn. The park contains precious old forest, with some trees thought to be more than 250 years old. In the golden season, the mountainsides are ablaze with colours from ochre and russet to scarlet and gold.
This enormous steel-arch bridge has spanned West Virginia’s New River Gorge since the 1970s. It's among the longest bridges of its kind in the world, and its height is dizzying: it soars about 876 feet (267m) above the waters below. The mammoth feat of engineering sits in stark contrast to the lush scenery all around.
This desert park, one of California's most beautiful, is named for the so-called Joshua trees, actually a type of large prickly yucca. These curious shrubs spread out across the preserve, with the tallest of them reaching 40 feet (12m) high.
The trees are not the only fascinating residents, either. Tough species including kangaroo rats and the desert iguana weather the park's challenging conditions too.
Caddo Lake unfurls across the Louisiana-Texas border, spreading out for an incredible 25,400 acres. This glorious wetland area is best known for being home to an enormous Spanish moss-drenched cypress forest, tipped as the largest in the world. American alligators lurk beneath the canopy too, usually on the hunt for fish.
Hidden within Nevada's Great Basin National Park are some of the oldest living organisms on Earth: the bristlecone pines. These twisted, gnarled trees thrive in the park's high, windswept peaks and are known to live for more than 4,000 years.
The most famous among them, Prometheus, is estimated to be nearly 5,000 years old. Standing among these ancient sentinels, surrounded by sweeping mountain views, offers a humbling perspective on time and nature's resilience.
Pine Creek Gorge, often called the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, is an unspoiled and scenic gem nestled within Colton Point State Park. Carved by glacial activity and Pine Creek’s steady flow, the gorge stretches for 47 miles (76km) and plunges nearly 1,500 feet (457m) deep.
Unlike its more frequented counterpart, Leonard Harrison State Park, Colton Point offers a quieter, more rustic experience with fewer crowds, making it perfect for appreciating the natural beauty in peace.
'Crown of the Continent' is a fitting nickname for this national park in the very northern reaches of the United States. Here, snow-dusted peaks form perfect triangles against the sky, reflecting in lakes and giving way to meadows studded with wildflowers.
The largest of all the lakes here is Lake McDonald – it was carved out by glaciers and its glossy expanse stretches across more than 10 miles (16km).
Now read on for Mother Nature's spectacles you can only see in America