Hi there!
There are sooooo many beautiful places to visit in the United States!
Here is a narrowed down list to get you started on planning your great American trip full of amazing views!
These places are in some of the most beautiful states in the US that can also make for a starting point in planning your perfect road trip!
👆 The best places to visit in America for outdoor travel include national lakeshores, lava fields, and national parks.
9 places to visit in America with beautiful views of the great outdoors
1. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
👆 Grand Canyon National Park is one of the best national parks in the US. This is in the state of Arizona.
Arizona is one of the best places to visit in America because it is home to one of the most internationally famous outdoor attractions in America.
When you go to Arizona, you can see the iconic Grand Canyon and make it the start of an epic national park road trip!
Plan your trip in the US:
Get the free travel guide to explore more places
From the official Arizona tourism people: Get the Arizona travel magazine mailed to you for free! (or get the pdf now!)
Or just browse the best places to visit in Arizona: official Arizona tourism website
2. National parks in Utah
👆 Zion National Park is one of the best national parks in the US. This is in the state of Utah.
Utah is one of the best places to visit in America because you can make it an epic mighty 5 Utah national parks road trip!
National parks in Utah are all about seeing iconic rock formations.
It’s the “mighty 5” because there are 5 epic national parks to go to in Utah!
If you plan to visit at least 3 national parks, then be sure to look into getting the annual national park pass to save you money!
Plan your trip in the US:
- One day in Zion National Park
- Winter in Bryce Canyon National Park
- Arizona Utah national parks road trip
Get the free travel guide to explore more places
From the official Utah tourism people: Get the Utah travel magazine mailed to you for free! (or get the pdf now!)
Or just browse the best places to visit in Utah: official Utah tourism website
3. National lakeshores in Michigan
👆 Michigan is one of the best places to visit in the US: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore along Lake Michigan in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan
👆 Michigan is one of the best places to visit in the US: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore along Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
👆 Michigan is one of the best places to visit in the US: You drive across the Mackinac Bridge to get between the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula, which you see here in the distance. The Mackinac Bridge is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world.
Michigan is one of the best places to visit in America because it is on the shoreline of 4 out of the 5 Great Lakes of North America.
When you go to Michigan, you can see the sand dunes of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore along Lake Michigan and the cliffs of Pictures Rocks National Lakeshore along Lake Superior.
Then, you can continue driving to make it an epic Michigan road trip and an epic Michigan camping trip along Lake Superior!
The Great Lakes of North America are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.
The U.S. states that you can go to for a Great Lakes vacation are Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Big cities along the Great Lakes include Milwaukee WI, Chicago IL, Cleveland OH, and Buffalo NY.
You can even take a boat across Lake Michigan between Michigan and Wisconsin!
The Lake Michigan ferry travels between Muskegon MI and Milwaukee WI.
Plan your trip in the US:
- National lakeshores
- Amazing things to do in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
- Amazing things to do in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
- Michigan road trip to the Upper Peninsula
- Lake Superior camping in Michigan
- Places to visit in Western New York
Get the free travel guide to explore more places
From the official Michigan tourism people: Get the Michigan travel magazine mailed to you for free! (or get the pdf now!)
From more official Michigan tourism people: Get the Michigan lighthouse map mailed to you for free!
Or just browse the best places to visit in Michigan: official Michigan tourism website
Get the free travel guide to explore more places
From the official New York tourism people: Get the New York travel magazine mailed to you for free! (or get the pdf now!)
Or just browse the best places to visit in New York: official New York tourism website
4. Overseas Highway, Florida
👆 Florida is one of the best places to visit in the US: You will drive the Overseas Highway to get from Miami to Key West.
👆 Bahia Honda State Park is one of the best state parks to visit in the US. You get there by driving the Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys
Florida is one of the best places to visit in America because you can drive across the Overseas Highway.
When you go to Florida, you can drive from island to island on the Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys and plan an epic road trip from Miami to Key West!
Some of the best snorkeling in America is also in the Florida Keys.
One of the best snorkeling spots in the Florida Keys is Looe Key in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
This also means that Looe Key is one of the best snorkeling spots in America.
More of the best of the US in Florida… (not in the Florida Keys…)
The best shelling in America is also in Florida.
Some of the best shelling beaches in Florida are on Sanibel Island, Captiva Island, and Marco Island.
These Florida islands are along the Gulf Coast in Southwest Florida.
You can make it an epic Florida road trip by driving from Sanibel Island to the Florida Keys or Marco Island to the Florida Keys.
More of the best of the US in Florida…
Florida is one of the best places in America to see alligators.
Florida is one of the best places in America to see crocodiles.
Florida is the ONLY place in the WORLD where alligators and crocodiles live together! (Or so they say.) Hello, Everglades National Park!
You can see dolphins in Florida.
And you can see wild chickens in Florida.
And finally, one of the unique things to do in Florida is to go to one of the natural springs!
For example, there are several springs in Ocala National Forest.
Plan your trip in the US:
- Miami to Florida Keys road trip
- Best state park in the Florida Keys
- Looe Key Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
- Marco Island to Florida Keys road trip
- Sanibel Island to Florida Keys road trip
- Where to see alligators in Florida
- Gulf Islands National Seashore
- Camping in the Florida Panhandle
- youtube: Florida Keys outdoor travel video playlist
- youtube: Florida outdoor travel video playlist
Get the free travel guide to explore more places
From the official Florida tourism people: Get the Florida travel magazine mailed to you for free! (or get the pdf now!)
Or just browse the best places to visit in Florida: official Florida tourism website
5. Volcanoes in Hawaii
👆 Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is one of the best national parks in the US. This is one of the national parks in Hawaii.
👆 Haleakala National Park is one of the best national parks in the US. This is one of the national parks in Hawaii.
Hawaii is one of the best places to visit in America because there are just so many places where you can see the most beautiful views!
Hawaii is also the only place in the United States where you have a chance to see active flowing lava from a volcano.
And emphasis on CHANCE! Lava in Hawaii may not always be flowing and/or it may not always be visible.
For this chance to see active lava in Hawaii, you want to go to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island.
Current updates: Can you see lava in Hawaii right now?
Even if you don’t see active lava, there are old lava flows to be seen all over the Big Island. These are called lava fields.
You can see old lava flows on other Hawaiian islands too.
Maui is one of the most popular Hawaiian islands, and you can hike the South Maui lava fields and East Maui lava fields.
You can also go to Maui to see the alpine desert landscape of a dormant volcano in Haleakala National Park.
The most popular thing to do is to go to the Haleakala summit at the high altitude of 10,000 feet.
Hawaii is one of the best places in America to see turtles.
You can see turtles on all of the Hawaiian islands, and that includes the Oahu turtle beach, the Maui turtle beach, and the Big Island turtle beach.
There is a whale season in Hawaii when you have a good chance to see whales swimming in the ocean.
Plan your trip in the US:
- Maui vs Big Island
- Where to see lava fields in Hawaii
- Things to do in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Things to do in Haleakala National Park
- 7 days on the Big Island of Hawaii
- 3 days on Maui Hawaii
- Best state park on Maui
- Best hikes in Hawaii
- youtube: Maui outdoor travel video playlist
- Where to see lava fields in Idaho
Get the free travel guide to explore more places
From the official Hawaii tourism people: Get the Hawaii travel magazine mailed to you for free! (or get the pdf now!)
Or just browse the best places to visit in Hawaii: official Hawaii tourism website
6. Mountains in Wyoming
👆 Grand Teton National Park is one of the best national parks in the US. This is one of the national parks in Wyoming.
👆 Wyoming is one of the best places to visit in America: There are several national forests in Wyoming that are in the mountains, including Medicine Bow National Forest.
Wyoming is one of the best places to visit in America because you can see some of the most beautiful mountain views in America!
The most famous mountain views in Wyoming are in Grand Teton National Park.
You can also get beautiful mountain views in America by driving (and/or hiking!) through Bighorn National Forest and Medicine Bow National Forest.
You can stay in a national forest cabin in Wyoming too!
Plan your trip in the US:
- Best hikes in Wyoming
- Things to do in Grand Teton National Park
- Driving through Grand Teton National Park
- Snowy Range Scenic Byway
- 7 days in Wyoming road trip
- youtube: Wyoming outdoor travel video playlist
Get the free travel guide to explore more places
From the official Wyoming tourism people: Get the Wyoming travel magazine mailed to you for free! (or get the pdf now!)
Or just browse the places places to visit in Wyoming: official Wyoming tourism website
7. Yellowstone National Park
👆 Yellowstone National Park is one of the best national parks in the US. This is one of the national parks in Wyoming.
Most of Yellowstone National Park is in Wyoming which is another reason that Wyoming is one of the best places to visit in America.
And Yellowstone is so special that it also gets its own individual mention!
What makes Yellowstone so special is that it is a supervolcano. 🌋
Because of this, there are sooo many natural thermal features that you can see all over Yellowstone National Park.
This includes geyser eruptions, colorful hot springs, bubbling mudpots, and steam vents!
You can get a glimpse of a bunch of different thermal features that makes Yellowstone special with just one day in Yellowstone!
Plan your trip in the US:
- Things to do in Yellowstone National Park
- Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone road trip
- Chicago to Yellowstone road trip
- youtube: Yellowstone video playlist
8. Badlands in South Dakota
The badlands are all about seeing unique rock formations.
The most famous badlands in America are in South Dakota.
To see the South Dakota badlands, you will go to Badlands National Park.
You can also go to the North Dakota badlands and the Nebraska badlands.
👆 Oglala National Grassland is one of the best national grasslands in the US. This is in the state of Nebraska.
Plan your trip in the US:
- Things to do in Badlands National Park
- Best places to visit in South Dakota
- Best campgrounds in South Dakota
- Badlands National Park to Yellowstone road trip
- North Dakota national park badlands
- Nebraska badlands
- youtube: South Dakota outdoor travel video playlist
- youtube: North Dakota outdoor travel video playlist
- youtube: Buffalo video playlist
Get the free travel guide to explore more places
From the official South Dakota tourism people: Get the South Dakota travel magazine mailed to you for free! (or get the pdf now!)
Or just browse the best places to visit in South Dakota: official South Dakota tourism website
9. California Pacific Coast Highway
👆 El Matador Beach is one of the best beaches in America. This is in the state of California. You get there by driving the Pacific Coast Highway. Or, you can get to Malibu by bus from Los Angeles!
California is one of the best places to visit in America because you can do one of the most epic road trips in America.
It’s the Pacific Coast Highway!
The Pacific Coast Highway goes along the states of Washington, Oregon, and California.
In California, you can drive the Pacific Coast Highway all the way from Northern California to Southern California. Or, you can focus on just one section!
Whether you go to Big Sur and the Central Coast or Malibu and Southern California, you will get some of the most beautiful views in America along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Plan your trip in the US:
Get the free travel guide
From the official California tourism people: Get the California travel magazine mailed to you for free! (or get the pdf now!)
Or just browse the best places to visit in California: official California tourism website
And that’s a bit about the best places to visit in the United States!
The quick list of best outdoor attractions to visit in the US:
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Zion National Park
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
- Niagara Falls
- Florida Keys
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Grand Teton National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
- Badlands National Park
- Pacific Coast Highway
The quick list of best states to visit in the US:
HAPPY PLANNING YOUR GREAT AMERICAN OUTDOORS TRIP!