Looking for the best tourist spots in the USA that are actually worth your time?
From jaw-dropping natural wonders to mind-blowing man-made landmarks, this country is full of epic places just waiting to be explored.
Nobody wants to waste their time on crowded tourist traps that don’t live up to expectations so we’ve rounded up the top destinations that will leave you in awe.
You might be surprised by how much these attractions have to offer, from stunning views to unforgettable experiences.
Ready to discover the hidden gems and famous icons that deserve a spot on your bucket list?
1. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
Rating: 4.9/5
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is home to over 100 spectacular underground caves formed by natural limestone erosion.
The main attraction, Carlsbad Cavern, features a massive chamber called the Big Room, one of the largest in North America, filled with stunning rock formations like stalactites and stalagmites.
You can explore the caverns through a self-guided walk or take guided tours to deeper, more hidden areas.
Above ground, the park offers beautiful desert landscapes and hiking trails.
Fun fact: at sunset, you can watch thousands of bats fly out of the cave’s entrance in a dramatic evening flight!
2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee/North Carolina
Rating: 4.9/5
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, straddling Tennessee and North Carolina, is the most visited national park in the U.S. and is known for its mist-covered peaks and incredible biodiversity.
The park has over 800 miles of hiking trails, including the popular Appalachian Trail, and is perfect for spotting wildlife like black bears, elk and deer.
You can explore lush forests, cascading waterfalls and scenic drives like the famous Cades Cove Loop.
In the fall, the mountains explode with brilliant colors, making it a top spot for leaf-peeping.
Fun fact: the Smokies get their name from the natural fog that looks like smoke rising from the valleys!
3. National Mall, Washington, D.C.
Rating: 4.8/5
The National Mall in Washington, D.C. is a must-see spot packed with history and famous landmarks.
It’s a huge park that stretches between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, making it the perfect place for a scenic walk.
Known for its iconic monuments like the Washington Monument and World War II Memorial, the Mall is also home to some of the best free museums in the world, including the Smithsonian Museums.
You can picnic, people-watch or even paddleboat in the nearby Tidal Basin.
Fun fact: it’s over 2 miles long so wear comfy shoes!
4. Niagara Falls, New York State
Rating: 4.8/5
Niagara Falls is one of the most jaw-dropping natural wonders you’ll ever see!
It’s famous for its three massive waterfalls—Horseshoe, American, and Bridal Veil—that together dump over 3,100 tons of water every second.
You can get up close to the falls on the Maid of the Mist boat ride, or feel the spray from the viewing platforms at Niagara Falls State Park.
At night, the falls are lit up with colorful lights, and in winter, the falls become surrounded by ice turning them into a sparkling icy wonderland.
Pro tip: Don’t forget your raincoat—you *will* get soaked!
5. Garden of the Gods, Colorado
Rating: 4.8/5
Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs is a breathtaking park known for its towering red rock formations that seem to pop out of nowhere.
These massive sandstone rocks, some over 300 feet tall, make it a popular spot for hiking, rock climbing and photography.
The park has 21 miles of trails, including the Perkins Central Garden Trail which is a well-known easy, paved loop that brings you close to famous formations like Kissing Camels and Balanced Rock.
It’s free to visit and offers stunning views of Pikes Peak in the background.
Fun fact: the unique rock formations are over 300 million years old!
6. Balboa Park, San Diego, California
Rating: 4.8/5
Balboa Park in San Diego is a massive urban park packed with museums, gardens and fun activities for all ages.
Covering 1,200 acres, it’s home to 18 museums, including the San Diego Museum of Art and the Natural History Museum, plus the famous San Diego Zoo.
The park’s stunning Spanish-style architecture, lush gardens like the Botanical Building, and walking paths make it perfect for a relaxing day out.
You can even catch live performances at the Old Globe Theatre or just enjoy a picnic under the palm trees.
Fun fact: Balboa Park is even bigger than New York’s Central Park!
7. Zion National Park, Utah
Rating: 4.8/5
Zion National Park is a stunning wonderland of towering red cliffs, lush valleys and winding rivers.
It’s famous for its incredible hiking trails, like Angels Landing, which offers heart-pounding views from high above the canyon.
The park’s slot canyons, like The Narrows, let you wade through crystal-clear water with sheer rock walls rising on either side.
Zion is also home to diverse wildlife, including bighorn sheep and golden eagles.
For a more relaxed experience, you can take a scenic drive or hop on the free shuttle.
Interestingly, Zion was actually Utah’s first national park and was established in 1919!
8. The Grand Canyon, Arizona
Rating: 4.8/5
The Grand Canyon is one of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders on Earth, stretching 277 miles long and plunging over a mile deep.
Its colorful layers of rock tell a story of nearly 2 billion years of Earth’s history, and the views from the rim are absolutely breathtaking.
You can hike down into the canyon on trails like Bright Angel, or just enjoy the vistas from popular spots like Mather Point.
Plus, the Colorado River winds through the bottom, offering thrilling rafting trips for those seeking adventure.
Did you know that the Grand Canyon is so big, it can create its own weather patterns?
9. Central Park, New York City
Rating: 4.8/5
NYC’s Central Park is a massive green oasis right in the middle of Manhattan, offering 843 acres of beautiful scenery and fun activities.
It’s famous for its wide open spaces, peaceful lakes and iconic spots like Bow Bridge and Bethesda Fountain.
You can go for a bike ride, take a horse-drawn carriage or even row a boat on the lake.
The park also features the Central Park Zoo, endless walking paths and plenty of spots for a relaxing picnic.
Fun fact: Central Park was the first major landscaped public park in the U.S., designed in 1858!
10. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
Rating: 4.8/5
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world, stretching 1.7 miles across the bay.
With its iconic orange-red towers rising 746 feet above the water, it’s an unforgettable sight, especially when it peeks through the fog.
You can walk or bike across the bridge for stunning views of the city, Alcatraz and the Pacific Ocean.
There’s also a visitor center where you can learn all about its construction and history.
Fun fact: the bridge’s color is called “International Orange” and it was chosen to help it stand out in the fog!
11. Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii
Rating: 4.8/5
Pearl Harbor, located on the island of Oahu, is a historic site where a surprise attack during World War II changed the course of U.S. history.
It’s most famous for the USS Arizona Memorial, which floats above the sunken battleship, honoring the sailors who lost their lives on December 7, 1941.
You can explore museums, see actual wartime artifacts and even take a boat ride to the memorial itself.
The site also includes the Battleship Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum for a deeper dive into military history.
Interestingly, the USS Arizona still leaks a small amount of oil, known as “tears of the Arizona,” into the harbor to this day!
12. Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
Rating: 4.8/5
Fenway Park in Boston is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium still in use, and it’s home to the legendary Boston Red Sox.
Opened in 1912, this historic ballpark is famous for its quirky features like the 37-foot-tall “Green Monster” left-field wall.
You can catch a game, take a guided tour or just soak in the nostalgic atmosphere of America’s pastime.
Fenway is packed with charm, from the manual scoreboard to the iconic red seat marking Ted Williams’ record-setting home run.
Fun fact: Fenway’s tight seating and odd-shaped field make every seat feel close to the action!
13. Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri
Rating: 4.7/5
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is the tallest arch in the world and a symbol of the city’s role as the “Gateway to the West.”
Standing at 630 feet, this gleaming stainless steel monument curves over the Mississippi River, offering amazing views from the top.
You can take a tram ride up to the observation deck for a bird’s-eye view of both St. Louis and the river.
The park around the Arch is perfect for a picnic, and the nearby Museum at the Gateway Arch is full of cool history.
Interestingly, the Arch is exactly as wide as it is tall!
14. The Statue of Liberty, New York City
Rating: 4.7/5
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic symbols of freedom in the world.
Standing 305 feet tall on Liberty Island, Lady Liberty holds her torch high, welcoming visitors and immigrants since 1886.
You can take a ferry to the island, explore the pedestal or even climb up to her crown for a breathtaking view of the city and harbor.
The nearby Ellis Island Immigration Museum tells the story of millions who passed through here on their way to a new life in America.
Fun fact: her full name is “Liberty Enlightening the World”!
15. Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota
Rating: 4.7/5
Mount Rushmore is a massive, iconic sculpture featuring the faces of four U.S. presidents—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln—carved into a granite mountainside.
Standing 60 feet tall, these detailed faces were completed in 1941 and symbolize the birth, growth, development and preservation of the country.
You can walk the Presidential Trail for closer views or visit the Sculptor’s Studio to learn about how the monument was made.
Plus, the surrounding Black Hills offer great hiking and scenic drives.
Fun fact: it took 14 years to carve the presidents’ faces!
16. Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
Rating: 4.7/5
Mammoth Cave is the longest cave system in the world, with over 420 miles of explored tunnels—and they’re still discovering more!
This underground wonder is packed with incredible formations like stalactites and stalagmites, plus vast chambers and narrow passageways.
You can take guided tours to explore the cave’s eerie beauty, ranging from easy walks to challenging crawls through tight spaces.
Above ground, the park also has tons of great hiking trails, rivers for kayaking and lots of wildlife.
Fun fact: the passages at Mammoth Cave have been forming for over 10 million years!
17. Hoover Dam, Nevada/Arizona
Rating: 4.7/5
The Hoover Dam, located on the border of Nevada and Arizona, is an engineering marvel that has been holding back the mighty Colorado River since 1935.
Standing at 726 feet tall and 1,244 feet long, it’s one of the tallest dams in the world and provides hydroelectric power to millions of people across the Southwest.
You can take a guided tour inside the dam to see its inner workings or walk along the top for stunning views of Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the U.S.
Fun fact: enough concrete was used in the Hoover Dam to build a highway from San Francisco to New York City!
18. San Antonio RiverWalk, San Antonio, Texas
Rating: 4.7/5
The San Antonio RiverWalk is a vibrant and picturesque network of pathways along the San Antonio River, lined with restaurants, shops and beautiful greenery.
It’s a top destination for both locals and tourists as it offers a lively atmosphere day and night.
You can take a leisurely stroll, enjoy a boat tour or even dine al fresco at one of the many waterside cafés.
The RiverWalk also connects to some of the city’s key landmarks, like the Alamo and Hemisfair Park.
Fun fact: the RiverWalk is actually below street level, making it feel like a hidden oasis right in the heart of downtown!
19. Kennedy Space Center, Orlando, Florida
Rating: 4.7/5
The Kennedy Space Center in Orlando is the ultimate destination for space lovers and acts as a gateway to NASA’s past and future missions.
Known for launching rockets into space, it’s where astronauts blasted off to the Moon and beyond!
You can explore real spacecraft, see the massive Saturn V rocket and even meet an astronaut.
Don’t miss the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, where you can get an up-close look at the legendary shuttle.
Fun fact: if you time your visit right, you might even witness a live rocket launch from the visitor complex!
20. Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois
Rating: 4.7/5
Chicago’s Millennium Park is a vibrant urban park known for its modern art, stunning architecture and outdoor events.
Its most famous feature is “The Bean” (officially called Cloud Gate) which is a giant, shiny sculpture where you can see the city’s skyline reflected in its mirrored surface.
The park also features the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, an open-air concert venue, and Lurie Garden, a peaceful spot filled with greenery.
You can also enjoy free concerts, public art displays and skating in the winter.
Fun fact: Millennium Park was built on top of an old rail yard and parking lot!
21. Space Needle, Seattle, Washington
Rating: 4.6/5
Seattle’s Space Needle is a futuristic, 605-foot-tall tower that gives you unbeatable 360-degree views of the city, mountains and Puget Sound.
Built for the 1962 World’s Fair, it’s now a must-visit attraction, where you can ride an elevator up to the observation deck in just 41 seconds.
Up top, you can stand on the glass floor and feel like you’re floating above the city!
The Loupe Lounge is located on a revolving glass floor, 500ft above Seattle, and offers a unique dining experience with ever-changing views.
Fun fact: The Space Needle was designed to look like a flying saucer on a tripod!
22. Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, Georgia
Rating: 4.6/5
The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is one of the largest aquariums in the world, home to thousands of sea creatures from all over the globe.
It’s famous for its massive tank, where you can see whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean, swimming right above your head.
There are also playful dolphins, adorable sea otters and even a chance to get up close with beluga whales.
You can walk through underwater tunnels, watch exciting animal shows and learn all about marine life.
Fun fact: the aquarium holds over 10 million gallons of water, enough to fill 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
23. The French Quarter, New Orleans
Rating: 4.5/5
The French Quarter in New Orleans is a lively and colorful neighborhood full of history, music and amazing food.
Known for its charming, old-world streets lined with French and Spanish architecture, it’s the heart of the city’s famous Mardi Gras celebrations.
Stroll down Bourbon Street to hear live jazz or grab beignets at Café du Monde in Jackson Square.
You can also explore historic landmarks like St. Louis Cathedral or take a ghost tour through the Quarter’s haunted spots.
Fun fact: the French Quarter is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, dating back to 1718!
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