America the Beautiful
Katharine Lee Bates penned the poem “America the Beautiful” on a trip to the top of Pike’s Peak in Colorado Springs in 1893. But the poem that would later become an American anthem could have been written from so many other spectacular settings in the United States. Travel across the country as we take a look at one magnificent natural wonder in each of the 50 states.
Alabama – Dismals Canyon
This sandstone gorge tucked away in North Alabama earned National Natural Landmark status in 1975, and it remains largely under the radar despite its immense beauty. A 1.5-mile hiking trail winds along the canyon floor, through an old-growth sunken forest. At night, bioluminescent “glowworms,” called Dismalites, light up the canyon.
Alaska – Denali
The vast expanses of wilderness in the largest state mean visitors have plenty of natural wonders to choose from, none quite so iconic as Denali. The “roof of North America” peaks at 20,310 feet. It’s only visible one out of every three days (due to cloud cover), but it’s well worth the wait to catch a glimpse of the Great One from Park Road.
Arizona – Antelope Canyon
Winding, wave-like walls, and light beaming down from above, make this sandstone slot canyon near Page, Arizona a favorite among photographers and artists. The Navajo name for the canyon, “Tse’ bighanilini,” means “the place where water runs through rock,” speaking to its creation by erosion over millions of years.
Arkansas – Buffalo National River
The Buffalo National River was established as the nation’s first National River in 1972. This natural wonder flows for 135 miles through the Ozark Mountains and remains one of the few un-dammed rivers in the continental U.S. During the summer months, visitors in canoes, rafts and kayaks take to the river, floating past its rock bluffs and waterfalls.
California – Avenue of the Giants
While taller redwoods exist in California, it’s hard to beat the awe-factor of the Avenue of Giants. This stretch of road that parallels historic Highway 101 winds for 32 miles through Humboldt Redwoods State Park with a veritable wall of towering trunks to either side.
Stop at one of several hiking trails along the way to feel the soft, spongy forest floor beneath your feet.
Colorado – Great Sand Dunes
The tallest sand dunes in North America undulate beneath the shadows of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. This dune field, protected by its own national park, stretches for some 30 square miles, with individual dunes measuring up to 750 feet tall.
By day, park visitors come to sled down the soft sand; by night, the dark skies above the remote dunes set the scene for stargazing.
Connecticut – Kent Falls
Kent Falls State Park in the scenic Litchfield Hills of Connecticut gets its name from the 250-foot series of cascading waterfalls along the Housatonic River. Hike through the pine forest to the top of the falls, or cool off in the mountain water at its base.
Delaware – Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
This Delaware wildlife refuge protects one of the mid-Atlantic’s largest tidal salt marshes. It’s also one of the best spots in the nation for birdwatching, as hundreds of thousands of birds use it as a stop on their annual migration routes. Navigate the 12-mile wildlife drive to access the refuge’s walking trails, observation towers and other interpretive displays.
Florida – Three Sisters Springs
If you want to see manatees in the wild, spend some time at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Three Sisters Springs serves as a winter habitat for these gentle giants, who migrate to the springs to keep warm in the 72-degree waters. See the manatees from the boardwalk, or get a closer look by swimming, snorkeling or paddling in the turquoise water.
Georgia – Providence Canyon
Stand above Providence Canyon, one of Georgia’s Seven Natural Wonders, and you’ll quickly see why it’s nicknamed the “Little Grand Canyon.” Erosion of Georgia’s Coastal Plain from poor farming practices created the canyon. Come in the summer to see the rare Plumleaf Azalea in bloom.
Hawaii – Waimea Canyon
“The Grand Canyon of the Pacific” might be smaller and newer than its Arizona counterpart, but at 14 miles long, 1 mile wide and 3,600 feet deep, it’s still spectacular. Come on a sunny day after a spell of rain for the best views of the Kauai canyon and its gushing waterfalls.
Idaho – Shoshone Falls
This waterfall along the Snake River, near the edge of Twin Falls, Idaho, is 212 feet tall – taller than Niagara Falls. The 900-foot-wide Shoshone Falls is at its most impressive in spring, when snow melt rushes through its gorges.
Illinois – Pomona Natural Bridge
This natural sandstone bridge extends 90 feet across a verdant ravine inside Shawnee National Forest. The easy hiking trail leading to the Pomona Natural Bridge passes through a forest of beech, oak and hickory trees along the way.
Indiana – McCormick’s Creek
McCormick’s Creek State Park, Indiana’s first, protects the eponymous creek as it flows through a spectacular limestone canyon. Hike along the creek to see its impressive waterfalls.
Iowa – Loess Hills
Near the end of the last ice age, winds formed dunes of soil along the Missouri River flood plain on the western border of Iowa. Today, the hills cover more than 1,080 square miles, accessed by the 220-mile Loess Hills Scenic Byway (and an additional 185 miles of scenic loops).
Kansas – Monument Rocks
Considered one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas, the Monument Rocks are comprised of Cretaceous chalk formations, some standing up to 70 feet tall, that look a bit like a natural Stonehenge. The rocks contain a plethora of fossils dating back to when the area was underwater (part of the Western Interior Seaway).
Kentucky – Mammoth Cave
Below the earth’s surface in Kentucky lies one of the world’s longest known cave systems. Mammoth Caves comprise more than 400 miles of mapped subterranean passageways that have been explored by humans for more than 4,000 years.
The caves, protected by Mammoth Cave National Park, are also a UNESCO World Heritage site and International Biosphere Reserve.
Louisiana – Atchafalaya Basin
Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin covers 14 parishes in the state, providing an enormous natural habitat of swamps, lakes and water prairies rich in wildlife.
More than 300 bird species have been spotted in the basin, including the largest population of wintering American woodcock on the continent and the largest concentration of nesting bald eagles in the south central United States.
Maine – Gulf Hagas
The Appalachian Trail leads to Gulf Hagas, “The Grand Canyon of Maine.” This 400-foot-deep gorge features waterfalls, swimming holes and chutes amid an old-growth pine forest. Visitors can explore the area via an 8-mile loop, where it’s sometimes possible to spot moose and deer.
Maryland – Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay, North America’s largest estuary, offers serene beauty in spades, whether you’re exploring its marshes, sandy beaches, wetlands or open waters. Nearly a million waterfowl stop on the bay during their annual migration, making it an excellent spot for birdwatching along the Atlantic Migratory Bird Flyway.
Massachusetts – Monument Mountain
Literary giants the likes of Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne drew inspiration from the views at the 1,642-foot peak of Monument Mountain. Some 20,000 hikers walk in their footsteps to enjoy the scenery each year. Three trails offer views over the Catskill Mountains all the way to Mount Greylock.
Michigan – Pictured Rocks
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (the first National Lakeshore in the National Park System) gets its name from the towering sandstone cliffs along the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. These cliffs, measuring between 50 to 200 feet tall, stretch for nearly 15 miles, with the most colorful section just east of Miners Beach.
Minnesota – Minnehaha Falls
The stunning Minnehaha Falls plummets 53 feet into a gorge in Minnehaha Falls Regional Park. This urban park, one of the most popular in the Minneapolis area, features views of the Mississippi River, as well as trails passing through oak, elm, maple and cottonwood forests.
Mississippi – Greenville Cypress Preserve
This 16-acre cypress preserve, near the town of Greenville, Mississippi, offers a quiet place to walk amid meadows, cypress brakes and bottomland hardwood forests. The preserve protects three stands of cypress trees that are absolutely enchanting.
Missouri – Johnson’s Shut-Ins
Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park in Missouri gets its name from the series of private pools formed over thousands of years as the Black River gradually eroded the volcanic stone. This natural water park in the Ozarks makes the ideal setting for summer swimming and splashing.
Montana – Chinese Wall
Montana has no shortage of natural wonders, but one of the most alluring (and least crowded) is the Chinese Wall. This limestone spine stretches for 22 miles along the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, towering more than 1,000 feet at points. The wall, located inside the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area, makes up part of the Continental Divide.
Nebraska – Scotts Bluff
For much of America’s history, the rocky formations within Scotts Bluff National Monument served as a landmark for travelers along the Oregon, Mormon Pioneer, Pony Express and California Trails. The bluff towers 800 feet above the plains of western Nebraska.
Nevada – Cathedral Gorge
A narrow valley in southeastern Nevada is home to an impressive gorge carved into the soft bentonite clay. Cathedral Gorge State Park offers numerous walking trails for enjoying the spires, cave-like formations and scenic canyons.
New Hampshire – Flume Gorge
This natural gorge at the base of Mount Liberty extends for some 800 feet, with walls rising as high as 90 feet, at points as narrow as 12 feet apart. Visitors can explore the gorge by hiking a one-way, two-mile loop trail through the fern and moss-filled Flume Gorge.
New Jersey – Great Falls of the Passaic River
The Great Falls of the Passaic River is second only to Niagara Falls for waterfalls by volume east of the Mississippi. The 77-foot-tall falls is of historical importance as well; it was here that Alexander Hamilton founded the city of Paterson in 1792 as the first planned city built around a hydropower system.
New Mexico – Bisti Badlands
This 60-square-mile expanse of badlands in the Four Corners area of New Mexico features hoodoos of all shapes and sizes formed by erosion of the sandstone, shale and mudstone layers over thousands of years. The Bisti / De-Na-Zin Wilderness looks truly extraterrestrial.
New York – Niagara Falls
Some 3,100 tons of water flow over Niagara Falls each second. Today, the falls sit within Niagara Falls State Park, the oldest state park in the U.S. and among the most popular. Whether you’re viewing the falls from the U.S. or Canadian site, they’re nothing short of magnificent.
North Carolina – Chimney Rock
One of the most identifiable landmarks in Western North Carolina sits within Chimney Rock State Park. The 315-foot rocky outcrop affords phenomenal views of Hickory Nut Gorge and the Rocky Broad River for visitors who climb the 499 steps to the top (or ride the elevator).
North Dakota – Cannonball Concretions
If you’re driving through the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, be sure to pull over to see the Cannonball Concretions. These geologic oddities, set just off the road, measure nearly 10 feet in diameter and were created by centuries of river erosion.
Ohio – Rock House
Hocking Hills State Park is home to some of the most spectacular natural scenery in Ohio. The Rock House, the only true cave in the park, sits midway up a sandstone cliff. The corridor-like cave features cutouts that serve as windows looking out over the surrounding landscape.
Oklahoma – Mountain Fork River
Oklahoma’s Mountain Fork River ranks among the best whitewater streams in the state, offering a year-round destination for trout fishing, rafting, canoeing and kayaking.
Oregon – Smith Rock
Popular with rock climbers, Smith Rock State Park outside of Bend, Oregon features a series of red-orange volcanic crags jutting up from a river canyon. One of the Seven Wonders of Oregon and the birthplace of American sport climbing, Smith Rock is also a stunning setting for hiking, biking and trail running.
Pennsylvania – Pine Creek Gorge
Pine Creek Gorge, better known as the “Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania,” measures more than 50 miles long and over 1,000 feet deep. The area is popular not only for its spectacular views, but also for its abundant wildlife, including numerous species of migratory and breeding birds.
Rhode Island – Mohegan Bluffs
The 200-foot-tall Mohegan Bluffs stand guard over one of the most beautiful beaches on Block Island. Views from the tops of the cliffs often extend across the Atlantic all the way to Montauk. A set of 141 steps leads down to the sand, a popular spot for swimming and surfing.
South Carolina – Angel Oak
This massive, ancient Southern live oak tree near Charleston towers above the ground at nearly 70 feet tall and about 25 feet in circumference. It’s named for its expansive, draping branches, whose canopy looks almost otherworldly – angelic, even. Some consider the Angel Oak the oldest thing in existence east of the Rockies, at an estimated 1,500-plus years old.
South Dakota – Badlands
The geologic deposits of the South Dakota Badlands contain one of the world’s richest fossil beds. Visitors to this 244,000-acre national park can often spot bison, bighorn sheep and other wildlife on the mixed grass prairie; visit a working paleontology lab; or enjoy ranger-led night sky programs.
Tennessee – Fall Creek Falls
Fall Creek Falls, Tennessee’s largest and most visited state park, gets its name from the 256-foot cascade – one of the highest in the eastern United States – that numbers among the park’s many other waterfalls and gorges. The park has several other notable waterfalls as well, including Piney Falls, Cane Creek Falls and Cane Creek Cascades.
Texas – Santa Elena Canyon
The Rio Grande River passes through Santa Elena Canyon, a jewel in Big Bend National Park, wending between walls that tower some 1,500 feet above the water. While it’s possible to hike into the canyon on foot, the better way to see it is on a raft trip.
Utah – Bryce Canyon Amphitheater
Some of the most famous structures within Bryce Canyon National Park can be found within the Amphitheater. Viewpoints along the rim – Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration and Bryce Points – look down into the network of cliffs and hoodoos. Both the Queens Garden and Navajo Loop Trails descend into the Amphitheater for a closer look.
Vermont – Quechee Gorge
Quechee Gorge State Park is home of Vermont’s deepest gorge, formed by glacial activity over 10,000 years ago. Viewing points along Route 4 let visitors gaze down at the flowing waters of the Ottauquechee River 165 feet below.
Virginia – Luray Caverns
These Shenandoah Valley caves were discovered in 1878 when air rushing out of a limestone sinkhole blew out the candle of Andrew Campbell, the town tinsmith. Campbell soon uncovered part of the largest cavern complex in the Eastern U.S., complete with cathedral-like chambers 10 stories high and pristine calcite formations.
Washington – Hoh Rain Forest
The Hoh Rain Forest inside Olympic National Park receives an average of 140 inches of rainfall annually, giving it the lush canopy and verdant carpet of mosses and ferns that make it so recognizable. The rainforest, one of four on the Olympic Peninsula, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve.
West Virginia – New River Gorge
Watch a sunset from Grandview in West Virginia’s New River Gorge National River, and it’s easy to see how the area got its name. The Main Overlook is 1,400 feet above the New River, offering some of the most breathtaking scenery anywhere in the park (and in the state).
Wisconsin – Apostle Islands
The windswept shore of Lake Superior is home to the stunning Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Comprised of 21 islands and 12 miles of mainland, the park is known for its rocky shoreline and sandstone cliffs, best explored by kayak.
Wyoming – Old Faithful
Half of the world’s known geothermal features and its largest concentration of geysers can be found within the bounds of Yellowstone National Park. None is so famous as Old Faithful. People from around the world come to see this geyser erupt, and it’s one of only a handful in the park that park rangers can predict with some measure of accuracy.