This list of the 10 best places to visit in the USA is a terrific present for all the adventurers in your life; it will have you yearning to explore this great nation. Featuring the most beautiful, exciting, and inspirational sites to visit in the United States, this is a great gift for all of the adventurers in your life. Continue reading our travel guide before gathering your belongings for your trip to learn about some of the most exciting destinations in the United States.

Table of Contents

Adirondacks, New York State

Located between Albany and the Canadian border, this huge northern region is bigger than both Connecticut and Rhode Island put together, making the majestic Adirondacks difficult to top. Forty-six of its summits are higher than 4,000 feet. Travel there in the summer to view the purple-green mountains that reach the horizon in a succession of tree-shrouded terraces.

At the end of the year, you’ll be treated to a dazzling display of crimson and gold. Whereas its rough wildness was formerly known only to fur trappers, loggers, and Manhattan billionaires, now it is a popular destination for mountaineers, skiers, and hikers.

Whiteface Mountain, Adirondacks, New York © nyker/Shutterstock

Maine

The state of Maine lives up to its “the way life should be” slogan, especially for those who value freedom of movement and privacy when on vacation.

Its woods, lakes, and coastal towns are perfect for a relaxing vacation, particularly if you like trying new foods and drinks. Many lobster shacks compete for your business. Brewery tours and other regional food adventures are a great way to spend time and learn about the area.


Plus, while being as large as the other five New England states, Maine has only about as many permanent residents as Rhode Island, making it the ideal spot for some quiet introspection.

Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park © Maine Office of Tourism

Manhattan, New York City

In most people’s minds, New York automatically conjures up images of the breathtaking skyline of Manhattan. You might also want to see it from the Empire State Building observation deck, 102 stories high (for the best views, plan your visit so that you get there around sunset and get an express entry ticket to skip the lines). One of Manhattan’s most recognizable landmarks, Central Park is a fantastic location to go for a stroll, ride a bike or electric scooter, or enjoy a sunset drink in one of the many picturesque spots around the park. It is one of the best places to visit in the USA.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a must-see destination for art lovers and culture vultures alike. Getting a skip-the-line ticket ahead of time is a good idea since you could spend weeks wandering around the Met without a plan. Oh, and although you should visit all these famous landmarks, don’t forget that New York also has many hidden gems that tourists often overlook.

New York City skyline dominated by the iconic Empire State Building – still one of the best places in the USA © Shutterstock

Chicago

The skyline of Chicago is one of the first things that catches the eye of most tourists. Chicago is home to some of the world’s most impressive examples of contemporary architecture, from Mies van der Rohe’s designs for the Illinois Institute of Technology to the Willis Tower, which stands 110 stories tall (and may be appreciated best on an architecture-focused river cruise).


The city’s live music culture, especially its jazz and blues clubs that pump out atmosphere and great melodies till the wee hours, is perhaps its most beloved attraction, even more so than the majestic Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago. Many enjoyable activities in Chicago do not cost anything, so a visit there need not break the wallet.

Chicago River © Mark Baldwin/Shutterstock

Indiana Dunes National Park

Indiana Dunes National Park rewards tourists with an amazing variety of scenery along its more than 15 miles of shoreline on the southern edge of Lake Michigan. You’ll also find wetlands, prairies, pine forests, rivers, and well-known historic dunes. As a result, the park offers particularly rich habitats for birdlife, with more than 50 kilometers of paths to explore for walkers and wildlife watchers.


Highlights include the Great Marsh behind Dunbar Beach, the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk (ideal in spring for migratory birds), and Mount Baldy Beach, with its imposing 126-foot-tall dune. One of the best places to visit in the USA.

Michigan City Lighthouse from Washington Park, Michigan City, Indiana © Jaclyn Novak/Shutterstock

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan provides an abundance of breathtaking, get-away-from-it-all coastline scenery. It spans 42 miles of Lake Superior and features a breathtaking combination of colorful cliffs, undulating dunes, and remote sandy beaches, which are probably best seen from a boat.


Travel from the little town of Grand Marais to Munising while watching the impressive Log Slide dune and the Miners’ Castle geological formation. Some trails extend from Highway 58 to the seashore, making this a popular place for hikers.

Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore, Upper Peninsula, Michigan © Lattasit Laohasiriwong/Shutterstock

Black Hills, South Dakota

Where the Midwest and the West meet is where you’ll find South Dakota’s Black Hills, which climb a hundred miles above the plains between the Belle Fourche and the Cheyenne rivers. Even today, the Sioux can’t say enough about how much they mean to them. In spiritual terms, they stand for a fortress, a meeting point between warriors and Wakan Tanka (the Great Spirit). Nowadays, people picture prairie dogs and bison when they think of the Black Hills.


Epic outdoor excursions include seeing landmarks like Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Wind Cave National Park, and the ancient Flume Trail.

Mount Rushmore National Monument in the Black Hills, South Dakota © Shutterstock

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, nestled between Texas and Kansas, originally gained international attention because of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s debut musical. The state was also one of the worst impacted during the Great Depression of the 1930s, as shown in John Steinbeck’s book (and John Ford’s film) The Grapes of Wrath and the music of hometown hero Woody Guthrie.
Oklahoma is home to 39 sovereign Native American tribes. Its name comes from the Choctaw word for “red man.” Today, tourists are drawn to the state’s Americana-filled Route 66, artistic Tulsa, the revitalised capital of Oklahoma City, and great museums about Native American history.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma © Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Big Bend National Park, Texas

One of the biggest, most isolated, and least frequented national parks in the United States is Big Bend National Park in Texas. Considering the country’s abundance of breathtaking national parks, it is also among the most eerily gorgeous. An awe-inspiring ancient legacy of 9000-year-old fossils has been uncovered that complements the area’s tranquility, making it ideal for various outdoor activities, including hiking, boating, and birding.


A stunning 800,000 acres of desert and mountains covered in forest. The Apache thought the Great Spirit dumped the boulders from the world’s creation in the desert. One of the less visited and best places to visit in the USA. You don’t have to worry about the crowd.

Chisos Mountains at sunrise in Big Bend National Park – one of the less visited great places in the USA © Zack Frank/Shutterstock

Monument Valley, Utah

Monument Valley in Utah is a classic Western setting, with sandstone buttes and pinnacles protruding from a seemingly endless plain of red sand. Located on the border between Arizona and Utah, this area is so majestic that it will leave you speechless.


The valley is still a cultural bastion for the Navajo people, making a trip there a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Even though a visit to Monument Valley at any time of day is sure to leave you in awe, there’s something particularly enchanting about seeing it after sunset.