Bucket-list natural wonders
Scenic Landmarks — America’s Iconic Natural Wonders
Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley, the Wave — the slot canyons, river overlooks, rock formations, and sea wonders people road-trip across states to see. With the one thing each one needs: how you actually get to visit.
57landmarks7kinds20states
Natural wonder
6Overlooks
WisconsinDevil’s LakeQuartzite bluffs over a glacial lakeUtahGoosenecksFive river miles inside one mile of canyonArkansasHawksbill CragArkansas’s most photographed cliff jutArizonaHorseshoe BendThe Colorado River’s 270° bend, 1,000 feet downHawaiiMauna KeaA 13,803-ft sacred summit above the cloudsHawaiiWaimea Canyon“The Grand Canyon of the Pacific” on Kauai
Natural wonder
5Slot Canyons
ArizonaAntelope CanyonThe light-beam slot canyon on Navajo landUtah & ArizonaBuckskin GulchThe longest slot canyon in the SouthwestUtahLittle Wild HorseThe Southwest’s most family-friendly slot loopUtahPeek-a-Boo & SpookyEscalante’s twin no-permit slot canyonsUtahZebra SlotPink-and-white striped slot walls
Natural wonder
19Rock Formations
ArizonaBell RockSedona’s iconic bell-shaped butte & vortexNevadaCathedral GorgeCathedral-like spires and slot caves of soft clayNebraskaChimney RockThe Oregon Trail’s most famous landmarkNorth CarolinaChimney Rock (NC)A 315-ft monolith over Hickory Nut GorgeCaliforniaDevils PostpileA cliff of perfect basalt columnsTexasEnchanted RockA giant pink granite dome in the Hill CountryColoradoGarden of the GodsRed sandstone fins under Pikes Peak — and freeArizonaHole-in-the-RockA natural sandstone window over PhoenixUtahMexican HatA 60-ft sombrero balanced on a rock pedestalKansasMonument RocksCretaceous chalk spires on the high plainsArizona & UtahMonument ValleyThe mittens and buttes of the classic WesternVirginiaNatural Bridge (VA)A 215-ft limestone arch Jefferson once ownedUtahRainbow BridgeThe world’s largest natural bridgeWest VirginiaSeneca RocksA sheer quartzite fin and climbing meccaNew MexicoShiprockA 1,500-ft volcanic monolith sacred to the DinéOregonSmith RockThe birthplace of American sport climbingArizonaThe WaveThe undulating sandstone bowl made famous worldwideUtahToadstool HoodoosBalanced-rock hoodoos on an easy desert walkArizonaWhite PocketBrain-coral sandstone with no permit lottery
Natural wonder
8Desert Wonders
UtahAntelope IslandA bison island in the Great Salt LakeUtahBonneville Salt FlatsA blinding-white salt plain and land-speed meccaUtahFactory ButteA lone butte on a Martian moonscapeNevadaFly GeyserA surreal, technicolor geyser in the desertTexasMarfa LightsUnexplained desert lights since the 1880sArizonaMeteor CraterThe best-preserved impact crater on EarthCaliforniaMono LakeAncient tufa towers rising from an alkaline lakeUtahSpiral JettyRobert Smithson’s 1970 earthwork on the Great Salt Lake
Natural wonder
8Coast & Sea
WisconsinApostle Islands CavesLake Superior sea caves — kayak or iceCaliforniaGlass BeachA beach of sea-tumbled glass jewelsOregonHaystack RockA 235-ft sea stack with tide pools & puffinsCaliforniaLa Jolla Sea CavesSea caves, sea lions & a turquoise coveCaliforniaMcWay FallsAn 80-ft waterfall onto a Big Sur cove beachHawaiiNā Pali CoastKauai’s emerald sea cliffs — by trail, boat, or airCaliforniaPfeiffer BeachPurple sand and the Keyhole Arch sunbeamOregonThor’s WellThe Pacific appearing to drain into the sea
Natural wonder
8Gorge & Falls
GeorgiaCloudland CanyonA 1,000-ft canyon with two waterfallsTexasHamilton PoolA collapsed grotto and waterfall outside AustinColoradoHanging LakeA turquoise travertine lake fed by waterfallsOhioHocking HillsRecessed caves, gorges & falls in the MidwestNew YorkLetchworth“The Grand Canyon of the East,” three big fallsPennsylvaniaRicketts GlenTwenty-one waterfalls on one trailGeorgiaTallulah GorgeA 1,000-ft gorge with a swinging suspension bridgeNew YorkWatkins GlenNineteen waterfalls in a two-mile Finger Lakes gorge
Natural wonder
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