Discover America's best hidden natural wonders: 12 breathtaking views to explore

USA Today

19 hours ago

Discover America's best hidden natural wonders: 12 breathtaking views to explore These are the Most Treasured Views in America
The American landscape envies none. If you're looking for the kind of view that takes your breath away – without the crowds that come with more famous landmarks, we've got you covered. Across the United States, there are countless natural wonders that often fly under the radar, offering stunning landscapes, rich history and space to roam.
This is part of a new USA TODAY network project showcasing breathtaking – and perhaps, underappreciated – views throughout the United States. These are some of the most beautiful landmarks, scenic vistas and hidden gems you can truly treasure throughout the nation.
Here are 12 of our favorites:
Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
Glacier Bay National Park, in southeast Alaska, is a jaw-dropping wilderness where massive tidewater glaciers calve into icy waters and humpback whales surface with breathtaking grace. The park is accessible primarily by boat or plane. Most visitors arrive via cruise ship or guided excursion from Juneau, which is reachable by air from Seattle. Once in the park, expect a surreal landscape of snow-capped mountains, deep fjords, and glacial ice in hues of aquamarine. — USA TODAY staff
Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
One of Arizona's most photographed and Instagrammed sites, Horseshoe Bend is near the Arizona-Utah state line where the Colorado River flows. It's part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and is adjacent to the Navajo Nation. Horseshoe Bend's name comes from the sinuous river meander around a sandstone formation.
It has a lot in common with the Grand Canyon: Horseshoe Bend was carved out by the Colorado River over millions of years and is one of Arizona's most visited natural landmarks. It costs $10 to park a car or $5 to park a motorcycle at Horseshoe Bend. The closest town is Page, about 5 miles north. More info at: horseshoebend.co. — Michael Salerno, Arizona Republic
Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Found in southern Colorado, Great Sand Dunes National Park is home to the tallest dunes in North America. The dunes are an incredible sight to behold during the day, but the park is also an International Dark Sky Park at night that features some of the best stargazing opportunities in the nation. In a state with thousands of breathtaking views, the combination of daytime and nighttime sightseeing is unmatched at Great Sand Dunes National Park. — David Dishman, The Coloradoan
Gordon's Pond Trail, Delaware
What makes Gordon's Pond Trail special? These trails offer a coastal vibe that can linger from the summer into autumn. They are known for coastal views and bird watching. These trails are primarily flat. The surface of the Gordon's Pond Trail is a mix of crushed stone and boardwalk, so it's a great option for walkers and anyone on wheels, too.
Great blue herons, green herons, great egrets, snowy egrets, dunlins, sanderlings and other sorts of shorebirds abound, making for great photography, too. — Delaware News Journal
Jekyll Island's Driftwood Beach, Georgia
A short hike through scrubby marsh and undulating dunes leads to one of Georgia's most breathtaking sites: a sculpture garden handcrafted over centuries by wind, salt and water. Jekyll Island's Driftwood Beach is the final resting place of live oaks and other trees that were around when Gilded Age families with names like Vanderbilt and Rockefeller 'wintered' at the exclusive Jekyll Island Club.
Once tethered to the uplands, beach erosion and storms have liberated them from their sentinels, tossing them in gnarled heaps along the north end of the island where tides both soften and harden their resolve. — Savannah Morning News
Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii
Rising 10,023 feet above sea level, Haleakalā is a dormant volcano whose summit often sits above the clouds – especially at sunrise, when the sky erupts in color and reveals the island of Maui below. Most visitors drive up from Kahului (about a two-hour trip), with many booking sunrise reservations months in advance. But beyond the iconic sunrise, Haleakalā offers hiking trails through surreal volcanic landscapes, rare native species, and stargazing unrivaled by anywhere else in Hawaii. — USA TODAY staff
Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho
The Sawtooth Mountains is a stunning mountain range in central Idaho that was a favorite of author Ernest Hemingway. Sawtooth National Recreation Area has more than 700 miles of trails, 300 mountain lakes and 40 major peaks. Come for the scenic views and stay for the hiking, fishing, boating, rafting and cycling opportunities.
Flint Hills, Kansas
Imagine more than 14,500 square miles of tallgrass prairie that almost dissects Kansas from north to south. Flint Hills' windblown grasses range from vibrant green to burnt gold depending on the time of year. Much of the land still resembles how it looked when settlers first crossed over 200 years ago. Each year, the burning season lights up the evening and night sky with brilliant orange as fires snake across the land, burning the old and dead grasses, renewing them in the spring. — Time Hrenchir, Topeka Capital-Journal
Annapolis Rock, Maryland
Annapolis Rock, a popular hiking destination along the Appalachian Trail in southern Washington County, offers stunning views. The overlook near the eastern county line is featured on the Maryland stamp in the U.S. Postal Service's Appalachian Trail collection. "It's an iconic view. It's such a popular destination for tourists and locals. To have it on a national stamp, I think, is amazing," said Dan Spedden, president of Washington County's tourism bureau, Visit Hagerstown. — Hagerstown Herald-Mail staff
Shiprock, New Mexico
Towering above the landscape in northern New Mexico, Shiprock (Tsé Bitʼaʼí ) stands over 7,000 feet in elevation on the Navajo Nation. The formation, a National Natural Landmark, is one of the most recognizable vistas in the state, having been featured in film, photography, and postcards for decades. Before becoming a media darling, the Shiprock formation was prominent in Navajo history and culture. — Las Cruces Sun-News staff
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Somehow, Oregon is home to only one national park. But if we're forced to pick just one place, an exploded volcano filled with some of the world's purest water in the deepest lake in the United States makes a logical choice.
Crater Lake National Park gets so much snow that it's only open to summer activities for a relatively short time. So if you want to drive the Rim Road, take a boat tour, hike mountaintops or swim the lake's bone-chilling water, focus your trip between July and September. — Zach Urness, Salem Statesman Journal
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
With both the haunting vastness of fictional planet Arrakis in the 'Dune' films and the fiery, jagged landscape of real planet Mars, Badlands National Park is indeed transcendental. Visitors are intimidated by the chaotic, 244,000-acre crater-like vistas, but the national park is very family-friendly and a grandiose memory for all.
The must-do Badlands Loop State Scenic Highway is a nice and slow two-hour tour of an earth that seems to have frozen mid-eruption millions of years ago. The rust-orange layers of ancient rock and soil look just as hot to the touch. Visit www.travelsouthdakota.com for details. — Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus-Leader