United States · best-of list
The 40 Best Outdoor Spots in the United States
We narrowed 316 outdoor spots from our curated routes in the United States down to 40, spread across 36 destinations. Expect trails, beaches, parks and viewpoints, with Cherokee contributing the most (3).
Our curated picks
40 outdoor spots in the United States, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Cherokee 3 picks
Kuwohi
Cherokee · On our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route + 1 more
Highest point in the Smokies (formerly Clingmans Dome), with an observation tower.
Tip: Parking tag required in the park; road closed in winter.
Photo: Username11236 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mingo Falls
Cherokee · On our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route + 1 more
One of the tallest falls in the southern Appalachians, 120 ft, on Cherokee land.
Tip: Short but steep stair climb.
Photo: Kaldari · Public domain
Waterrock Knob
Cherokee · On our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route
Short summit trail from the Parkway with 360-degree views.
Tip: Popular sunset spot.
Photo: Thomson200 · CC0
Bryce Canyon 2 picks
Fairyland Loop Trail
Bryce Canyon · On our Las Vegas & National Parks route + 1 more
8-mile loop through quieter hoodoos and Tower Bridge, fewer crowds than the main trails.
Tip: Start at Fairyland Point; carry plenty of water.
Photo: Roman AnLoz · Google
Queen's Garden Trail
Bryce Canyon · On our Utah Mighty Five route
Gentlest trail into the hoodoos, down from Sunrise Point.
Tip: Combine with Navajo Loop for a 3-mile loop.
Photo: William McPhail · Google
Mackinac Island 2 picks
Arch Rock
Mackinac Island · On our Great Lakes Hidden Gems route + 1 more
Limestone arch 146 ft above the water, reached by stairs or a bluff road.
Tip: Take the stairs up from the bike loop.
Photo: WMrapids · CC0
Fort Holmes
Mackinac Island · On our Great Lakes Hidden Gems route + 1 more
Island's highest point with views over the Straits and the Mackinac Bridge.
Tip: Bike or walk up through the state park interior.
Photo: Notorious4life · CC0
Abiquiú 1 pick
Ghost Ranch
Abiquiú · On our Northern New Mexico High Desert route
Red cliffs and badlands that O'Keeffe painted, with trails, museums and guided tours.
Tip: Buy a day pass at the welcome center.
Photo: Artotem from Here, There, and... · CC BY 2.0
Aspen 1 pick
Grottos Trail
Aspen · On our Colorado Rockies route
Short loop to smooth river-carved rock caves and cascades on the Roaring Fork.
Tip: Rocks are slick; skip the ice cave scramble if wet.
Photo: Jahjahfue (Jahjahfue) · Google
Bainbridge Island 1 pick
Bloedel Reserve
Bainbridge Island · On our Puget Sound Islands route
150-acre gardens and forest, including a Japanese garden and moss garden.
Tip: Reserve timed entry online.
Photo: Bmzuckerman · CC BY 4.0
Big Island 1 pick
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Big Island · On our Hawaii Paradise route
Walk crater rims, steam vents and lava tubes around active Kīlauea.
Tip: Kilauea Visitor Center closed for renovation; rangers and passes at the KMC Welcome Center.
Photo: Brocken Inaglory · CC BY-SA 3.0
Big Sur 1 pick
McWay Falls
Big Sur · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
80-foot waterfall dropping onto a cove beach, reached by a short flat path.
Tip: Park inside Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP rather than on the highway shoulder.
Photo: King of Hearts · CC BY-SA 4.0
Broad Ripple 1 pick
Broad Ripple Park
Broad Ripple · On our Indianapolis New Year's Eve route
City park on the north bank of the White River with riverside paths and a view back toward the village.
Tip: Combine it with the Monon Trail for a loop of about two miles.
Brooklyn 1 pick
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn · On our NYC Cultural Weekend route
52 acres including a Japanese hill-and-pond garden and spring cherry blossoms.
Tip: Late April for cherry blossoms; free entry some weekday mornings.
Photo: Three60five (talk) (Uploads) · Public domain
Cannon Beach 1 pick
Ecola State Park
Cannon Beach · On our Oregon Coast Hideaways route
Forested headland with ocean viewpoints over Indian Beach and Tillamook Rock Lighthouse.
Tip: Day-use fee; the Clatsop Loop Trail is a good 2.5 miles.
Photo: Brmuchim (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Catalina Foothills 1 pick
Mount Lemmon
Catalina Foothills · On our Tucson New Year's Eve route
The Catalina Highway climbs from saguaros to pine forest and, after winter storms, snow at the top.
Tip: Check road conditions; chains or 4WD can be required after snow.
Decorah 1 pick
Effigy Mounds National Monument
Decorah · On our Iowa Driftless & River Towns route
Ancient Native American animal-shaped mounds on Mississippi River bluffs.
Tip: The Fire Point trail is a 2-mile round trip to river views.
Photo: Archbob · CC0
Dix Park & West Raleigh 1 pick
Dorothea Dix Park
Dix Park & West Raleigh · On our Raleigh New Year's Eve route
Former hospital grounds turned city park, with open meadows, old oaks and the best long view of the downtown skyline.
Tip: Walk up the Big Field at sunset for the skyline.
Door County 1 pick
Cave Point County Park
Door County · On our Chicago & Great Lakes route
Lake Michigan waves crash into undercut limestone ledges.
Tip: Calm days are good for kayaking the caves.
Photo: Eitan Price · Google
Everglades 1 pick
Anhinga Trail
Everglades · On our Miami Beach Getaway route
Short boardwalk at Royal Palm where alligators, anhingas and herons are often a few feet away.
Tip: Dry season (Dec–Apr) is best. Cover your car with a tarp; vultures pick at rubber.
Photo: Fredlyfish4 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Georgetown 1 pick
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath
Georgetown · On our Washington, DC New Year's Eve route
Flat towpath beside the 1830s canal, starting in Georgetown and running 184.5 miles to Cumberland, Maryland.
Tip: Walk west from Thomas Jefferson Street to Fletcher's Boathouse and back, about 5 miles round trip.
Grand Canyon 1 pick
Hopi Point
Grand Canyon · On our Grand Canyon & Arizona route
Hermit Road overlook jutting far into the canyon, with Colorado River views.
Tip: Reach it by free shuttle Mar–Nov; a top sunset spot.
Photo: Károly Szász · Google
Grand Marais 1 pick
Judge C.R. Magney State Park
Grand Marais · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Trail to the Devil's Kettle, where half the Brule River seems to vanish into a pothole.
Tip: About 2 miles round trip with a long staircase.
Photo: August Schwerdfeger · CC BY 4.0
Hermann Park & Museum District 1 pick
Hermann Park
Hermann Park & Museum District · On our Houston New Year's Eve route
Houston's central park, with the Sam Houston monument, a long reflecting pool, McGovern Lake pedal boats and a miniature railroad.
Tip: Walk the reflecting pool from the Sam Houston monument to the Pioneer Memorial obelisk.
Photo: Agsftw · CC BY-SA 3.0
Indiana Dunes 1 pick
West Beach
Indiana Dunes · On our Indiana & Ohio City-Nature Loop route
Lifeguarded national park beach with views of the Chicago skyline across Lake Michigan.
Tip: Parking fee in summer; arrive early on hot weekends.
Photo: Caroline Halliday · Google
Ithaca 1 pick
Buttermilk Falls State Park
Ithaca · On our Finger Lakes Wine Trail route
Gorge Trail beside a chain of cascades ending in a swimming hole.
Tip: Gorge Trail closes in winter.
Photo: NP824 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Joshua Tree 1 pick
Barker Dam
Joshua Tree · On our Palm Springs & Joshua Tree route
Short loop to a small reservoir and petroglyphs.
Tip: Look for bighorn sheep near water.
Photo: LCGS Russ · CC BY-SA 3.0
Kailua & Lanikai 1 pick
Kailua Beach Park
Kailua & Lanikai · On our Honolulu New Year's Eve route
Long, soft-sand beach with calm water, a park with showers, and kayak rentals to the Mokulua islets.
Tip: Park here and walk to Lanikai, which has no public parking.
Photo: Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0
Key West 1 pick
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
Key West · On our Miami Beach Getaway route + 1 more
Civil War fort with the best swimming beach in town and shade under pine trees.
Tip: Bring water shoes; the beach is rocky.
Photo: Josh Shelton · Google
La Jolla 1 pick
Children's Pool
La Jolla · On our San Diego New Year's Eve route
A 1931 seawall beach now used by harbor seals, which haul out on the sand in large numbers in winter.
Tip: The beach is closed to people during pupping season from mid-December; view from the seawall.
Photo: Matt Howard thematthoward · CC0
Lake Hefner 1 pick
Lake Hefner Trail
Lake Hefner · On our Oklahoma City New Year's Eve route
A paved path around much of the 2,500-acre reservoir, popular for first-day walks, runs and bike rides.
Tip: The park is open 5 am to 11 pm; the east shore by the lighthouse has the most parking.
Maui 1 pick
Haleakalā National Park
Maui · On our Hawaii Paradise route
Watch sunrise from 10,000 ft above the clouds, then hike into the crater.
Tip: Sunrise entry needs a reservation on recreation.gov; bring warm layers.
Photo: Niagara66 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Minnehaha Falls 1 pick
Fort Snelling State Park
Minnehaha Falls · On our Minneapolis New Year's Eve route
Park at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, with trails on Pike Island and through river-bottom woods.
Tip: Minnesota state parks typically host guided First Day Hikes on Jan 1; a vehicle permit is needed.
Olympic NP 1 pick
Hall of Mosses Trail
Olympic NP · On our Pacific Northwest route
0.8-mile loop through the Hoh Rain Forest's moss-draped bigleaf maples and spruce.
Tip: Arrive before 9am; the entrance line backs up in summer.
Photo: Prajna Shenoy · Google
Red Rock Canyon 1 pick
Calico Basin
Red Rock Canyon · On our Las Vegas New Year's Eve route
Area just outside the Scenic Drive with the Red Spring boardwalk and sandstone walls; no timed entry needed.
Tip: The fallback if Scenic Drive reservations are gone.
Rocky Mountain NP 1 pick
Bear Lake
Rocky Mountain NP · On our Colorado Rockies route + 1 more
Flat half-mile loop around a subalpine lake under Hallett Peak, and the trailhead for the park's classic hikes.
Tip: Timed-entry permits are needed for this corridor in summer; arrive before 9am or use the shuttle.
Photo: Jacob West · Google
San Simeon 1 pick
Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery
San Simeon · On our Pacific Coast Highway route
Free boardwalk viewpoints over thousands of elephant seals on the beach.
Tip: Pupping season Dec–Feb; docents on site most days.
Photo: Scott n Paige · Google
Santa Barbara 1 pick
East Beach
Santa Barbara · On our Pacific Coast Highway route + 1 more
Wide sandy beach with volleyball courts and a palm-lined bike path.
Photo: Niranjan Arminius · CC BY-SA 4.0
Shenandoah 1 pick
Dark Hollow Falls Trail
Shenandoah · On our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route
Short, steep hike to a 70-foot cascade near Big Meadows.
Tip: The climb back up is the hard part; take water.
Photo: Ned Hartley · CC BY-SA 4.0
South Beach 1 pick
South Pointe Park
South Beach · On our Miami Beach Getaway route + 1 more
Oceanfront park with a pier and lawns at the quieter southern tip, watching cruise ships leave Government Cut.
Tip: Come around 4–5pm to see ships sail out.
Photo: M McBey · CC BY 2.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. Our routes include 316 outdoor spots here; to keep the list readable we show 40, keeping those featured on the most routes and those with an insider tip, and spreading the rest across destinations. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the outdoor spots in the United States?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. Our routes through the United States include 316 outdoor spots; we show the 40 featured on the most routes, spread across destinations. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of the United States has the most outdoor spots on this list?
Cherokee has the most (3 of 40), followed by Bryce Canyon (2) and Mackinac Island (2).
Are any of these free?
28 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Fairyland Loop Trail, Kuwohi, Bear Lake, Arch Rock, South Pointe Park, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for United States
Best outdoor spots nearby
Destinations on this list
- Cherokee 3 on this list
- Bryce Canyon 2 on this list
- Mackinac Island 2 on this list
- Abiquiú 1 on this list
- Aspen 1 on this list
- Bainbridge Island 1 on this list
- Big Island 1 on this list
- Big Sur 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.