250 Places to Visit While America Has a Quarter-Life Crisis (for the Fifth Time)

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Americans get a lot of shit for not traveling more—and sure, that’s pretty fair. But what people commonly misunderstand is just how massive the country actually is. 

At around 3.8 million square miles, getting across the U.S. is no small feat; a drive from New York City to Los Angeles (about 2,800 miles) is pretty comparable to going from Lisbon, Portugal to Moscow, Russia (roughly 2,400–2,500 miles) which would have you crossing anywhere from 7-9 countries in between.

With so much of the country to explore, deciding where to start can be overwhelming. Luckily, Pike has guides all across the country to help you with that! And as America approaches its semiquincentennial, we've rounded up 250 destinations—from breathtaking national parks and natural wonders to historic sites, unforgettable cities, and iconic drives—that belong on every traveler's bucket list.

According to statistics, the average American has only visited around 10-20 of the destinations below. See how many you’ve already crossed off your list.

National Parks & Natural Wonders (1–50)

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1. Grand Canyon National Park

2. Yellowstone National Park

3. Yosemite National Park

4. Zion National Park

5. Glacier National Park

6. Acadia National Park

7. Grand Teton National Park

8. Bryce Canyon National Park

9. Arches National Park

10. Rocky Mountain National Park

11. Olympic National Park

12. Sequoia National Park

13. Kings Canyon National Park

14. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

15. Joshua Tree National Park

16. Death Valley National Park

17. Crater Lake National Park

18. Denali National Park

19. Kenai Fjords National Park

20. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

21. White Sands National Park

22. Big Bend National Park

23. Badlands National Park

24. Canyonlands National Park

25. Capitol Reef National Park

26. Mount Rainier National Park

27. North Cascades National Park

28. Mammoth Cave National Park

29. Everglades National Park

30. Dry Tortugas National Park

31. Carlsbad Caverns National Park

32. Shenandoah National Park

33. New River Gorge National Park

34. Great Sand Dunes National Park

35. Redwood National and State Parks

36. Monument Valley

37. Antelope Canyon

38. Horseshoe Bend

39. Devils Tower

40. Niagara Falls

41. Lake Tahoe

42. Maroon Bells

43. Garden of the Gods

44. Columbia River Gorge

45. Painted Hills

46. Bonneville Salt Flats

47. Sleeping Bear Dunes

48. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

49. Apostle Islands

50. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Iconic Cities & Towns (51–100)

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51. New York City

52. Chicago

53. San Francisco

54. New Orleans

55. Boston

56. Washington

57. Seattle

58. Charleston

59. Savannah

60. Miami

61. Honolulu

62. Las Vegas

63. Nashville

64. Austin

65. San Diego

66. Portland

67. Philadelphia

68. Santa Fe

69. Asheville

70. Key West

71. Sedona

72. Carmel-by-the-Sea

73. Monterey

74. Bar Harbor

75. Jackson

76. Boulder

77. Park City

78. St. Augustine

79. Providence

80. Annapolis

81. Detroit

82. Milwaukee

83. Minneapolis

84. Pittsburgh

85. Denver

86. Los Angeles

87. San Antonio

88. Anchorage

89. Portsmouth

90. Newport

91. Telluride

92. Durango

93. Taos

94. Bozeman

95. Leavenworth

96. Mackinac Island

97. Galena

98. Door County

99. Palm Springs

100. Juneau

Historic, Cultural & Architectural Sites (101–150)

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101. Statue of Liberty

102. Ellis Island

103. Independence Hall

104. Gettysburg National Military Park

105. The Alamo

106. Mount Rushmore

107. Mesa Verde

108. Pearl Harbor

109. National Mall

110. Smithsonian Museums

111. Colonial Williamsburg

112. French Quarter

113. Bourbon Street

114. Route 66

115. Graceland

116. Taos Pueblo

117. Cahokia Mounds

118. Mission San Xavier del Bac

119. Biltmore Estate

120. Hearst Castle

121. Library of Congress

122. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

123. Art Institute of Chicago

124. The Getty Center

125. National Civil Rights Museum

126. Kennedy Space Center

127. Monticello

128. Mount Vernon

129. The Freedom Trail

130. The High Line

131. Golden Gate Bridge

132. Hollywood Sign

133. Space Needle

134. Gateway Arch

135. Faneuil Hall

136. The Breakers

137. Alcatraz Island

138. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

139. The Getty Villa

140. Chaco Culture National Historical Park

141. Lincoln Home National Historic Site

142. Little Bighorn Battlefield

143. Fort Sumter

144. Salem

145. Vicksburg National Military Park

146. Navajo Nation

147. Plymouth

148. The National WWII Museum

149. Harvard Yard

150. Yale University

Coastlines, Islands & Lakes (151–200)

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151. Maui

152. Kauaʻi

153. Oʻahu North Shore

154. Big Island

155. Cape Cod

156. Martha's Vineyard

157. Nantucket

158. Outer Banks

159. Hilton Head Island

160. Amelia Island

161. Sanibel Island

162. Captiva Island

163. Cannon Beach

164. Big Sur

165. Malibu

166. Laguna Beach

167. Coronado

168. Santa Barbara

169. Channel Islands

170. Cape May

171. Block Island

172. Monhegan Island

173. Lake Superior North Shore

174. Mackinac Island

175. Traverse City

176. Lake Geneva

177. Apostle Islands Sea Caves

178. Door County Peninsula

179. Gulf Shores

180. Orange Beach

181. Padre Island National Seashore

182. South Padre Island

183. Assateague Island

184. Chincoteague Island

185. Virginia Beach

186. Rehoboth Beach

187. Clearwater Beach

188. Siesta Key

189. Destin

190. Naples

191. Newport Beach

192. Half Moon Bay

193. Mendocino Coast

194. Olympic Coast

195. Kalalau Coast

196. Na Pali Coast

197. Hana Coast

198. Lake Powell

199. Flathead Lake

200. Crater Lake

Scenic Drives, Adventures & Bucket-List Experiences (201–250)

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201. Pacific Coast Highway

202. Blue Ridge Parkway

203. Going-to-the-Sun Road

204. Overseas Highway

205. Beartooth Highway

206. Million Dollar Highway

207. Trail Ridge Road

208. Kancamagus Highway

209. Natchez Trace Parkway

210. Highway 12 Scenic Byway

211. Cadillac Mountain sunrise

212. Northern Lights in Fairbanks

213. Mardi Gras in New Orleans

214. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

215. Kentucky Derby

216. Old Faithful eruption

217. Delicate Arch hike

218. Angels Landing hike

219. Half Dome hike

220. Rim-to-rim Grand Canyon hike

221. Monument Valley sunrise

222. Antelope Canyon light beams

223. Horseshoe Bend sunset

224. Haleakalā sunrise

225. Road to Hana

226. Glacier Bay cruise

227. Kenai Fjords wildlife cruise

228. Mississippi River steamboat cruise

229. Route 66 road trip

230. Napa Valley wine country

231. Sonoma wine country

232. Finger Lakes wine region

233. Black Hills loop drive

234. Custer State Park buffalo roundup

235. Aspen fall colors

236. Vermont fall foliage tour

237. Savannah Christmas season

238. New York City at Christmas

239. Chicago Riverwalk in summer

240. Mackinac Island without cars

241. Wild horse viewing on Assateague Island

242. Whale watching in Monterey Bay

243. Hot-air ballooning in Sedona

244. Stargazing in Big Bend

245. Ice caves in the Apostle Islands

246. Sandboarding at Great Sand Dunes

247. Cave tour in Mammoth Cave

248. Seeing erupting lava in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

249. Watching a launch at Kennedy Space Center

250. Seeing the Milky Way in Bryce Canyon

See more guides across America when you download Pike!