Nature is a master at transforming water, woods, stone, and even ice into awe-inspiring landscapes. Yet manmade creations also count among America’s most stunning spaces. From sea to shining sea, here are 25 of the nation’s most beautiful places.
National Treasures
Stretching between Bar Harbor and Lubec, Maine’s Down East Coast is the first place in the US to see sunrise each morning. Acadia National Park is the region’s star attraction. The entire coast is spangled with photogenic fishing villages, vintage lighthouses, and rocky shorelines.
Other notable mentions include the Hudson Valley, Pittsburgh, the National Mall, the Shenandoah Valley, and the Black Hills region. Each of these destinations offers a unique blend of natural beauty and manmade wonders.
Regional Highlights
The Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire is considered one of the best places in the nation to catch fall colors. The Dry Tortugas, a remote archipelago in Florida, features tiny islands with white-sand beaches and wildlife. The Natchez Trace, a woodsy ramble through the heartland of the American South, stretches 444 miles from Nashville to the Mississippi River.
Caddo Lake, a flooded bald cypress forest in Texas and Louisiana, is shrouded in mystery and legend. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan draws its name from 15 miles of multicolored sandstone cliffs streaked by various mineral colors.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
