A photograph of United States

Country guide

Nature sites in United States — page 5

At 9,833,520 km² the United States has the fourth-largest land area in the world, and its 50 states and federal district span enough longitude that the ordinary...

Photograph · Tuxyso · CC BY-SA 3.0

43,277 Places
10Cities

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

At 9,833,520 km² the United States has the fourth-largest land area in the world, and its 50 states and federal district span enough longitude that the ordinary clock runs from UTC−4 to UTC−10, with the territories reaching −12, +10 and +11. The 2025 population estimate is 341,784,857. Washington, D.C. is the capital and New York the largest city, but neither stands in for the rest of it. Distance is the planning problem here, not choice: a trip works far better as one region covered properly than as anything resembling a national tour.

Checked 2026-08-25

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
English is the principal language; no federal official language
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+1
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
United States dollar (USD)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
911
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A and B · 120 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
Water quality is regulated locally; check the current notice for the destination

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Pershing Square Pershing Square
    82 1 hour

    Pershing Square

    Pershing Square is a historic public square in downtown Los Angeles, California. Named after General John J. Pershing, it has served as a central gathering place since the late nineteenth century.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Los Angeles
  2. Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool
    83 1 hour

    Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool

    The Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool is a restored Prairie-style pond and landscape located in Chicago's Lincoln Park. Designed by landscape architect Alfred Caldwell in the 1930s, this hidden gem exemplifies the organic architectural philosophy of the Prairie School movement.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Chicago
  3. Will Rogers State Historic Park Will Rogers State Historic Park
    84 1 hour

    Will Rogers State Historic Park

    Will Rogers State Historic Park is a California state historic park preserving the former ranch of Will Rogers, the American humorist, actor, and writer. The property sits in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Los Angeles
  4. Chicago Riverwalk Chicago Riverwalk
    85 1 hour

    Chicago Riverwalk

    The Chicago Riverwalk is a central riverfront promenade in downtown Chicago. It extends along the south bank of the main stem of the Chicago River, connecting the Lake Michigan shoreline with the confluence of the river's branches.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Chicago
  5. Koko Crater Botanical Garden Koko Crater Botanical Garden
    86 1 hour

    Koko Crater Botanical Garden

    Koko Crater Botanical Garden is a dryland botanical garden inside the basin of an extinct volcanic tuff cone in East Honolulu. It belongs to the Honolulu Botanical Gardens system and combines plant conservation with an unusual geological setting.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Honolulu
  6. Liliuokalani Botanical Garden Liliuokalani Botanical Garden
    87 1 hour

    Liliuokalani Botanical Garden

    Lili'uokalani Botanical Garden

    Liliʻuokalani Botanical Garden is a compact native-plant garden in Honolulu’s Nuʻuanu valley, beside Nuʻuanu Stream and below the Nuʻuanu Pali.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Honolulu
  7. Lurie Garden Lurie Garden
    88 1 hour

    Lurie Garden

    Lurie Garden is a public garden within Millennium Park in downtown Chicago. Named for philanthropist Ann Lurie, it occupies the park’s northwest section and creates a planted refuge among the city’s buildings, public art, and busy pedestrian routes.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Chicago
  8. Lyon Arboretum Lyon Arboretum
    89 1 hour

    Lyon Arboretum

    Lyon Arboretum and Botanical Garden

    Harold L. Lyon Arboretum is a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa botanical garden in Mānoa Valley on Oʻahu. It combines tropical plant collections, rainforest habitat, conservation work, horticultural study, and public education.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Honolulu
  9. Runyon Canyon Park Runyon Canyon Park
    90 1 hour

    Runyon Canyon Park

    Runyon Canyon Park is a public park located in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It occupies a canyon area near the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and North Fuller Avenue.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Los Angeles
  10. Sandy Beach Sandy Beach
    91 1 hour

    Sandy Beach

    Sandy Beach Park is a public beach park on the south-east shore of Oahu, Hawaii, within the city and county of Honolulu. It is known for its powerful shorebreak and is a notable destination for body-surfing.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Honolulu
  11. Venice Beach Venice Beach
    92 1 hour

    Venice Beach

    Venice was founded as a seaside resort by Abbot Kinney, and the surviving canals and beachfront spectacle reflect different chapters of that experiment.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Los Angeles
  12. Yerba Buena Gardens Yerba Buena Gardens
    93 1 hour

    Yerba Buena Gardens

    Yerba Buena Gardens is a public garden complex in downtown San Francisco. It occupies a two-block area between Mission and Folsom Streets, adjacent to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • San Francisco
  13. Bloomingdale Trail Park Bloomingdale Trail Park
    94 1 hour

    Bloomingdale Trail Park

    The 606 is an elevated linear park and trail system on Chicago's Northwest Side. Built on a former railway embankment, it runs through several neighborhoods.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Chicago
  14. Garfield Park Conservatory Garfield Park Conservatory
    95 1 hour

    Garfield Park Conservatory

    Garfield Park Conservatory is a large historic glasshouse complex on Chicago's West Side. Established in the early twentieth century, it ranks among the largest conservatories in the United States.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Chicago
  15. Máximo Gómez Park Máximo Gómez Park
    96 1 hour

    Máximo Gómez Park

    Máximo Gómez Park is a public park located in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, Florida. It serves as a significant social gathering space, particularly renowned for its domino-playing culture.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Miami
  16. Fort Funston Fort Funston
    97 1 hour

    Fort Funston

    Fort Funston is a coastal recreation area in southwestern San Francisco within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It occupies high Pacific bluffs shaped by wind and erosion, with broad ocean views and sandy terrain.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • San Francisco
  17. Gantry Plaza State Park Gantry Plaza State Park
    98 1 hour

    Gantry Plaza State Park

    Gantry Plaza State Park is a public park on the East River waterfront in Long Island City, Queens, New York City. The park occupies a former industrial site where gantry cranes once loaded and unloaded rail car floats and barges.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • New York
  18. Georges Island Georges Island
    99 1 hour

    Georges Island

    Georges Island is a harbor island in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. The island is dominated by Fort Warren, a historic military fortification that played significant roles in American coastal defense.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Boston
  19. Jackson Park Jackson Park
    100 1 hour

    Jackson Park

    Jackson Park is a large public park on Chicago's South Side lakefront. Its landscape is closely associated with the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, whose planning and legacy shaped this part of the city.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Chicago
  20. Lake Eola Park Lake Eola Park
    101 1 hour

    Lake Eola Park

    Lake Eola Park is a civic lakefront park in central downtown Orlando, arranged around Lake Eola, its shoreline path, open lawns, public gathering areas, and views of the city skyline.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Orlando
  21. Lands End Lands End
    102 1 hour

    Lands End

    Lands End is a rugged coastal park on San Francisco's northwestern shore, managed by the National Park Service as part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • San Francisco
  22. Washington Square Washington Square
    103 1 hour

    Washington Square

    Washington Square Park

    Washington Square is a public park and civic green in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. The square functions as a neighborhood gathering space and recreational area for residents and visitors.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • San Francisco
  23. Kakaako Waterfront Park Kakaako Waterfront Park
    104 1 hour

    Kakaako Waterfront Park

    Kakaʻako Waterfront Park is an open coastal park in Honolulu’s Kakaʻako district. Built on reclaimed industrial land, it gives visitors a broad Pacific outlook and a direct connection with the shoreline.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Honolulu
  24. Peacock Park Peacock Park
    105 1 hour

    Peacock Park

    Peacock Park is a bayfront public park located in Coconut Grove, Miami. It serves as both a recreational green space and a venue for public events.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Miami
  25. Simpson Park Hammock Simpson Park Hammock
    106 1 hour

    Simpson Park Hammock

    Simpson Park

    Simpson Park Hammock is a rare tropical hardwood hammock preserve located in the Brickell neighborhood of Miami, Florida.

    • High
    • Nature site
    • Miami

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to United States be?

Ten to fourteen days should focus on one US region: New York, Washington, and Boston work together by rail, while San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas form a different trip. Miami, Orlando, and Honolulu each require separate travel time and should not be appended casually.

What entry documents are needed for United States?

US admission depends on passport, visa status, and eligibility for the Visa Waiver Program and ESTA. Confirm both the Department of State visa guidance and Customs and Border Protection requirements for the actual route.

What is the best way to travel around United States?

Domestic flights are often necessary between US regions, while Amtrak is strongest on the Northeast Corridor. A car is unnecessary in New York or Washington but can be useful in Los Angeles and beyond compact city centres.

When is a practical time to visit United States?

April to May and September to October are broad shoulder-season references, not a national weather forecast. Florida heat, western wildfire conditions, hurricane exposure, and Hawaii's trans-Pacific logistics require destination-specific checks.

What money and payment basics apply in United States?

The United States uses the US dollar (USD). Card use is widespread, but taxes, deposits, and gratuities can make the final amount differ from the displayed base price; keep a second payment method for holds or terminal failures.

What practical safety details should I save for United States?

Dial 911 for police, fire, or medical emergencies in the United States. Type A and B sockets use 120 V; national tap-water safety is not recorded here, so consult the local utility or accommodation.