1. Mount Washington, New Hampshire
Stunning scenic views of
the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the Adirondack mountains come together on
New England’s tallest peak – the 6,200-ft.-plus summit of Mount
Washington, where guests visit the observatory that has been keeping
watch on extreme weather patterns continuously since 1932.
(Grand Autumn New England)
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2. Greenwich Peninsula, Prince Edward Island
Sandbars, rolling red
dunes and vivid skyscapes stretch for miles along the shores of Prince
Edward Island National Park; they are home to long spiky grasses, wild
roses, delicate shorebirds, red foxes, and scattered white spruce – all
under threat from sea levels steadily rising over time.
(Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island) |
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3. Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Wyoming
The 1,000-ft.-deep
Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, created by the erosive forces of the
Yellowstone River, offers stunning canyon vistas and the sounds of water
plummeting down twisting, sheer rock cliffs at its Upper and Lower
Falls (twice the height of Niagara Falls).
(Yellowstone & The
Tetons, American Safari)
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4. Mount Hood, Oregon
Snow-covered Mt. Hood reigns over dense
forests and clear mountain lakes. It is the highest point in Oregon, an
active volcano, and the fulcrum of the Columbia River Gorge with slopes
that lead down to foothills dotted with orchards, vineyards, wildflowers
and roaring Multnomah Falls.
(A Taste of the Pacific Northwest) |
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5. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
Splendidly
isolated and enormous, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is home to
grizzly bears, caribou, mountain goats, long-horned Dall Sheep, streams,
rivers, icefields, over 150 glaciers, and some of the tallest mountains
in the world – including nine of the highest mountain peaks in the
United States.
(Grand Alaska)
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6. Iao Needle & Valley, Maui, Hawaii
Shooting 2,000 ft.+
straight up above a valley of lush exotic plants, ferns, streams and
pools, Kuka’emolku (known as the Iao Needle) is a striking pinnacle of
rock, clad in green. Considered sacred by ancient Hawaiians, the
“needle” was thought to stand guard over the valley and served as a
steep lookout for its warriors.
(The Best of Hawaii)
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7. Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, New Mexico
Just northwest of Taos,
observation platforms on one of America’s highest bridges allow visitors
to gaze between 500 and 600 ft. straight down, way down, to the narrow
ribbon of water heading to the Gulf of Mexico; straight ahead are the
wild and remote Taos Mountains.
(New Mexico – Land of Enchantment)
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8. Moraine Lake, Canadian Rocky Mountains, Alberta
Named after
a moraine, a rock pile deposited by a glacier, Moraine Lake is a small
but stunningly blue lake surrounded by the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Not
far from Lake Louise, the lake is crystal-clear – surrounded by a string
of spectacular, snow-laced mountain peaks and forested slopes.
(Grand Canadian Rockies)
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9. Flume Gorge, New Hampshire
The “Flume” is a granite gorge
in the heart of the White Mountains; its walls rise up to 90 ft. in
height. Gravel paths, and a wooden walkway suspended alongside its
cliffs, guide visitors through a chasm with crystal clear streams, two
covered bridges, waterfalls and mountain views.
(Classic
New England)
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10. Muir Woods, California
North of the Golden Gate Bridge
lies one of the last stands of coastal redwoods – many over 600 years
old – protected, at Muir Woods National Monument. The soft light
filtered by the trees together with moist air nurture a ground cover of
sword ferns, mosses and wildflowers in early spring. The tallest
redwoods are over 252 ft., the widest over 14 ft.; the views up are
amazing.
(Yosemite and Sequoia: John Muir’s California)
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