Photo Essay: 18 Natural Wonders of the USA
1. Death Valley, California
A section of the Mojave Desert, Death Valley is the lowest, driest, hottest place in North America.
Photo: H Dragon
2. Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi
Kīlauea, on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, sends streams of lava steaming into the Pacific Ocean.
Photo: Tumanc
3. Monument Valley, Utah
The sandstone buttes of Monument Valley stand like towers in the Four Corners region of the Western U.S.
Photo: Wolfgang Staudt
4. Niagara Falls, New York
The tourist vessel “Maid of the Mist IV” does a float-by of the American Falls.
Photo: Diego_3336
5. Redwood forests, California
The tallest trees on the planet hide out in the few remaining tracts of northern California’s old-growth coastal forests.
Photo: Rhett Sutphin
6. Grand Canyon, Arizona
A mile down from the canyon’s rim, the Colorado River is still cutting.
Photo: goingslo
7. Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
Mammoth Cave National Park protects a portion of the longest known cave system in the world.
Photo: Peter Rivera
8. Everglades, Florida
The Everglades are a 60-mile-wide, super-slow-moving subtropical river covering the tip of Florida.
Photo: vladeb
9. Hubbard Glacier, Alaska
Where Hubbard Glacier meets the sea, its 6-mile-wide face calves huge blocks of ice.
Photo: Alan Vernon.
10. Black Hills, South Dakota
Harney Peak, within the Black Hills National Forest, is the highest east of the Rockies.
Photo: blucolt
11. The Mississippi
This monster river system drains 31 U.S. states and is the fourth longest in the world.
Photo: Jon Haynes Photography
12. Bryce Canyon, Utah
Bryce can be more accurately described as an immense eroded amphitheater, populated with hoodoos.
Photo: Chris Isherwood back soon
13. Mt. Desert Island, Maine
The island is protected by Acadia National Park and is all rocky shoreline and crumbly mountain woodland.
Photo: indywriter
14. Crater Lake, Oregon
Collapsed volcano, now a deep blue lake in southern Oregon.
Photo: Michael Whyte
15. Arches National Park, Utah
The park preserves land that’s home to over 2,000 of these weathered sandstone arches.
Photo: tibchris
16. Yosemite, California
Looking down Yosemite Valley, you can see Bridalveil Falls and the granite cliff of Half Dome in the distance.
Photo: *~Dawn~*
17. Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
The caverns‘ “Big Room” is the third largest cave chamber in North America.
Photo: Justin Wright
18. Old Faithful, Yellowstone
This geyser in Yellowstone National Park erupts a 140-foot spout of water at regular 45- to 120-minute intervals.
Photo: WeiterWinkel
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23 Comments... join the discussion!
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Utah is so ridiculously beautiful. The West has certainly got it like that.
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I need to make it out west soon. Like Christine said, it looks ridiculously beautiful.
Kilauea is awesome as well. If you get the chance, go do it. It’s worth it =)
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Incredible pics. Loved it
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i wish i were there
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Not only how beautiful, but how varied! Wonderful pix!
And I totally agree with Joel, everybody should see Kilauea. It’s like visiting another planet without even needing a passport!
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I love, love, love Death Valley! And just about anywhere in Utah is fabulous!
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Amazing. I did a road trip around the SW USA (Bryce, Grand Canyon, Arches etc) and was blown away by some of these places. I had previously thought of America as a nation of cities. Since then I always think of it in terms of the jaw-dropping beauty that often exists between those cities. Great photo essay.
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That monument valley shot is crazy.
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Great pictures!
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God is creator of all these things!!! Grace to Him!
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So glad to see Utah making repeated spots on the list.
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I love the black hills. absolutely gorgeous if you stand on the top of a peak!
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I’m originally from Maine and was psyched to see Mt. Desert Island on your list. After lots of international traveling I’m ready to venture into the belly of the US; thanks for the added inspiration, Hal!
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I feel so good that I’ve been to almost all of these! These pictures are awesome, but no media can do these features justice.
Oh, it’s also really cool that there is no other half to half-dome in Yosemite. And, in California, the Coastal Redwoods are the tallest, and the Sequoias by the Sierra-Nevadas are the biggest by mass.
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You can only get on the Maid of the Mist in Canada.
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Just like to point out that the picture of “The Mittens” above is in northeastern Arizona, not Utah. Utah has Bryce Canyon, which is part of the same region and has similar landscapes, but Arizona has Monument Valley.
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I totally love the picture of the Death Valley. It just looks so alien. I really enjoyed this photo series and will link it on my website!
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Now ain’t this all the damn truth. Ain’t it the damn truth.
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Four selections from California, three selections from Utah….couldn’t have spread it around a bit more? Typical United States slideshow – the only Pacific Coast state apparently worth mentioning is California. Nearly every state surrounding Colorado is covered, but Colorado is somehow left out, even though it has more beautiful mountainous terrain and “Fourteeners” than any other state in the country, by a landslide. Guess that’s not beautiful enough for Mr. Amen. The only mountain shot is just an opportunity to show yet ANOTHER location in California. Pretty pictures, but giant FAIL in pic selection.
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Ouch. I’ll admit to missing CO (please share links to pics if you’ve got them), but I thought I did well at spreading it around. ME, NY, KY, FL, SD, NM, OR (also a Pacific Coast state)…
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as if not include the aurora borealis in alaska!
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I feel really spoiled living in Utah and only living a few hours away from each of these places on the list. Sometimes going on vacations I don’t have to even leave the state! If you live in the west or are visiting try to at least check out one of those National Parks listed in Utah you’ll be amazed how beautiful the desert can be. : )
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