The 12 most extraordinary places in the USA

 

1. Grand Prismatic Spring – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

                                                  

                   

This wonderful place is the largest hot spring in the United States and the third-largest in the world, just after New Zealand's Frying Pan Lake and the Boiling Lake in the Dominican Republic. The colors of this source come from pigmented bacteria in the water. Can you put your toes in the water here? No, but you can walk around it to take some cool photos! But not only the Grand Prismatic Spring make Yellowstone National Park one of the most beautiful places in the USA. All of its flora and fauna is special. That is why wild animals such as bison, wolves or grizzly bears also feel comfortable in it. By the way: the national park was founded in 1872 and is the oldest in the world.

2. Horsetail Fall - Yosemite National Park, California

                                                                       

This seasonal waterfall in Yosemite National Park will remind you of Mordor from the Lord of the Rings - but don't worry: only the sun is responsible for the yellowish reddish glow of the water if it breaks the water at certain times so that the light is broken accordingly. This waterfall can only be counted among the most beautiful places in the USA in winter and early spring because only then will the water flow at all. There is too much drought in all other seasons.

 

3. Fly Geyser – Nevada

                                                                       

Drive north from Reno for 2.5 hours and you will find the Fly Geyser. When drilling for geothermal energy sources took place here in 1964, minerals suddenly shot out of the hole and created this wonderfully tangled formation. The Fly Geyser is on private property; so don't try to climb over the high fences that surround it. But it is so big that you can see it - and take pictures - from the street. If you want to see this special place in the USA up close, you can do so on a guided tour from Friday to Sunday. Tickets to this natural wonder are available 4 weeks in advance.

4. Mono Lake - California

                                                       

Once you see Mono Lake live, you think you've landed on another planet. Snow-capped mountains surround this salty blue lake, which is rich in Tufa, limestone pillars shaped by the salinity in the water. Due to the high pH in the water, the flora and fauna has adapted to the prevailing conditions. In one of the most beautiful places in the United States, only living things that can handle the high salinity of water can thrive, which is why you will find incomparably unique vegetation here.

 

5. The Wave – Arizona

                                                                              

It took millions of years for the wind to sand the Navajo sandstone of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion cliff wilderness from Arizona to this dripping formation - today it's perfect for cool vacation photos! However, since this beautiful place in the USA is endangered by a high number of tourists, the visitor center in Kanab only issues 10 permits for the next day. These will be determined by lottery and handed over personally - good luck!

How about a long detour from Route 66, the Paria Canyon is not far from the Grand Canyon National Park. Here are a few more tips for the famous road trip route: 6 things to see along Route 66.

6. Glass Beach - Fort Bragg, California

                                                                             

Let us take a step back to the not so enlightened 20th century when the inhabitants of the area threw all kinds of household waste over the cliffs and thus onto the beach below. If you look forward a few decades now and consider that the ocean has taken everything apart from the fine glass and a little pottery, you know why the beach is called Glass Beach. Although it's a form of pollution, it's fair to say that this pollution has turned Fort Bragg into one of the most beautiful places in the United States. But please don't imitate it!

7. Northern Lights – Alaska

                                                                                         

The Northern Lights are guaranteed to amaze you when you see them live - and all you have to do is visit Fairbanks or Anchorage, sometime between September and April. They are created by the impact of charged and magnetic parts from the earth's magnetosphere on the atmosphere. But you quickly forget these scientific explanations when you see the green lights flickering in the sky.

8. Sequoia National Park – California

                                         

You will never feel smaller than when you stand next to one of the huge Sequoia trees that are taller than a soccer field. The largest of these giants is the General Sherman Tree - with a proud height of 84 meters and an estimated age of around 2,500 years. The tree is considered one of the oldest and largest in the world. The Sequoia National Park definitely deserves the "most beautiful place in the USA" award.

9. Thor’s Well – Oregon

                                           

If you drive to Cape Perpetua in Oregon and are there an hour before to an hour after the tide, then you can watch a unique spectacle at Thor's Well: This saltwater fountain is created by the huge sea floods and is quite dangerous up close so be sure to check them out from a safe distance. This makes Thor’s Well not only one of the most beautiful places in the USA but also one of the most impressive.

10. Mendenhall Gletscherhöhlen – Alaska

                                                                             

If you're ever in Juneau, Alaska, take a trip to these unique caves. The ice caves in this twelve-mile glacier in the heart of the Mendenhall Valley give you the feeling of walking straight into a tunnel made of bright blue clouds. It is just the extension of the 4000 square kilometer Juneau Icefield, which makes it no less impressive. It is only 21 kilometers from the capital of Alaska to this fairytale place in the USA.

11. Oneota Canyon – Oregon

                                                                 

This spot, which is one of the most beautiful in the United States, may look like something out of a fairy tale, but it is actually the gorge of the Columbia River in Oregon. The place is perfect for hiking on warm summer days to admire the ferns and the moss that covers the walls here. Ensures good footwear in any case! Because the hiking trail has it all, but it is absolutely worthwhile. The canyon looks incredibly impressive in real life.

12. Dry Tortugas National Park – Florida

                                                      

Jap, behind the uninhabited Key West there's something even cooler: drive 70 miles west and you'll get straight to Dry Tortugas National Park, home to Fort Jefferson, an unfinished fortress that the Navy built-in 1847 started. This place is so isolated from the rest of the world that you can only reach it by boat or seaplane. A trip here is the ideal opportunity to leave the stressful world behind for a while.