Here are all of the Best Things to Do in the United States of America! The Regions below and in this website are organized in the same format as the National Park passport book. However, I did break out Hawaii and Alaska into their own grouping to make those easier to navigate. Also, I moved Washington D.C. under the Mid-Atlantic Region. Be sure to pick up a National Park passport book to mark your journey!

*Last updated August 16, 2024

Best Things to do in the United States of America

North Atlantic Region

• Connecticut
  • Gillette Castle State Park
  • The Mark Twain House & Museum
  • Mystic Seaport Museum
• Maine
  • Acadia National Park & Mount Desert Island
• Massachusetts
  • Boston, The Freedom Trail, Minute Man NHS & Salem
  • Cape Cod
• New Hampshire
  • The White Mountains, Mt Washington & The Kancamagus Highway
• New York
  • Adirondack Mountains
  • New York City
  • Niagara Falls
• Rhode Island
  • Newport
  • Providence
• Vermont
  • Burlington
  • The Green Mountains

Mid-Atlantic Region

• Delaware
  • Rehoboth Beach
• Maryland
  • Baltimore
• New Jersey
  • Atlantic City
• Pennsylvania
  • Hershey
  • Philadelphia
  • Pittsburgh
• • Chincoteague, Assateague and the wild ponies
  • Colonial Williamsburg
  • Monticello, Highland and MontpelierVirginia
• West Virginia
  • New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
• Washington D.C.
  • Washington D.C, Arlington and Mt Vernon

Southeast Region

• Alabama
  • Gulf Shores
• Florida
  • Destin, Okaloosa, Miramar and Santa Rosa
  • Disney World: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios
  • St Augustine, Castillo de San Marcos, Lightner Museum & Flagler College
• Georgia
  • Atlanta
• Kentucky
  • Louisville, Bernheim Forest and the Bourbon Trail
  • Mammoth Cave National Park
  • Maysville, Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge State Park
• Mississippi
  • Biloxi
• North Carolina
  • Outer Banks
• South Carolina
  • Myrtle Beach, Charleston & Hilton Head
• Tennessee
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

Midwest Region

• Illinois
  • Chicago, Navy Pier and Millennium Park
• Indiana
  • Indiana Dunes National Park
  • Southern Indiana, Holiday World, Lincoln’s Boyhood Memorial and Owensboro, KY
• Iowa
  • Maquoketa Caves State Park
  • National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
• Kansas
  • Botanica, The Wichita Gardens
• Michigan
  • Lake Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City & Mackinac Island
• Minnesota
  • Minneapolis
• Missouri
  • St Louis, Grants Farm & Gateway Arch National Park and Hannibal
• Nebraska
  • Scotts Bluff National Monument
• Ohio
  • Best Ohio National Parks
  • Chillicothe, Adena Mansion, Hopewell Mounds and Serpent Mound
  • Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky & King’s Island
  • Cleveland, Cedar Point and Put-In-Bay
  • Columbus, COSI and The Wilds
  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
  • Dayton and Yellow Springs
  • Hocking Hills State Park (top 5 trails)
  • Ohio State Reformatory (The Shawshank Prison)
• Wisconsin

Southwest Region

• Arkansas
  • Hot Springs National Park
• Louisiana
  • New Orleans, Plantations and Barataria Preserve
• Oklahoma
  • Oklahoma City
• New Mexico
  • Carlsbad Caverns National Park
  • White Sands National Park
• Texas
  • Big Bend National Park and Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico
  • San Antonio, The Alamo and The Missions

Rocky Mountain Region

• Colorado
  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
  • Denver
  • Frisco, Dillon and Breckenridge
  • Great Dunes National Park
  • Mesa Verde National Park
  • Rocky Mountain National Park
• Montana
  • Glacier National Park
• North Dakota
  • Theodore Roosevelt National Park
• South Dakota
  • The Black Hills, Mt Rushmore and Custer State Park
• Utah
  • Arches National Park
  • Bryce National Park
  • Canyonlands National Park
  • Capitol Reef National Park
  • Zion National Park
• Wyoming
  • Grand Teton National Park and Jackson
  • Yellowstone National Park and Beartooth Highway

Western Region

• Arizona
  • Antelope Canyon
  • Grand Canyon National Park
  • Horseshoe Bend
  • Monument Valley
• California
  • California Wine Country: Napa, Sonoma and Russian River Valley
  • Channel Islands National Park
  • Death Valley National Park, Furnace Creek and Rhyolite
  • Hearst Castle, Monterrey and the 17 Mile Drive
  • Joshua Tree National Park
  • Riverside
  • San Francisco, Alcatraz and Telegraph Hill
• Nevada
  • Las Vegas

Pacific Northwest Region

• Idaho
  • Craters of the Moon National Monument
  • Shoshone Falls
• Oregon
  • Crater Lake National Park
• Washington
  • Seattle, Capitol Hill & Bainbridge Island

Hawaii

• Big Island, Volcanoes National Park and Manta Ray Night Snorkel
• Kauai
• Maui, Haleakala National Park and the Road to Hana
• Oahu, Pearl Harbor, Bishop Museum and Diamond Head

Alaska

• Denali National Park and Talkeetna
• Glacier Bay National Park
• Kenai Fjords National Park, Exit Glacier and Seward
• Valdez and Kayaking Columbia Glacier
• Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Kennecott

Our site’s regions are the same as the National Park Passport book, listed as follows. However, I have broken out Alaska and Hawaii into their own sections for ease of planning.