Acadia National Park, Maine
Any Maine road trip should include Acadia National Park, but you can also visit it if you're not already there. Cadillac Mountain's sunrises and lighthouses are worth the trip.
Angel Oak, South Carolina
Angel Oak, South Carolina, is one of America's most beautiful spots, 13 miles from downtown Charleston. The forest is free to enter park in a neighboring lot
Antelope Valley, California
California is known for its wildflowers, notably Antelope Valley's poppies (the state flower). Visit mid-morning on a bright April day to see the stunning orange and gold.
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin
Outdoor enthusiasts may kayak along the wave-carved sandstone cliffs on Lake Superior's 21-mile shoreline in summer and trek across the frozen lake
Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana
Louisiana has America's biggest marsh, the Atchafalaya Basin, west of the Mississippi. Alligators, Spanish moss, egrets, and bald cypress are among the swamp's many species
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Badlands National Park in southwest South Dakota offers an exotic environment of rust-colored buttes, spires, and pinnacles over thousands of acres.
Big Sur, California
For a classic American road journey, take Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The Pacific Coast Highway passes through Big Sur, with its breathtaking cliff vistas of the vivid blue ocean.
Block Island, Rhode Island
The most popular nature conservatory on the island is the 190-acre Clay Head Preserve on the northeast shore, which has the maze of unlabeled, interconnecting walking pathways.
Blue Ridge Parkway, NC
One of America's greatest drives is the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway from Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Crater Lake, Oregon
A 4-hour journey south of Portland, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,949 feet. The water's cleanliness and vivid blue color come from glacier runoff and snowfall.