The 75 Most Popular American Tourist Destinations

 

There’s a whole big beautiful planet out there — but some of its most alluring attractions exist practically in your back yard. America is blessed with bustling cities, gorgeous deserts and breathtaking parks from sea to shining sea, but which ones do people love the most? 

In order to compile our list, we started by consulting government agencies including the National Park Service as well as existing rankings both in print and online. From there we narrowed it down to the absolute must-visit destinations based on historical relevance, cultural significance, beauty and overall appeal. From statues and buildings to canyons and harbor towns, these are the 75 most popular American tourist destinations.

 

9/11 Memorial

The National September 11 Memorial in New York City exists to remember the 2,977 people who died in the terror attacks on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It also honors the six people who were killed in the World Trade Center bombing on February 26, 1993. All of their names are inscribed in bronze panels. The memorial has identical pools where the Twin Towers once stood. Each spans nearly one acre each, and they feature the largest man-made waterfalls in North America.

 

Acadia National Park

 

Acadia National Park is 47,000 acres of recreational land located primarily on Maine’s Mount Desert Island. It’s mostly mountainous wooded area with rocky beaches, and it’s home to the highest rocky headlands on the Atlantic coastline. Every year, more than 3.3 million people visit to go birdwatching, boating, camping, hiking and mountain climbing.

 

Alcatraz Island

A 15-minute ferry ride takes visitors to Alcatraz, just over a mile offshore from San Francisco, California. The 22-acre island is home to an abandoned federal prison and the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast. It’s also the site of a historic 18-month occupation by a group of Native American activists called Indians of All Tribes. You may recognize Alcatraz from popular culture, as it’s appeared in several movies, including “The Book of Eli,” “X-Men: The Last Stand” and “Catch Me If You Can,” and video games like “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4” and “Call of Duty: Black Ops II.”

Antelope Canyon

If you say you’ve never seen Antelope Canyon on your Instagram feed before, you’re lying. This sandstone canyon — located on Navajo land near Page, Arizona — is extremely popular with photographers because of tranquil shapes in the rock formed by flash flooding. Though the corridors are very tall, the width is very narrow. Catch beautiful beams of direct sunlight in the upper canyon (the entrance is at ground level and requires no climbing) or opt for a challenging hike in the lower canyon. Visitors can enter only by guided tour.

Arches National Park

Arches National Park is in Eastern Utah, just north of Moab. It features more than 2,000 sandstone structures (it has the highest density of natural arches in the world) including the renowned Delicate Arch, which can be seen on Utah license plates. There are over 76,000 acres in total for adventurers to enjoy backpacking, biking, camping, hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, stargazing and more.