Whether you’re longing for wide-open vistas or want to spend some time in nature during your city vacay, venture into the great outdoors and rediscover America’s wild side.
Here’s our top-five suggestions to spark your wanderlust.
1. The Grand Canyon, Arizona
The big kahuna of America’s natural wonders is so incredible that you absolutely have to see it in person. Clichéd photos and postcards don’t do it justice. Take in the views from a helicopter flying 7,000 feet above sea level. Ride a mule to the valley floor. Raft the rapids between the canyon walls on the Colorado River. Better still, do it all for an experience that’ll stay with you forever.
Photo credits @chris-lawton, @colin-lloyd
Start your trip here:
2. Zion National Park, Utah
If you’re an animal lover who packs your binoculars before your bikini, this is the place for you. Sitting at the meeting point of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin and Mojave Desert, Zion National Park isn’t just beautiful – it also supports four unique habitats that are home to more than 400 types of creatures, including the ultra-rare California Condors.
Photo credits @patrick-hendry, @andrew-wagner
Start your trip here:
- Check flights to McCarran International Airport
- Stay at the Desert Pearl Inn
- Visit the Zion observation point
Find your flights to the great outdoors
3. The High Line, New York City
The hustle of the urban jungle gives way to something more soothing on this 1.4-mile stretch of repurposed rail track. It’s planted with 120 species of trees, grasses and flowers – a green haven among brownstones and highrises. But this is NYC, so naturally there’s art to argue over, coffee to drink, and the culturally vibrant streets of Chelsea to explore, too.
Photo credits @jeffrey-blum, @morgane-le-breton, @yeh-xintong
Start your trip here:
4. Big Sur, California
Soaring mountains. Pacific views. Beatnik counterculture. Big Sur has it all. Fly into San Francisco and go on an epic road trip down the coast, taking in the most scenic route in the US (really, Nat Geo said so). You’ll be following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and Hunter S. Thompson – it’s a wild ride. Pro tip: stop off in Monterey to check out the sea otters. Too cute.
Photo credits @spencer-davis, @kace-rodriguez
Start your trip here:
5. Miami Beach, Florida
Hiking’s great and all, but sometimes nothing beats kicking back with a cocktail on a sun-kissed beach. If you want to relax this vacay – and who doesn’t? – Miami Beach has the perfect combination of big-city buzz and resort chill. Still too urban? Hop a few miles down the coast to explore the pristine beaches and mangrove forests of Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
Photo credits @luc-belanger, @roberto-arias
Start your trip here:
More inspo from America Calling
There’s more to explore across the US – check out our guides for recommendations, tips, and surprising destinations. Want to book? Hey, don’t let us stop you. We’ve got flights to all 50 states, all in one place.
Travel responsibly
Always check the local restrictions and follow the local guidance for your trip.
