Lonely Planet Ultimate USA Travel List

What's the #1 travel experience in America?

For the first time, the experts at Lonely Planet have ranked the top 500 unmissable experiences and hidden gems across the USA to create the ultimate hitlist.

Lonely Planet's Ultimate USA Travel List is the regional follow-up to our bestselling Ultimate Travel List and the must-own bucket list for both travellers to the USA and residents who want to discover their country’s most iconic sights and activities.

With inspirational photos, insightful commentary, and details of how to visit each place, this is your essential guide to exploring the very best of the nation’s travel experiences, from the classic to the quirky.

Whatever your interests, there’s a memorable experience awaiting you:

National Parks

• Be awed by nature’s power at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
• Feel humbled by geological giants at Yosemite National Park, California
• Drive through dreamy landscapes in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
• Thrill at the might of lava at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai’i

Family Fun

• Relish the mountain-themed amusements at Dollywood, Tennessee
• Immerse yourself in marine life at Monterey Bay Aquarium, California
• Feel the magic at Walt Disney World, Florida
• Soak up the nostalgic, kitschy charm of Coney Island, New York

Museums & Galleries

• Appreciate human creativity at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
• Learn important lessons at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, DC
• Think of the victims at the September 11 Memorial and Museum, New York
• Find your inner rock god at the Museum of Pop Culture, Washington

Road Trips

• Enjoy the ups and downs of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, Montana
• Travel through US history on the Colonial Parkway, Virginia
• Snake past scenic peaks along the Beartooth Highway, Montana
• Gape at grand peaks on a Continental Divide drive, Colorado

Eating & Drinking

• Tuck into Seattle’s smorgasbord at Pike Place Market, Washington
• Graze gourmet treats at LA’s Original Farmers Market, California
• Imbibe Appalachian moonshine at Sevier Distilling Company, Tennessee
• Indulge your gourmet side at Chelsea Market, New York

Entertainment

• Tap into musical history at New Orleans’ House of Blues, Louisiana
• Cheer for the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Illinois
• Dig the acoustics at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, Colorado
• Speed like a demon at NASCAR Racing Experience, Florida

Plus many more!

Discover the rankings and over 450 additional recommendations inside the book!

About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day.