View source for United States of America

===Natural scenery===
[[File:Jordan Pond Maine.JPG|thumb|upright=1.3|Jordan Pond in [[Acadia National Park]], [[Maine]]]]

From the spectacular glaciers of Alaska to the wooded, weathered peaks of Appalachia; from the otherworldly desertscapes of the Southwest to the vast waters of the [[Great Lakes]]; few other countries have as wide a variety of natural scenery as the United States does.

America's '''[[United States national parks|national parks]]''' are a great place to start, and to see [[North American wildlife]]. [[Yellowstone National Park]] was the first true national park in the world, and it remains one of the most famous, but there are more than 60 others. The Grand Canyon is possibly the world's most spectacular gorge; [[Sequoia National Park]] and [[Yosemite National Park]] are both home to the world's tallest living organisms; Glacier National Park is a great place to see huge sheets of ice; [[Canyonlands National Park]] could easily be mistaken for Mars; and the [[Great Smoky Mountains National Park]] features abundant wildlife among beautifully forested mountains. The national parks aren't just for sightseeing, either; each has plenty of outdoor activities as well.

[[File:Carlsbad Caverns National Park 02.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|[[Carlsbad Caverns National Park]], [[Carlsbad (New Mexico)|Carlsbad]], New Mexico, in the [[Southwest (United States of America)|Southwest]].]]

Still, the national parks are just the beginning. The National Park Service also operates [[United States national monuments|national monuments]], national memorials, national historic sites, national seashores, national heritage areas... [[United States National Park System|the list goes on and on]]. Additionally, each state has its own '''state parks''' that can be just as good as the federal versions. Most of these destinations, federal or state, have an admission fee, but it all goes toward maintenance and operations of the parks, and the rewards are well worth it.

Those aren't your only options, though. Many of America's natural treasures can be seen without passing through admission gates. The world-famous [[Niagara Falls (New York)|Niagara Falls]] straddle the border between Canada and the U.S.; the American side lets you get right up next to the onrush and feel the power that has shaped the Niagara gorge. The "purple majesty" of the Rocky Mountains can be seen for hundreds of miles in any direction, while the placid coastal areas of the Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic have relaxed Americans for generations. And, although they are very different from each other, Hawaii and Alaska are perhaps the two most scenic states; they don't just ''have'' attractions – they ''are'' attractions.

As can be expected in the U.S.A., people often enjoy natural scenery by car. Most people visiting national parks do so by driving along the roads inside the park. Of course, you can also [[Hiking in the United States|hike]] where no cars can go, and overnight by tent at primitive campgrounds. Still, [[car camping]] is much more popular.