New Mexico: White Sands
White Sands National Monument is the largest gypsum dune field in the world. Gypsum is rarely seen as sand, as it dissolves in water, but New Mexico’s dry climate has preserved the dunes. The pure white sand mounds stretch for 275 square miles near Alamogordo.
New York: Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls are formed not by a river, but by Lake Erie draining into Lake Ontario. Niagara is an attraction that spans the border into Canada, and is made of three falls: Horseshoe, Bridal Veil, and American Falls. On the U.S. side, Niagara Falls State Park is the nation’s oldest state park.
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North Carolina: Linville Falls
Linville Falls is a three-tiered waterfall that plummets 90 feet into the 12-mile-long Linville Gorge off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Multiple trails between one and two miles round trip provide overlooks to the falls.
North Dakota: Painted Canyon
Located in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Painted Canyon is one of the most photographed areas in North Dakota. Painted Canyon Overlook affords views of the Canyon, and a one-mile walking trail dips down below the rim to offer views of the unique strata.
Ohio: Hocking Hills Rock House
A tunnel-like cave situated high up on a 150-foot cliff, the Rock House at Hocking Hills State Park is a 200-foot-long, 25-foot-high tunnel caused by water erosion. Seven window-like holes and massive sandstone columns helped give the cave its name.
