1. Death Valley, California
A section of the Mojave Desert, Death Valley is the lowest, driest, hottest place in North America.
Photo: H Dragon

2. Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi
Kīlauea, on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, sends streams of lava steaming into the Pacific Ocean.
Photo: Tumanc

3. Monument Valley, Utah
The sandstone buttes of Monument Valley stand like towers in the Four Corners region of the Western U.S.
Photo: Wolfgang Staudt

4. Niagara Falls, New York
The tourist vessel “Maid of the Mist IV” does a float-by of the American Falls.
Photo: Diego_3336

5. Redwood forests, California
The tallest trees on the planet hide out in the few remaining tracts of northern California’s old-growth coastal forests.
Photo: Rhett Sutphin

6. Grand Canyon, Arizona
A mile down from the canyon’s rim, the Colorado River is still cutting.
Photo: goingslo

7. Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
Mammoth Cave National Park protects a portion of the longest known cave system in the world.
Photo: Peter Rivera

8. Everglades, Florida
The Everglades are a 60-mile-wide, super-slow-moving subtropical river covering the tip of Florida.
Photo: vladeb

9. Hubbard Glacier, Alaska
Where Hubbard Glacier meets the sea, its 6-mile-wide face calves huge blocks of ice.
Photo: Alan Vernon.

10. Black Hills, South Dakota
Harney Peak, within the Black Hills National Forest, is the highest east of the Rockies.
Photo: blucolt

11. The Mississippi
This monster river system drains 31 U.S. states and is the fourth longest in the world.
Photo: Jon Haynes Photography

12. Bryce Canyon, Utah
Bryce can be more accurately described as an immense eroded amphitheater, populated with hoodoos.
Photo: Chris Isherwood back soon

13. Mt. Desert Island, Maine
The island is protected by Acadia National Park and is all rocky shoreline and crumbly mountain woodland.
Photo: indywriter

14. Crater Lake, Oregon
Collapsed volcano, now a deep blue lake in southern Oregon.
Photo: Michael Whyte

15. Arches National Park, Utah
The park preserves land that’s home to over 2,000 of these weathered sandstone arches.
Photo: tibchris

16. Yosemite, California
Looking down Yosemite Valley, you can see Bridalveil Falls and the granite cliff of Half Dome in the distance.
Photo: *~Dawn~*

17. Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
The caverns‘ “Big Room” is the third largest cave chamber in North America.
Photo: Justin Wright

18. Old Faithful, Yellowstone
This geyser in Yellowstone National Park erupts a 140-foot spout of water at regular 45- to 120-minute intervals.
Photo: WeiterWinkel