Popular US Tourist Attractions Worth Fighting the Crowds to Visit

For better or bad , there ’s a sight to see in the US of A. Some of the best hooey is well off the beaten path , acknowledge only to the few unforced to induct the meter to get there . Other sights are … less so .

But even in the world of to a great extent confabulate tourist attractions , there live a few bright spot that – whether for the history , the marvel of technology ( either man or nature ! ) , or merely the reverence - inspiring stunner – are well worth endure the crowd to see with your own eyes . These are 13 of them .

Big Sur

Big Sur , CAAverage number of visitor annually:3 million+Why you should be one of them : There are people who would justify Big Sur ’s place on this listing ground on the drive there alone . But even after all the spectacular cliff views along the wandering Highway 1 , arriving in Big Sur still comes as a bit of a cushion . On one side , you ’re flank by mountains and redwood forests with mile upon miles of tramp trails ; on the other , there ’s craggy beaches and high-flown view that make the ocean look bigger than you ’ve ever seen it before . grab a sundown on Pfeiffer Beach , and you ’ll utterly understand the plug about this place .

Fenway Park

Boston , MAAverage number of visitors annually : Game attendance of 2.9 million , not including tour and special eventsWhy you should be one of them : For a metropolis that ’s as proud of every straight inch of its demarcation as it is , Fenway Park believably still grade at the top of most Bostonian ’s “ favorite place on dry land ” list . It ’s a cathedral of Americana where even people who could wish less about baseball receive something to marvel at . There ’s a reason they give circuit even when it ’s not baseball time of year .

Statue of Liberty

New York , NY ( although she ’s technically standing in novel Jersey)Average number of visitors annually:3.2 million+Why you should be one of them : Most native New Yorkers will likely tell you the closest they ’ve amount to Lady Liberty is reckon out at it from Battery Park . But there ’s something about getting out on the harbour and watching that Frenchwoman grow taller as she eventually looms over you that makes it special . It ’s a uniquely positivist shared experience that speaks as much to world-wide history as it does to American , and it ’s easily one of the most serene things you may do in the tatty , grownup city in the body politic .

The French Quarter

New Orleans , LAAverage number of visitors annually:7 million+Why you should be one of them : echo after me : There is so much more to the Quarter than Bourbon Street drunken revelry . Just think of the live music on Frenchman , or the “ how is this gob in the wall so damn good ” restaurants . There is more excitement and refinement in one block than most cities can boast in their intact limits . But above all , it has a charisma rooted in history that is impossible to fake .

The Grand Canyon

ArizonaAverage bit of visitors annually:4.5 million+Why you should be one of them : How can anyone roll up a list like this and not let in the Great Canyon ? It ’s arguably the holiest of all innate organisation tourer mecca holies , the great nick in the solid ground that ’s spurred a million family unit road trips . It ’s easy to see why it may feel like an overhyped destination , but once you actually make it there and take in the landscape with your own eyes , it ’s suddenly not a surprise why seeing it is the top item on so many people ’s bucketful lists . It will blow your nous .

Niagara Falls

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Morrison , COAverage bit of visitors p.a. : content of 9,525 , average visitor amount calculate on phone number of each year showsWhy you should be one of them : It ’s true that arrest an larger-than-life show by your favorite band can be a life changing experience . But if you ever happen to find yourself in or around Denver and thirst unrecorded music , seeing a show at Red Rocks might be deserving it for the venue alone . It ’s almost sensory overload as music combine with arresting scene . ostensibly performer got the memoranda , too : Name a band you know and love and they ’ve played here , whether it ’s Jimi Hendrix or the Beatles or U2 or Fleetwood Mac or … (you get the distributor point ) . It ’s not surprising so many clamoring to get a solidification here once in their sprightliness .

Mount Rushmore

Keystone , SDAverage number of visitor annually:2 million+Why you should be one of them : Say what you will about the relatively distant placement of one of this country ’s most recognized landmark , and the almost Griswold - level sept devotion required to make the road misstep to see it . But like the Statue of Liberty , there ’s something to be said about finding your way to the Dakotas for a glimpse of these jumbo presidential faces , where American spirit has turn a mountain into a repository . Going for the post - Rushmore optional sojourn to the Badlands makes it an even well experience .

Presidio of San Francisco

San Francisco , CAAverage number of visitors annually:5 million+Why you should be one of them : The Presidio is as vital to the outdoor time of visitor as it is to Bay Area occupant themselves . And why not ? There ’s forest , beach , commons , and prospect of the Bay that never seem to get old . Besides , it ’s still easily the best way to take in the Golden Gate Bridge ( unless you ’re capable to pull up off aFull Houseopening credits style helicopter view ) .

The Hoover Dam

Nevada / Arizona borderAverage issue of visitors annually:1 million+Why you should be one of them : Maybe it ’s the glowing sorry water system of Lake Mead against the burnt orange desert landscape . Or maybe it ’s the unmingled scope of the technology it took to make something as tall and encompassing as the decameter . It definitely has something to do with the vertigo - inducing prospect from count way down into the Colorado River while you range the Arizona / Nevada nation line . Or … perchance it ’s just a perfect way break up that Vegas trip with something that is n’t gambling or booze .

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Washington , DCAverage number of visitant annually:3 millionWhy you should be one of them : find out any listing compiled of the most visited sites in America and almost one-half of them will be jammed with DC ’s interior monuments . And while it ’s hard to justify pick just one of them in a ocean of giant star , the Jefferson Memorial is the solid outlier of the crowd . Why ? deal it the “ chill , laid - back ” sibling of the presidential memorial family , secern from the National Mall by the Tidal Basin and bordered on the south by a parkland and golf course . It ’s a truly calm , beautiful spot in a metropolis that is rarely known for being tame or peaceful .

Joshua Tree

CaliforniaAverage numeral of visitors annually:1.3 millionWhy you should be one of them : Yes , we are cognizant that Coachella has turned the concept of strike up the Southern California desert into a hyped millennial bucket - list experience . But a sojourn to Joshua Tree , which only became a state parking lot in 1994 , is probably the exact opposite experience of support in a jam packed crowd of young people . Anyone looking for repose , nature , or vision - quest - worthy surroundings and scenery will all find something to love .

The Alamo

San Antonio , TXAverage number of visitors annually:2.5 millionWhy you should be one of them : What it lacks in basements ( ha ) , it more than make up for in bonafide historic significance , Texas pride , and plenty of nearby activities ( include the Riverwalk ) . Even if you ’re not bring down San Antonio directly , it ’s such a short drive from Austin that it ’s deserving the trek .

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