Most Scenic Views in America
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, thus the variety on the most scenic lists can be endless
Some years ago, USA Today published a list of the “ten most beautiful places in America” after consulting with travel experts, photographers, and even Dr. Drew. The winners were bewildering to many, from the squares of Savannah, Ga., to the nighttime view of downtown Pittsburgh from Mount Washington. Among the few that I agreed at the time deserved to be so honored were Sedona’s red rock formations and Hawaii’s Na Pali Coast.
I recently visited Pittsburgh myself and caught the vista from the Grandview Avenue Overlook about 400 feet above the Monongahela River, as it meets the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers. I have to admit I can see the reasoning behind why this spot was included among the ten most scenic places in the country, though second place still seems high.
As far as combining nature with a city’s architecture, this site beats New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and most others in my book. Seattle, which features Mount Rainier among its skyline on fairly clear days, and Washington, D.C., which has a building zoning height limit with many exhibiting a unique neoclassical architectural style, are likely the lone U.S. cities to top Pitt, though others come close.
Most similar subsequent lists have ignored Pittsburgh’s overlook, favoring more conventional choices such as Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring and Glacier National Park. That motivated me to devise my own list of the most scenic views of the United States that I have encountered in my journeys. My criteria includes ones that I have visited, thus omitting Prismatic and Glacier, and they have to be vista points — in other words, looking from the top of the mountain, not at the mountain itself unless it’s another mountainous observation site.
10. Grandview Overlook, Pittsburgh
The steel city’s downtown skyline boasts just the right amount of structures, not too many as in New York and Chicago. There are vintage railcar inclines you can take to reach the top, or you can merely drive. The observation platforms in the Mount Washington neighborhood of Pittsburgh are welcoming and not overly crowded. And the rivers accent the manmade structures better than most cities.
9. Monument Valley, Utah
Some say you see one red rock, you’ve seen them all. It only seems that way when you drive through the Southwest. Many people prefer Sedona, Ariz., over Monument Valley, but taking in the panoramic views of these incredible natural sculptures while standing among them on Navajo land was a mystical experience that I couldn’t repeat in Sedona. Perhaps the larger crowds in Sedona have taken their toll.
8. Kerry Park, Seattle, and Top of the Washington Monument, Washington, D.C.
If I hadn’t made it to Seattle recently and seen this view of downtown from Kerry Park myself, I wouldn’t have thought this topped Pittsburgh. When Mount Rainier — the country’s 17th highest mountain and the third highest in prominence — makes an appearance on fairly clear days, this is a scenic sight that is hard to beat.
As for D.C., the city’s founders got something right when they developed this area. Building height limits have made the 555-foot-high Washington Monument the tallest building in D.C. by far. From the cramped room at the top of the monument, you might be surprised to learn how many trees and parkland acres there are in the nation’s capital. The neoclassical government buildings, monuments, and memorials, inspired from ancient Rome and Greece, add a touch that is not duplicated anywhere in the Americas. San Francisco may have the Golden Gate Bridge, but D.C. has more numerous pleasing landmarks and is not overrun by tall buildings in a dense space.
7. Fifth-floor deck of the Biosphere, Montreal
Yes, this is not in the U.S., but I have to include this North American place, nonetheless. The Canadians not only preserved buildings from the 1967 Expo World’s Fair and 1976 Summer Olympics, but made them into environmental museums like the Biosphere. The fifth-floor deck provides great perspectives of the Montreal skyline and tree-covered neighborhoods through a geodesic dome designed by futurist architect Buckminster Fuller.
6. Near the peak of Mount Shasta, Calif.
This potentially active volcano features one of the most prominent peaks in the country, towering almost 10,000 feet above its surroundings. The summit can be seen from as far as 140 miles away. While that view is striking from nearby peaks, the surrounding summits seen from near the top of Mount Shasta are still fairly impressive. Some say there is a hidden city of enlightened beings from the lost continent of Lemuria housed here. I didn’t see any signs of that but did have some of the most vivid dreams I’ve had in years while trying to sleep near the peak.
5. Hot-air balloon, 1,000 feet above Albuquerque, N.M.
Just viewing the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the most popular hot-air balloon fest in the world, from the ground is an eye-catching delight. But seeing it from a gondola in a balloon some 1,000 feet above the deserts and mountainous forest is unforgettable.
4. Denali, Alaska, and Rocky Mountains, almost anywhere in Colorado
What some call mountains in the Great Smokies and other eastern ranges are mere hills compared to the Alaska Range, Rocky Mountains, and other western ranges. Alaska’s Denali, the highest and most prominent mountain in North America, is impressive even from 40 miles away, which is about the closest most people get to that peak from the state park’s south viewing area along Alaska Highway 3. It’s a hard peak to catch since the weather conditions are often cloudy, but I caught it recently just around sunset after clouds obscured the view earlier that day.
The tallest peaks in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado do not match Alaska, as the ten highest U.S. mountains are all in the 49th state. But Colorado contains 14 of the country’s tallest 30 mountains, compared with 12 in Alaska, three in California, and one in Washington state. So virtually anywhere you go outside in Colorado, you will see an impressive scene.
If you can’t venture to Colorado and Alaska, the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina will do.
3. Grand Canyon, Arizona
This had to be on my list somewhere. I’ve made five trips to this national treasure, which is as deep as 6,000 feet. Listed in 2023 as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, it may be curious that I ranked the Grand Canyon third. The crowds can take away from the experience, but there are ways around that. The North Rim is much less crowded than the South Rim. Hiking into the canyon can separate you from the pack. But take care on the trails; people do slip and fall.
The Royal Gorge in Colorado and Rio Grande Gorge in New Mexico provide canyons that attempt to compete with the big one. They are impressive but still fall short.
2. Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park, Calif.
This is the vista that landscape photographer Ansel Adams made famous. You can drive here, as long as the roads aren’t closed due to crowds or weather. You can see some of the most noted landmarks, including El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Fall. Probably the best time to go is in the spring when waterfall flows are highest and crowds are thinner.
- Big Sur, California
The often-misty rugged cliffs caused by a sudden rise from the Santa Lucia Mountains along the Route 1 coast from Carmel to San Simeon create some of the most spectacular scenes in not just the country, but the world. There are bridges, beaches, volcanic rock formations, waterfalls, Nepenthe restaurant, the Henry Miller Library. But the views are the draw here. You can’t go wrong stopping anywhere along this route.
Finally, here is one of my favorite views of my backyard when I was a kid from the highest point of my boyhood home’s roof in Dallas, where I grew up. I often climbed up here to think and gain a fresh perspective. That is a 1961 Cadillac resting under the tree. Wish we had kept that car.
I could do another list of Europe and Asia. So what are your top scenic vistas that you have encountered in your journeys?
Kevin Shay is author of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Trip.
