Americans are taking vacations again as the country continues to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, but international travel is still a challenge, so many are looking for destinations in their own backyard.
Luckily, this is a continent-sized country with countless stunning attractions, ranging from the natural wonders of Yellowstone, Yosemite, and other natural parks to man-made wonders such as the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and Hoover Dam on the Nevada-Arizona border. (Here is the best summer destination for outdoor fun in every state.)
There are also places that combine the natural and the man-made, including Mount Rushmore, which is part mountain and part monumental sculpture, and New York’s Central Park, which designer Frederick Law Olmsted described as “the lungs of the city,” thanks in large part to the more than 400 species of trees, plants, and flowers that grow there.
To whet the appetite, and perhaps to inspire some travel plans, 24/7 Tempo has compiled stunning photographs of America’s biggest tourist attractions by land area, based on Google searches.
Click here to see stunning photos of America’s largest attractions
Some of these are comparatively small, with their size measured in acres rather than square miles. Among these are the National Mall in Washington, D.C.; Grand Central Terminal in New York City; and Alcatraz Island, a quick ferry ride from San Francisco. For less conventional adventures, consider visiting the strangest roadside attraction in every state.
On the other end of our list is Lake Michigan. It’s not the largest of the Great Lakes, but it’s the only one that’s entirely within the U.S. (the rest are shared with Canada). With an area of more than 22,000 square miles it’s bigger than some countries. There’s lots to see and do on and around the lake, including fishing, canoe and kayak excursions, museums, spas, even wineries.
Big or smaller(er), all these are amazingly photogenic places, and just about everybody has a camera in hand these days to create stunning images of their own.
24. Nickelodeon Universe
> Location: East Rutherford, New Jersey
> Land area: 8 acres
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23. Alcatraz Island
> Location: San Francisco, California
> Land area: 22 acres
22. Navy Pier
> Location: Chicago, Illinois
> Land area: 34 acres
21. Grand Central Terminal
> Location: New York City, New HYork
> Land area: 48 acres
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20. The Gateway Arch
> Location: St. Louis, Missouri
> Land area: 62 acres
19. Washington Monument
> Location: Washington, D.C.
> Land area: 106 acres
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18. Magic Kingdom Park
> Location: Lake Buena Vista, Florida
> Land area: 107 acres
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17. Disney’s Hollywood Studios
> Location:
> Land area: 135 acres
16. National Mall
> Location: Washington, D.C.
> Land area: 146 acres
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15. Hoover Dam
> Location: Black Canyon of the Colorado River, Nevada and Arizona
> Land area: 220 acres
14. Epcot
> Location: Lake Buena Vista, Florida
> Land area: 300 acres
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13. French Quarter
> Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
> Land area: 422 acres
12. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
> Location: Bay Lake, Florida
> Land area: 580 acres
11. Central Park
> Location: New York City, New York
> Land area: 1.3 square miles
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10. Golden Gate Park
> Location: San Francisco, California
> Land area: 1.6 square miles
9. Balboa Park
> Location: San Diego, California
> Land area: 1.9 square miles
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8. Mount Rushmore National Memorial
> Location: Keystone, South Dakota
> Land area: 2 square miles
7. Walt Disney World Resort
> Location: Orlando, Florida
> Land area: 42.5 square miles
6. Bryce Canyon National Park
> Location: Southwest-Central Utah
> Land area: 56 square miles
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5. Zion National Park
> Location: Southwestern Utah
> Land area: 229.1 square miles
4. Yosemite National Park
> Location: Yosemite Valley, California
> Land area: 1,169 square miles
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3. Glacier National Park
> Location: Northwestern Montana
> Land area: 1,584 square miles
2. Yellowstone National Park
> Location: Northwestern Wyoming (plus small portions of Montana and Idaho)
> Land area: 3,471 square miles
1. Lake Michigan
> Location: Northeastern Illinois, northwestern Indiana, southeastern Wisconsin, southwestern Michigan
> Land area: 22,404 square miles
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