11 Amazing United States Day Trips That Are Worth The Drive
The sheer variety of landscapes in the continental US, from Yellowstone and the Everglades to Antelope Island and Superior National Forest, makes day trips unforgettable. If you are local to California, you can easily plan drives to places like Alcatraz, Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite National Park. If you live in the east, destinations like Niagara Falls and the National Mall make equally worthwhile day trips. These amazing destinations across the United States prove that some of the best spots are only a short drive away.
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe stretches 22 miles long between California and Nevada. It is the largest alpine lake in North America. The lake is known for the iconic blue tint of the water, which comes from the amount of algae in the water. However, it is one of the purest lakes in the world, with its purity levels similar to distilled water.
Lake Tahoe is less than a two-hour drive from Sacramento, the state capital, which is accessible from Sacramento International Airport.
Summer is the busiest season at Lake Tahoe, with opportunities for swimming, fishing, boating, and hiking. As Lake Tahoe is within the Sierra Nevada Mountains, winter is also popular among skiers and snowboarders, with more than a dozen alpine resorts.
Niagara Falls State Park
Although not the tallest waterfall in the world, Niagara Falls stands out for the amount of water flowing over it. Over 168,000 cubic meters flow over the falls every minute during peak daytime tourist hours. Niagara Falls is on the border between Ontario, Canada, and New York, but Niagara Falls State Park is in the United States and is the nation’s oldest state park.
It is best accessed from the city of Niagara Falls, where Buffalo Niagara International Airport is only a 30-minute drive away.
The park is open year-round, and although the falls are the main lure, there are plenty of other activities to enjoy. The park encompasses 400 acres, which includes gardens and hiking trails that lead to scenic lookouts. Cave of the Winds enables visitors to wander along walkways to get so close to the falls that they can feel the mist on their faces. Or, visitors can climb on board the Maid of the Mist, which takes passengers into the basin of Horseshoe Falls.
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is a lagoon harbor on the south coast of Oahu, Hawaii, and is no more than 45 minutes from anywhere on the island. However, it will most likely be accessed from Honolulu, as this is closest to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
Pearl Harbor is the site of a surprise air attack by the Japanese that involved the United States in World War II. Today, Pearl Harbor is home to five historic sites that honor the events that occurred and the lives that were lost.
The most well-known site is the USS Arizona Memorial, which marks the final resting place of 1,177 crewmen on board when a bomb was dropped on it. Other sites include the USS Oklahoma Memorial, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, and the USS Battleship Missouri.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is the world’s first national park, established on March 1st, 1872. It contains 2.2 million acres of wilderness, including half the world’s active geysers. It is one of the largest national parks in the United States, primarily located in Wyoming, although it extends into Montana and Idaho.
As it is so large, there are several entrances to the park. However, if you are coming internationally to see Yellowstone, you will fly into Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Belgrade, Montana. From Bozeman, it is less than two hours by car to two different Yellowstone Entrances. The North Entrance is in Gardiner, whereas the West Entrance is in West Yellowstone. Yellowstone offers visitors unparalleled wilderness experiences, like a vast hiking trail system, sites such as the Yellowstone Grand Canyon, and the opportunity to view wildlife from the safety of the car, such as bison, grizzly bears, and wolves.
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is located in Arizona, and due to its size, it is accessible from other states, drawing over six million people per year, who come to experience hiking trails and vistas. Grand Canyon West is less than a two-hour drive from Las Vegas and is a worthy day trip for anyone flying into Harry Reid International Airport.
Grand Canyon West is on the Hualapai Tribe reservation in Arizona. It is a part of the greater Grand Canyon, which was formed by the Colorado River. The Grand Canyon Skywalk particularly draws people to Grand Canyon West. The skywalk is a horseshoe-shaped glass walkway jutting 70 feet out from the canyon edge. Its glass floors look down 4,000 feet below to the canyon floor.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular national parks in the United States, and for good reason. It is home to El Capitan, the world's largest granite monolith, and Yosemite Falls, the largest waterfall in North America. From Fresno-Yosemite International Airport, California, it is only 1.5 hours to Wawona, a community located entirely within Yosemite National Park, or 2.5 hours to the Yosemite Valley.
The Yosemite Valley is a seven-mile-wide canyon with rock formations such as El Capitan and Half Dome. It is one of the world’s best destinations for rock climbing, and visitors can also achieve great views just by following hiking trails. The park is also home to Giant Sequoia trees, believed to be over 3,000 years old.
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz is a former maximum security prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, California. It was used as a jail during the American Civil War, and later became a federal penitentiary in 1934. It was famous for incarcerating high-profile criminals such as Al Capone. Most notably, three inmates broke out in June 1962. Alcatraz is now a museum and popular tourist destination. The island is accessible by ferry from Alcatraz Landing at Pier 33 in San Francisco, and for those flying in, there is easy access from the San Francisco International Airport. The ferry ride takes about 20 minutes, and once you set foot on the island, there is enough to explore for a full day.
The key attraction of the island is the cell block, which can be ranger-led or self-guided with audio sets, featuring the voices of real inmates and prison guards. Elsewhere on the island, visitors can walk around the guard house, exercise yard, and gardens that surround the building. The 0.7-mile Agave Trail is open seasonally, creating views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Everglades National Park
If you are spending time in Miami, Florida, you will want to make time to visit Everglades National Park, a 1.5-million-acre wetland, forest, and marine habitat home to native plants and animals. If you have flown into Miami International Airport, the main entrance to the park, the Homestead Entrance, is only a 60 to 90-minute drive from downtown Miami.
With such a diverse tropical and subtropical habitat, there are many different ways visitors can experience the Everglades, such as kayaking and canoeing for chances of seeing manatees and turtles, hiking along boardwalk trails, or driving along the Tamiami Trail in Big Cypress National Preserve, where it is common to see American alligators basking on the side of the road.
Superior National Forest
Superior National Forest sprawls over three million acres, making it the largest national forest east of the Mississippi River. It is bordered by Lake Superior, Voyageurs National Park, and Canada. Duluth, Minnesota, is about two hours from the forest, with easy access from Duluth International Airport.
The forest is laced with over 2,000 miles of multi-use trails, offering multiple opportunities for hiking, backpacking, and horseback riding. It is also home to parts of the famed Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, where visitors can paddle through interconnected lakes surrounded by untouched forest.
Antelope Island State Park
Antelope Island State Park is 45 minutes away from Salt Lake City, Utah, and Salt Lake City International Airport. Antelope Island is the largest island on the Great Salt Lake, at over 28,000 acres. Consequently, it is one of the best places to access the Great Salt Lake. Antelope Island State Park draws in every type of outdoor recreationalist.
White sandy beaches are popular among sunbathers and families having picnics; hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails wind through the island to its most scenic points; a marina serves sailboats, kayakers, and canoers; and swimmers enjoy bobbing in the water of the lake, as it is several times saltier than the ocean, resulting in extra buoyancy. Perhaps most famous, however, is Antelope Island’s bison herd, which has between 550 and 700 individuals.
National Mall and Memorial Parks
The National Mall and Memorial Parks occupy over 1,000 acres of federal parkland in Washington, DC. It is just over a 30-minute drive from Dulles International Airport, where visitors will find over 80 historic structures, 150 parks, squares, circles, and triangles in around 1,000 acres of green space stretching from the United States Capitol to the Potomac River.
The structures and monuments are varied, paying homage to US Presidents, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. At 169 meters high, the Washington Monument pays homage to the nation’s first president, George Washington. Visitors can ride an elevator to the top to view museum exhibits and cityscapes. The mall is lined with world-class Smithsonian museums, all of which are free to enter.
Day Trips in the United States
Just mere hours outside of major cities, visitors and United States citizens alike can be in awe of natural geographical wonders like the Grand Canyon or explore the nation’s history at the National Mall and Memorial Parks. Whether you are visiting from another country and want to carve a day trip into your holiday itinerary, or are a resident who wants to go on an adventure out of the city bustle, these destinations are within your reach. All you need is a full tank of gas, a few hours on the road, and a willingness to explore.
