The 5 finest views in the USA

From the contorted, burnt red-coloured rock of Arizona’s Grand Canyon to the breathtaking granite peaks of California’s Yosemite, the USA is overflowing with unforgettable views. For those who are fond of fantastic scenery, here are five vantage points selected by Booking.com’s travel community – highlighting the best spots around the US for admiring its diverse landscape. Just don’t forget your camera.

Yosemite National Park is one of the USA’s greatest natural treasures, an awe-inspiring wonderland amid the rocky Sierra Nevada Mountains with incredible vistas aplenty. There’s the captivating sight of the towering, 188-metre-tall Bridalveil Fall or – if you’re feeling energetic – you can hike all the way up to Yosemite Falls (the highest waterfall in the USA) where the vertiginous drop and views across the glacier-carved valley will take your breath away. Elsewhere in the park you’ll find the shimmering grey and purple rock face of El Capitan, the mighty mountain of granite that is the Half Dome, the spookily beautiful Mariposa Grove of ancient sequoia trees, and much more. Check into Sierra Sky Ranch, situated just outside Yosemite.

Death Valley’s otherworldly terrain, with a mountainous backdrop and open expanses of arid, cracked earth stretching to the horizon, is a sight to behold. It’s one of the hottest places on earth in summer, and is impressive at any time of year but the scenery really comes into its own in spring, when a wildflower display turns the desert floor into a carpet of colour and attracts butterflies, bees and hummingbirds (this floral spectacle usually peaks in late March to Early April). Check into K7 B&B for easy access to Death Valley National Park.

Visitors to the Grand Canyon are spoilt for choice when it comes to spectacular scenery and photo opportunities. At every turn, a new view appears of contorted, burnt red-coloured rock contrasting against a deep blue sky. You can also venture onto the glass Skywalk suspended above the canyon floor, book a guided sunset tour or even a helicopter ride for the very best vistas. Sheridan House Inn sits at the foot of Bill Williams Mountain, surrounded by forest and an hour’s drive from the Grand Canyon.

The oceanic wilderness of the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska is home to not one but several of the best views to be found in the USA. The diverse landscape here ranges from imposing, frozen-blue glacier tongues to glistening coastal fjords with the ice-covered Chugach Mountains beyond. Climb to the top of Exit Glacier for an astonishing vantage point , or explore the fjords by kayak, paddling across the ocean with ice caps floating around you. Resurrection Bay acts as the gateway to the Kenai Fjords National Park and the closest town is Seward, which is the base for most of the local glacier tours. Stay at Resurrection Lodge on the Bay, with a wooden sun deck that juts out into the water and provides panoramic views of glistening sea and mountains.

Utah’s infinitely beautiful Bryce Canyon is littered with once-in-a-lifetime views. Hike up high to see the supernal expanse of glowing reddish rock sprawling out below, broken up by green clusters of trees. Hike down bluffs that lead into towering ravines and through archways that serve as windows framing the canyon perfectly. But the park’s most enthralling sight has to be the hoodoos – spiralling, pinkish rock formations that punctuate the sky. Spend the night at The Panguitch House, just a short drive away.