ALLTOURS

Safest, Most Scenic U.S. Road Trip Routes: Global Landscapes Hidden Within

1. Idaho's Lunar Training Ground

Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho

This stark, volcanic landscape was a vital training ground for Apollo astronauts preparing for moon missions.

2. Oregon's Martian Palette

Painted Hills Unit, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon

The vibrant stripes of these hills reveal millions of years of Earth's history, once home to ancient rhinos and tiny horses.

3. Washington's Ice Age Waterfall

Palouse Falls State Park, Washington

This spectacular waterfall and canyon were carved by catastrophic Ice Age floods, some of the largest known in Earth's history.

4. Nevada's Ancient Red City

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

Its vibrant red hues come from iron oxidation, and its rocks hold ancient petrified trees and petroglyphs from early peoples.

5. South Carolina's Amazonian Forest

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

This flood-dominated ecosystem is home to champion trees, the tallest of their species in the Eastern U.S., thriving in an 'old-growth' bottomland hardwood forest.

6. Wisconsin's Nordic Ice Caves

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin

In winter, Lake Superior transforms its sea caves into otherworldly ice cathedrals, accessible only when the lake freezes solid.

7. Illinois's Stone Giants

Garden of the Gods Recreation Area, Shawnee National Forest, Illinois

Its distinctive sandstone formations were once the bottom of an ancient sea, later sculpted by wind and water into 'cities of rock' with names like Camel Rock.

8. New Mexico's Gypsum Desert

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

This isn't a silica desert, but the world's largest gypsum dunefield, creating a landscape of 'snow-like' white sand and unique wildlife.

DISCOVER THE WORLD AROUND YOU

Your Personal Guide to America's Hidden Wonders

Point your camera at any landscape or landmark, and AllTours.ai narrates its history, geology, and culture in your language.