Lonely Planet’s top 20 U.S. sights include 4 California landmarks
There’s a U.S.-centric sequel now to Lonely Planet’s bestselling “Ultimate Travel List.” The travel guide company has just released its first “Ultimate United States Travel List” ($25), which showcases — and ranks — the country’s 500 most memorable destinations and experiences, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to the Na Pali Coast of Kauai. Lonely Planet’s staff, writers and bloggers ranked them all and filled the book’s 320 pages with destination details, background and photographs to inspire road trippers and armchair travelers alike.
Four of the top 20 destinations are in our own backyard, with Yosemite National Park clocking in at No. 2 and Joshua Tree National Park at
No. 11. The Bay Area is represented by the iconic Golden Gate Bridge at No. 14 and Muir Woods at No. 16. Here’s Lonely Planet’s top 20:
1. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
2. Yosemite National Park, California
3. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
4. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
5. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
6. Ellis Island, New York
7. Volcanoes National Park, Hawai’i
8. National Museum of African American History and Culture,
Washington, D.C.
9. Denali National Park, Alaska
10. Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, Hawaii
11. Joshua Tree National Park, California
12. Civil Rights Museum, Tennessee
13. Central Park, New York
14. Golden Gate Bridge, California
15. White Sands National Park, New Mexico
16. Muir Woods, California
17. Crater Lake, Oregon
18. Freedom Trail, Massachusetts
19. Glacier National Park, Montana
20. 9/11Memorial & Museum, New York