The 25 Best Vacation Spots in the U.S. for 2022

By Ellen Gutoskey |
The Grand Canyon in Arizona.
The Grand Canyon in Arizona. / Dean Fikar/Moment/Getty Images

One upside to living in a country as large as the United States is the ability to enjoy a wide variety of vacations without even needing a passport. To help you narrow down your choices, U.S. News & World Report compiled a list of America’s best vacation spots, based on a combination of editors’ scores and user input.

Unsurprisingly, national parks are especially well-represented. The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite took the top three spots, respectively, and another four parks made the top 25. So did Bar Harbor, the island town in Maine that, in the words of its official website, serves as “the gateway to Acadia National Park.”

If your idea of the great outdoors involves a little less hiking and a little more lying on a beach, the U.S. has stellar options for you, too. Hawaii alone has three islands on the list: Maui, Kauai, and Oahu; and Key West, Florida, came in at number 21.

When it comes to urban getaways, the Big Apple may be your best bet. New York City came in 10th place, higher than any other big city on the list. It’s hard to compete with New York’s restaurants, Broadway shows, and general reputation as a cultural mecca—not to mention Rockefeller Plaza’s Top of the Rock, recently labeled the best view in America. That said, plenty of other large cities have great sightseeing opportunities and a vibrant culture, from San Francisco to Chicago to Washington, D.C.

Does your personal favorite destination rank among the nation’s best? Find out below, and see more details about each spot via U.S. News & World Report.

  1. Grand Canyon National Park
  2. Yellowstone National Park
  3. Yosemite National Park
  4. Maui, Hawaii
  5. Glacier National Park
  6. Zion National Park
  7. Honolulu/Oahu, Hawaii
  8. Kauai, Hawaii
  9. Grand Teton National Park
  10. New York City, New York
  11. San Francisco, California
  12. Lake Tahoe
  13. Washington, D.C.
  14. Moab, Utah
  15. San Diego, California
  16. Bar Harbor, Maine
  17. Jackson Hole, Wyoming
  18. New Orleans, Louisiana
  19. Chicago, Illinois
  20. Olympic National Park
  21. Key West, Florida
  22. Boston, Massachusetts
  23. Big Sur, California
  24. Aspen, Colorado
  25. Sedona, Arizona
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