The sheer size of the United States means it has a wealth of diverse geography and that means epic landscapes and natural wonders. Every state has fabulous places to visit courtesy of Mother Nature. It might be a vast meteor crater, a spouting volcano, an arch of layered rocks or the world’s oldest life forms. Here are some of the very best and most amazing natural wonders of the United States:

## 1. Colorado Great Sand Dunes

Standing on the top of the Star Dune, it’s hard to believe you’re still in the US. Rolling desert spreads out for 30sq miles in all directions, like a sea of sand. At dawn, as the first rays break over the Sangre de Cristos Mountains, the dunes are flushed pink; at sunset they turn golden, long geometric shadows snaking across the land like a Mondrian painting.

They’re formed from the remains of an ancient dried-out lake. Sand is swept up from the vast San Luis Valley by the wind and pushed against the base of the mountains. When storms rage, the wind races back in the opposite direction, lifting the dunes higher. Grain by grain, over thousands of years, these desert mountains were born.

Getting to the top is hard, but getting down is easy: strap on a sandboard or sledge (available to rent nearby) and scream all the way down. Alternatively, hike just a couple miles into the dunes, pitch a tent and enjoy the silence and stars of your own private desert oasis.

A great little town not too far away from the Dunes is Alamosa, and the Fairfield Inn and Suite offers maximum comfort for your stay.
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## 2. Alaska Denali

This year marks the centenary of Denali National Park and Preserve, in Southcentral Alaska. Covering six million acres of arctic forest and high alpine tundra, it’s the largest national park in the country, roughly the size of Vermont. To be here is to experience America’s last true frontier, to hear its original heartbeat, the solitude and ferocity of the real wilderness.

In the centre of the park is Denali mountain, its name meaning ‘the great one’ in native Koyukon Athabascan. And so it is. Denali is 20,310ft tall, the highest peak in North America, with a vertical rise of 18,000ft - taller than Mount Everest’s by a third and the largest of any mountain that’s entirely above sea level.

But for all its superlatives, it’s the wildlife that most people come here for. In a single day, it’s possible to see all of Alaska’s Big Five: grizzlies, wolves, moose, caribou and Dall sheep. But get off the path too: unlike other national parks, the backcountry of Denali has no trails or campsites; this is a true wilderness, the adventure is as big as your imagination can make it.

Live out your mountain living fantasies by staying at the Denali Backcountry Lodge; all of the rustic feelings of Alaska with modern comforts added.
Book at [booking.com](https://www.booking.com/city/us/kantishna.en-gb.html)

## 3. Hawaii Kīlauea & Mauna Loa