America’s Most Famous Natural Wonders

North America is full of natural wonders, but few inspire as much awe as Niagara Falls, the continent’s most famous waterfalls. Comprised of three separate waterfalls (Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls), Niagara’s falls can boast of the fastest flow rate in the world, dropping 6 million cubic feet of water every minute from as high as 185 feet. Situated on the border between the United States and Canada, Niagara Falls is not just a prime tourist spot but a source of hydroelectric power that attracted scientists like Nikola Tesla who hoped to harness the waterfalls’ energy. In fact, Niagara Falls is so powerful that it is eroding the ground under it, to the extent that it will cease to exist in about 50,000 years. 

Even for those who have never seen it, the Grand Canyon is perhaps the most appreciated and remarkable feature of the American landscape. Indeed, the Grand Canyon has been amazing Americans since explorers first started venturing into the area in the mid-19th century. On one expedition, May Humphreys Stacey wrote in his journal of 'a wonderful canyon four thousand feet deep. Everyone (in the party) admitted that he never before saw anything to match or equal this astonishing natural curiosity.' Cut through by the Colorado River over the course of millions of years, the Grand Canyon is a popular destination spot that attracts millions of tourists annually, and what they come to see can be found nowhere else on the planet.

The United States is full of natural wonders, but few remain unspoiled by man as much as Yosemite National Park, a 750,000 square acre park near the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Despite being inhabited by people for nearly 3,000 years, the relatively remote spot helped ensure that even as America expanded west, the Yosemite area avoided being settled or exploited like so many other areas on the frontier.