Sometimes the most memorable trips happen when you seek out unexpected, under-the-radar spots that you never would’ve known about without some prior research.

America’s tallest underground waterfall.

Ruby  Falls

Chattanooga, TN

Features stained glass windows, wrought-iron bridges, and even a steel, fire-breathing dragon.

Bishop Castle

Rye, Colorado

Giant wave-like dunes of white gypsum salt cover 275 miles of desert, making it the largest gypsum dune field in the world.

Salt Dunes

Tularosa Basin, NM

Best known for its wild horse population, visitors can often spot bottlenose dolphins, endangered peregrine falcons.

Wild Horses

Assateague Island, MD

First created when an underground river collapsed thousands of years ago. Visitors can enjoy swimming in the jade green water and taking in the pool’s 50-foot waterfall.

Hamilton  Pool Preserve

Travis County, Texas

A major highlight is the islands’ gorgeous natural ice caves, which you can explore via kayak in the spring and summer.

Apostle Islands

Lake Superior, Wisconsin

Fun fact: The first official United States National Monument was a strange geological monolith in Wyoming known as Devils Tower.

Devils Tower

Black Hills, WY

Dubbed the world’s “shortest, steepest, scenic railway",  gives visitors panoramic views of the Mississippi River and three surrounding states: Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Fenelon Place Elevator

Dubuque, Iowa

Oz Museum contains over 2,500 pieces of Oz memorabilia relating to both the film adaptation and Baum’s book series.

Yellow Brick Road

Wamego, Kansas

228-foot suspension bridge that spans an 80-foot chasm and provides breathtaking 360-degree views of the surrounding North Carolina mountains.

Mile High Swinging Bridge

Linville, North Carolina

For the full list of 25 Hidden Gems Across the US, click below.

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