Last Updated on March 15, 2024
From the dazzling Northern Lights to desert landscapes across the Southwest, there are countless natural wonders around America that will leave you in awe. In the U.S., certain destinations attract worldwide travelers who voyage to be awed by these surreal spectacles.
Data from leading international provider of high-quality mobility services, SIXT, reveals that Google searches for ‘natural phenomena’ have increased by 600% while search trends for ‘rare sky phenomenon’ have increased by 133% in the past year alone; this demonstrates a surge in interest in these one-of-a-kind travel experiences.
With this in mind, travel experts at SIXT compiled the top 20 unique and rare natural phenomena to witness in the U.S., ranking each phenomenon based on rarity, affordability, Instagrammability, and popularity to determine which phenomena are the most worth visiting.
Whether you’re looking to witness bioluminescence – a rare natural phenomenon of glowing blue waters – or an alpenglow – one of nature’s most beautiful visible light effects – these are the top natural phenomena experiences to add to your travel wish list, along with the places to witness them.
I can say that some of my favorite trips included a natural phenomenon sighting providing memories to last a lifetime.
Canyons: Grand Canyon; Fredonia, Arizona
The first time I witnessed the stunning grandeur of the Grand Canyon, it filled me with awe. It was almost impossible to describe.
Truly one of the world’s natural wonders, the Grand Canyon is a rare natural canyon erosion formation with thousands of bands of red rock. Nearly 300 miles long, this “mountain lying down” averages 10 miles across and a mile deep.
When you visit, expect humbling views, stunning panoramas and gorgeous desert landscapes.
Volcanoes: Kīlauea Volcano, Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
Known as one of nature’s most unpredictable forces, volcanoes are vents where lava, tephra, and steam erupt onto the Earth’s surface. There are over 160 active and potentially active volcanoes in the U.S., most in Alaska, where eruptions occur yearly. Others can be found throughout the American West and in Hawaii.
The Big Island’s Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth and is seen by millions of tourists each year. If you plan a visit, check the underground cavernous lava tubes and caverns and explore the old, dried-up lava flows and lava lakes that emit a reddish-orange glow at night.
Geysers: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Geysers are hot springs under so much pressure that they erupt, sending water and steam into the air. They are rare with less than one thousand existing worldwide.
Lucky for us, about half of the planet’s geysers are in Yellowstone National Park. Old Faithful is perhaps the most famous geyser in the world. It’s known for its predictability, erupting roughly every 90 minutes to two hours.
Old Faithful shoots water up to 185-feet (56 meters) in the air during its impressive shows.
Aurora Borealis: Fairbanks, Alaska
Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is a natural light display that occurs predominantly in high-latitude regions, such as Fairbanks. This is one of the prime locations in the world for witnessing this stunning phenomenon due to its location near the Arctic Circle and its absence of light pollution.
The best time to see the Aurora Borealis in Fairbanks is during the winter months, particularly from September to April.
Meteor Shower: Cherry Springs Park; Cloudersport, PA
Cherry Springs State Park, located in Potter County, PA, is renowned for its exceptionally black skies, making it a popular destination for stargazing and astronomy enthusiasts. The park is a Dark Sky designation as it’s protected from light pollution and offers optimal conditions for observing celestial events such as meteor showers.
Several meteor showers occur throughout the year, and some of the notable include the Perseid meteor shower peaking in mid-August and the Geminid in mid-December.
Bioluminescence: San Diego, California
This colorful natural phenomenon happens when marine organisms, such as phytoplankton and dinoflagellates, emit light in response to agitation or movement creating a stunning display of blue-green or turquoise bioluminescent waves that glow brightly in the dark.
When these dinoflagellates are disturbed by waves or water movement, they produce a chemical reaction that results in the fascinating light emission most noticeable from late spring to early fall.
Bird Migration: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, NM
This wildlife refuge, situated along the Rio Grande, serves as a crucial stopover point for thousands of migratory birds as they journey between their breeding and wintering grounds.
The renowned migration at Bosque del Apache typically peaks during the fall and winter months, with large numbers of waterfowl, shorebirds, and other avian species congregating in the area such as sandhill cranes, snow geese, Canadian geese and various swans.
Alpenglow: Chugach Mountains, Alaska
The Chugach Mountains, located in south-central Alaska, are known for their dramatic peaks, deep valleys and extensive glaciers. As the sun rises or sets during the summer months, light is scattered and refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere creating a beautiful display of colors on the mountainsides known as alpenglow.
The peaks often appear bathed in shades of pink, orange, and red, contrasting against the cooler tones of the surrounding landscape.
Sea Turtle Hatching: Padre Island National Seashore; North Padre Island, TX
Located off the southern coast of Texas, South Padre Island is a crucial nesting site for sea turtles, including the Kemp’s ridley, green, and loggerheads. Every year, typically from late spring to early fall, these sea turtles return to the beaches of South Padre Island to lay their eggs in the warm sands.
The sea turtle nesting season on South Padre Island is a significant event both for the local ecosystem and for conservation efforts aimed at protecting these endangered and threatened species.
Whirlpools: Eastport, Maine
These fascinating whirlpools located in Passamaquoddy Bay are natural tidal phenomena caused by the strong currents and unique geography of the region. Eastport is known for having some of the highest tides in the world due to its proximity to the Bay of Fundy, where the tidal range can exceed 50-feet.
Water vortexes are formed by the interaction between the powerful tidal currents and the numerous islands, channels and underwater formations in the area. As the tide flows in and out of the Bay, it encounters obstacles such as submerged ledges and narrow passages, causing the water to swirl and form impressive eddies and whirlpools.
Glacier Ice Caves: Washington
Washington State is home to several glacier ice caves, particularly in the North Cascades region. The caves are formed within glaciers due to melting water carve out tunnels and chambers within the ice. They can vary in size, shape, and accessibility, and exploring them can be both awe-inspiring and potentially hazardous.
One notable location is the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, which encompasses a significant portion of the Cascades. The Easton and Coleman Glaciers have also been known to form ice caves, although accessing them can be challenging and dangerous due to the rugged terrain and unstable ice conditions but the adventurous love the challenge.
Nacreous Clouds: Fairbanks, Alaska
Nacreous clouds, also known as polar stratospheric clouds or mother-of-pearl clouds, are a rare and stunning atmospheric phenomenon occurring in high-latitude regions during the winter months.
The unique optical properties of ice crystals cause them to diffract and scatter sunlight, creating vibrant and iridescent colors that range from pastel pinks, purples and blues to vivid oranges and greens, depending on the angle of the sun and the size of the ice crystals.
The clouds often appear after sunset or before sunrise resulting in breathtaking hues and glowing like rare pearls or opals.
Monarch Butterfly Migration: Pismo Beach, California
Pismo Beach, located on California’s Central Coast, is one of the sites where the western population of monarch butterflies gathers during their annual migration.
Millions of monarchs from western North America migrate to specific overwintering sites along the California coast in late October to early November, seeking shelter in the coastal eucalyptus and pine groves. The butterflies cover the trees in dense clusters, their wings shimmering in the sunlight as they bask and flutter about.
Moonbows: Niagara Falls, New York
Also known as lunar rainbows, this mesmerizing spectacle appears when moonlight is refracted and dispersed through water droplets in the air, creating a colorful arc similar to a rainbow.
Niagara Falls is one of the most famous locations to witness moonbows as the mist rising from the powerful waterfall creates the perfect conditions for moonbows to form. The most prominent can be seen during a bright full moon night with a clear sky.
Glowworm Caves: Pickett State Park, Tennessee
These caves located in the upper Cumberland Mountains are home to a rare natural marvel—glow worms. These unique creatures are the only bioluminescent fly species found in North America.
Unlike their famous glowworm cousins in New Zealand (Arachnocampa), these Tennessee glowworms emit the bluest light ever recorded for any bioluminescent insect and light up both at the head and the tail, making them even more unique.
Light Pillars: Hudson, Wisconsin
Light pillars are optical phenomena that occur when light reflects off the surfaces of tiny ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. They often appear as vertical columns of light extending upwards or downwards from a light source, such as the sun or artificial lights. Light pillars can create stunning visual displays, especially in cold climates where ice crystals are more common.
To observe light pillars in Hudson or any other location, you typically need clear, cold, and calm weather conditions and minimal light pollution to capture the beauty of these beautiful natural balusters against the night sky.
Sailing Stones: Racetrack Playa; Death Valley National Park, CA
The phenomenon of sailing stones, also known as sliding rocks can be observed at Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park, California, a dry lakebed of moving rocks that slide across the playa’s surface, leaving trails behind.
The exact mechanism behind the rock movement remained a mystery for decades, however, in recent years, scientists have uncovered the explanation that the movement of rocks is facilitated by natural conditions of rainfall, mountain meltwater, wind gusts and dropping temperatures that createthe illusion that the rocks themselves are moving on their own.
Ice Waterfalls: Multnomah Falls, Oregon
Multnomah Falls is located in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon and during particularly cold winters, especially after periods of freezing temperatures, ice formations develop around the falls, creating a stunning winter spectacle.
When temperatures significantly drop, the mist from Multnomah Falls can freeze on the surrounding rocks, vegetation, and even the waterfall itself, forming intricate ice formations. Ice formations can vary in size and shape, ranging from delicate icicles hanging from cliffs to thick layers of ice coating the waterfall’s cascades.
Ice Volcano: Letchworth State Park; Castile, New York
Letchworth State Park, located near Castile, NY, is known for its stunning natural beauty including dramatic waterfalls, lush forests and rugged landscapes.
In colder seasons, waterfalls within the park can freeze, creating ice formations that resemble various shapes, including cones or towers that evoke the imagery of a volcano.
The most famous cascade, the Genesee River’s Middle Falls, plunges dramatically over a 100-foot cliff. During winter, when temperatures drop, the mist from the falls freezes on nearby rocks and vegetation, forming these intricate, captivating ice formations.
