National Geographic has named five U.S. destinations among its top places to visit in the year ahead. The annual Best of the World list includes 25 destinations worldwide, with the American picks recognized for their scenery, food and cultural attractions.
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the first U.S. destination featured on the list. Set between Lakes Mendota and Monona, the state capital offers waterfront activities, extensive green spaces and a lively food scene. Its mix of university life, nature and government gives the city a character of its own.
With about 290,000 residents, Madison is small enough to get around by foot or bicycle, National Geographic notes. The city has more than 200 miles of trails and bike routes, linking its neighborhoods, beaches and roughly 300 parks.
A popular ride follows a 13-mile loop around Lake Monona, passing Olbrich Botanical Gardens and the downtown waterfront. In summer, the Dane County Farmers Market fills Capitol Square on Saturdays, drawing as many as 20,000 visitors. The producer-only market sells flowers, baked goods and fresh produce.
The list also points to restaurants including Fairchild, known for dishes such as ravioli made with local vegetables, and Ahan, which serves Laotian food.
California’s Pacific Coast
After mudslides kept parts of Big Sur closed for three years, several scenic stretches of the Pacific Coast Highway have reopened. National Geographic also recommends exploring the arts communities scattered beyond the route.
Laguna Beach, an artists’ colony in Southern California, will mark its 100th anniversary in 2027. Its downtown combines beach access with a pedestrian promenade lined with shops, galleries, performance spaces and outdoor dining.
In Lompoc, visitors can follow a trail of more than 30 murals celebrating the city’s agricultural history. The area is also home to a wine district known as the Wine Ghetto. Nearby Harmony, a tiny former dairy town with a population of 18, has a small-batch ice cream shop alongside locally owned glass and pottery studios.
Farther north, Mendocino County and Fort Bragg offer more galleries and exhibitions, including those at Pacific Textile Arts.
The southern Ozarks
Stretching across parts of Missouri and Arkansas, the southern Ozarks are known for their bluffs, valleys and ridgelines. National Geographic highlights the area’s outdoor recreation as well as cultural stops in nearby towns, including Bentonville, Arkansas, home to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
Neighboring Bella Vista calls itself the mountain biking capital of the world. Its new OZ Trails Bike Park is Arkansas’ first mountain bike park served by a chairlift, with 20 miles of trails for riders at different skill levels.
Across the Missouri border, Dogwood Canyon Nature Park covers 10,000 acres of Ozarks landscape, including limestone cliffs and valleys. Elk, bison and longhorn cattle can be seen there, and visitors can explore the park’s trails on foot or by bike.
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore’s history includes a landmark in American transportation: the city chartered the nation’s first commercial railroad in 1827. The National Museum of Railroad History & Innovation is planning a $38 million renovation for the railroad’s 200th anniversary. The project is expected to include historic materials, such as letters from Abraham Lincoln, alongside exhibits on railroad technology.
National Geographic also highlights Lexington Market, which opened in 1782. The historic public market is home to family-run seafood, produce and baked-goods businesses.
At the Inner Harbor, visitors can find the National Aquarium, the 1854 warship USS Constellation, parks and shops. The waterfront also has a whiskey distillery and restaurants serving local favorites such as steamed crabs and crab cakes. New kayaking routes are available through the Baltimore Blueway, and Fort McHenry is another recommended stop: the site helped inspire Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Catalina Island, California
Catalina Island, a more remote California destination, can be reached by ferry from Long Beach in about an hour. Its landscape includes ridgelines and free-roaming bison, along with plant and animal species native to the island.
Small foxes may be spotted along the 38.5-mile Trans-Catalina Trail, which also passes through coastal sage scrub. The Garden to Sky Trail leads to ocean views near the Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden, where visitors can see rare island plants.
