Destinations USA 15 Most Beautiful Places to Visit on the East Coast From Maine down to Florida, these are the best places to visit on the East Coast. By Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel is a freelance writer with over eight years of experience editing and writing for both brands and online publications—with a particular focus on travel, fashion, and lifestyle. She’s also the founder of the travel site justpacked.com. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 2, 2024 Close Photo: kschulze/Getty Images West Coast folks might believe theirs is the best coast, but the East Coast is just as beautiful and fun to explore. From the fishing villages of New England to the bustling streets of Miami, and the mild temperatures of the north to the subtropics of Florida, you get different scenery, climates, and cultures depending on where you visit. If you've never seen the leaves turn autumnal in the Appalachian Mountains or the hydrangeas bloom all over Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard in the summer, consider immersing yourself in the splendor of the East on your next trip. There are mountains, rivers, small towns, historic sites, national parks, and beaches galore. Here are 15 of the best places to visit on the East Coast, from the glimmering waters of New York’s Lake George to the untouched wilderness of Cumberland Island, Georgia. Best tourist destination: National Mall, Washington, D.C.Underrated hidden gem: Cumberland Island, GeorgiaBest for families: Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia and North CarolinaBest for couples: Middleburg, VirginiaBest for solo travelers: Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, New York Keep reading for the full list of East Coast destinations. National Mall, Washington, D.C. AlbertPego/Getty Images There’s hardly a more iconic spot in Washington, D.C. than the National Mall. Dotted with monuments — the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and the Washington Monument, to name a few — the area also has pedestrian-friendly lawns and walkways. Its true beauty, however, really reveals itself when the Japanese cherry blossom trees bloom in the spring. Cumberland Island, Georgia Daniela Duncan/Getty Images One of Georgia’s best-kept secrets, Cumberland Island — and its uninterrupted white-sand beaches, marshes, and maritime forests — is accessible only by ferry or private boat. At 17 miles long, the barrier island has just one hotel, Greyfield Inn, a population of wild horses, a historic district with ruins of a Carnegie-built mansion, and 9,800 acres of protected wilderness within Cumberland Island National Seashore. Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia and North Carolina GreenStock/Getty Images The full Blue Ridge mountain range spans 550 miles from Pennsylvania to Georgia, but Virginia and North Carolina lay claim to the Blue Ridge Parkway, a scenic route ripe for family road tripping. The meandering drive grants visitors access to more than 200 overlooks, where they can stop to take in the sweeping views accented by the blue haze that gives these mountains their name. Middleburg, Virginia Eric Stein/Visit Virginia Signs you’ve reached Middleburg include rolling countryside outlined with stone walls, horses, farms, and a historic downtown district filled with antique stores, art galleries, and equestrian shops. The beauty of this Virginia town lies in both the bucolic landscape and its colonial architecture, as evidenced by the storied Red Fox Inn & Tavern, a 22-room hotel and pub first established in 1728. Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, New York Driendl Group/Getty Images Now over 100 years old, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens is more than just a place within the Concrete Jungle to admire flowers and more than 12,000 kinds of plants. It’s a 52-acre haven designed for inspiration, conversation, and education. Visitors can even take classes on floral design, pruning, propagation, and more. Walking through the different areas — including the Rose Garden, Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, and the Desert Pavilion — will leave you with a greater appreciation for the natural beauty found all over the world. Highlands-Cashiers Plateau, North Carolina DWalker44/Getty Images Western North Carolina is home to more than 250 waterfalls, many of which are found in the breathtaking Highlands-Cashiers Plateau, a mountainous area 70 miles from Asheville. Whether you’re visiting during the lush summer or vibrant fall, a hike to nearby Dry Falls or Cullasaja Falls shouldn’t be missed. Bluffton, South Carolina Pam Ullman/Getty Images You might expect Charleston to appear on this list, but the smaller coastal town of Bluffton, with its moss-draped oak trees and location along the May River, is just as beautiful. Montage Palmetto Bluff, voted one of South Carolina's best resort hotels in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards, is one of the area’s highlights, but visitors should also explore downtown Bluffton and the surrounding Lowcountry. Acadia National Park, Maine Eifel Kreutz/Getty Images Coastal Maine’s Acadia National Park is open year-round, but you’ll want to visit between October and March to be the first in the U.S. to see the sunrise at top of Cadillac Mountain. Summer trips are just as magical, though, especially at popular spots like Thunder Hole, Jordan Pond, and Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. Siasconset, Nantucket Nine OK/Getty Images No other words describe Siasconset Village (more commonly known as ‘Sconset) better than “charming” and “photogenic.” A 40-minute bike ride from Nantucket’s downtown district, the village is popular for its mile-long public footpath, the Sconset Bluff Walk, which weaves between gray-shingled cottages and their accompanying flower gardens with views of the ocean down below. Yale University, Connecticut f11photo/Getty Images Like many New England college campuses, Yale University’s grounds carry that unique mixture of excitement, nostalgia, and general wonder you can’t help but want to experience. The university’s Old Campus is immediately recognizable with its distinct layout of lawns, trees, walkways, and impressive Gothic architecture. Vermont’s Covered Bridges KenWiedemann/Getty Images More than 100 covered bridges, dating from the 1830s, can be found in the state of Vermont. Their photogenic nature — especially during the peak of fall — is often the catalyst behind visitors exploring the Green Mountain State. Depending on which driving tour you embark on, you can see popular sights like the Pulp Mill Bridge in Middlebury and the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge, which is the longest two-span covered bridge in the world. Biscayne National Park, Florida jtstewartphoto/Getty Images Travelers can explore the waters of South Florida’s Biscayne National Park in a variety of ways — kayaking, paddleboarding, and boating among them — but it’s known as one of the best places to scuba dive in the U.S. The national park is 95 percent water and home to a mangrove forest, coral reefs, sea turtles, manatees, and more than 600 native fish species. Lake George, New York TheChrisWhiteStudio/Getty Images Upstate New York boasts one of the most beautiful lakes in the United States. Thanks to a watershed that doesn’t produce much pollution, Lake George’s waters are clear, clean, and perfect for swimming in. It’s a gem within the Adirondack Mountains that makes for the perfect summer getaway. Bushkill Falls, Pennsylvania Shobeir Ansari/Getty Images Known as the “Niagara of Pennsylvania,” Bushkill Falls is a series of eight waterfalls in the Pocono Mountains. Adventurous travelers can see them all — including Bushkill Falls (the main waterfall), Bridesmaid’s Falls, and the Lower Gorge Falls — by setting off on a challenging two-mile, two-hour hike. Block Island, Rhode Island kschulze/Getty Images You’ll take a short ferry ride from the mainland to this 10-square-mile coastal island known for its historic lighthouses and stunning scenery. On the southern end of the island, you’ll find Mohegan Bluffs, a set of large clay cliffs that offer incredible Atlantic Ocean vistas and access to the secluded, rocky beach, reached by climbing down 141 stairs.