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The Best Places to Go in the US in 2026
It’s a momentous time to talk about the best places to go in the US: in 2026 the country will celebrate its semiquincentennial birthday. America probably looks a bit different right now from what our forefathers could have predicted when they founded the United States a whopping 250 years ago – I imagine they’d have some notes for us (for what it’s worth, I have some notes for them, too).
Ahead of this anniversary, I have been making a point to remind myself of what I love most about this country, what it is that we want to protect and preserve while doing our best to navigate an era of transition and uncertainty. Travel is a useful tool. I think of the fact that, in the city of Chicago, with its jazz, or the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, where the sounds of bluegrass carry through the hills, you can find music traditions so deeply rooted in this land, and yet they evolve as we do. I think of places like Oahu and Catalina Island, both of which we’re lucky to count as part of this country, where island landscapes intermingle with a fascinating blend of cultural influences, from ancient Polynesia to 1920s Hollywood. I think of the spirit of reinvention and rebirth emerging in cities like Buffalo and San Francisco, and I can’t help but daydream about the sheer poetry that it must be to trace Route 66 – and to be reminded that even without a passport, there is more to see here than any of us can experience in a lifetime.
So, forced to narrow down a list of plenty, we have landed on 14 of the best places to go in the US in 2026, this landmark year. Of so many alluring destinations, the ones below have new openings and events slated for 2026, offering timely reasons to book that flight or turn the wheel toward beloved spots like Charleston or Park City. We hope that, in at least one of them, you will feel a stir of pride that reminds you what you love about the United States. Megan Spurrell
This is part of our global guide to the Best Places to Go in 2026 – find more travel inspiration here.
The Best Places to Go in the US in 2026
Arkansas
Go for: a world-class mountain biking destination; new hiking trails flanking the Mississippi River
Fittingly nicknamed the Natural State, Arkansas is rich in outdoor landmarks that include the bubbling thermal waters at Hot Springs National Park and teeming forest ecosystems across the Ozark National Forest and the Ouachita Mountains. In 2026, two new chairlift-served mountain cycling parks will cement the state as the country’s cycling epicentre and broaden its reputation as a gateway for outdoor recreation. In the Ouachita Mountains the Trails at Mena project, which breaks ground in 2026, will become the largest lift-served mountain bike park in the world when it opens, featuring 100 miles of exhilarating trails built for all levels, including mountain bikers and backcountry users. In northwestern Bella Vista, OZ Trails Bike Park, the state’s first chairlift-served downhill mountain biking park when it opens in mid-2026, will offer a state-of-the-art Poma-Leitner high-speed chairlift system that can carry four passengers and their bikes; more than 20 miles of downhill biking trails across 200 acres; dedicated paths for hiking and running; and a buzzing central hub with restaurants, bars, and communal gathering spaces. Set against pin-drop-silent remote flatlands and forests buoyed by swamp and marsh wetlands, new segments of the Delta Heritage Trail next spring will round out 84.5 miles of hiking and biking trails flanked by the Mississippi River. When you’re ready to head indoors, find your way to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, where there are two new galleries showcasing five centuries of American art across 114,000 square feet of new space, broadening the cultural appeal of a city already well-loved for its biking opportunities. Just steps away from the museum – and a stone’s throw away from the forest trails that beckon adventure travellers – visitors can check in to The Compton, a newly opened 142-room boutique property that celebrates the region’s great outdoors with a sculptural bluff in the central atrium inspired by the natural cliffs of Buffalo National River. Kristin Braswell
Read our complete guide to the Best Places to Go in North America & the Caribbean in 2026.
Boston
Go for: FIFA World Cup, Sail Boston, and America’s big birthday
Boston already wears its history proudly, but America’s 250th anniversary will shine a brighter spotlight on the historic capital. The city is experiencing a turning point, and the world is starting to see the version of Boston that its residents have always known: not a college town or a business-first destination but a vibrant and dynamic metropolis where past and future coexist. And 2026 is going to be a banner year for goings-on. There’s something old: the return of Sail Boston in July, an event held roughly every eight years when Boston Harbour gets packed with historic tall ships from around the world, many of which guests can board and explore for free. There’s something new too: Boston is one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which organisers are already calling the single largest sporting event ever. But even if you visit outside of those dates, you’ll find that the city is percolating with new energy. Take James Beard Award finalist Comfort Kitchen, for instance, which offers comfort food inspired by the African diaspora, or Row 34, which continually ups the ante with best-in-class seafood, in a city home to what must be the highest number of seafood snobs in the world. That’s just the amuse-bouche of it all. A new wave of artists and diverse entrepreneurs is drawing visitors to less-explored neighbourhoods like Charlestown, Dorchester, and East Boston, and the forthcoming Atlas Hotel in Allston will further shift the city’s centre of gravity away from its downtown core – contributing to a renewed sense that yes, in fact, what is old can be made new again. Todd Plummer
Buffalo
Go for: a comeback kid with a revitalised waterfront and new cultural stalwarts
What was once one of the country’s wealthiest cities is looking to cement something of a comeback. Buffalo, New York, has become a postindustrial punching bag, only attracting visitors primarily due to its proximity to Niagara Falls – and the Buffalo Bills. But urban revitalisation efforts will come to a head in 2026 with a spate of openings worth paying attention to. There are green spaces galore: 2025 already saw the reopening of Wilkeson Pointe, part of New York State’s $300 million restoration plan for the Buffalo Waterfront with hiking trails, kayak and bike rentals, and, eventually, a public beach, while the first-phase rollout of the 100-acre Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Park begins in 2026 with the unveiling of a pedestrian bridge that will link the west side to the waterfront. Sports fans can anticipate the summer opening of the new $2.2 billion Highmark Stadium, just ahead of the Buffalo Bills’ 2026 season – it is claimed that this facility will have the world’s largest heated roof. That’s not all: The Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute will open on Buffalo’s west side, and a brand-new visitor centre at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff (FLW designed several significant buildings in Buffalo) is also forthcoming in the summer. In fall 2026 the Lipsey Architecture Center, which focuses on advancing Buffalo’s architectural legacy including cultural institutions built by Eero Saarinen, will get a new home on the Richardson Olmsted Campus. Programming announcements for America’s semiquincentennial celebration are yet to come, so keep your eyes peeled – but in the meantime, there’s much else to plan on as Buffalo blossoms. Charlie Hobbs
Catalina Island, California
Go for: a century of Art Deco glamour and some wild surprises
In 2026, Catalina Island is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a resort destination, so there’s never been a better time to rediscover the Channel Island located just an hour off the Southern California coast. Starting in 1919, William Wrigley Jr. transformed the island into a “playground for all.” He invited the Chicago Cubs to train in Avalon in 1921 and had an Art Deco gem of a theatre, the Catalina Casino, built in 1929. A herd of bison – originally brought over for a silent-film shoot in 1924 – still roam the island’s wild interior today. Thanks to the Wrigley family’s conservation legacy, 88 per cent of Catalina is protected, preserving habitats for endemic species like the Catalina Island fox. Adventurers can hike the 38.5-mile Trans-Catalina Trail, snorkel the turquoise waters at Lover’s Cove Marine Reserve, or kayak to hidden coves in search of sea lions and bright-orange garibaldi fish.
