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]]>The 2026 round-up called out four locations in the United States — including scenery and sites in North Dakota, Oklahoma, Hawaii and Pennsylvania.
Below are the U.S. states that NatGeo recommends visiting in the next year.
North Dakota’s Badlands is known for its rugged landscape, including sweeping hills, prairie grasses, canyons and rock formations, as well as native wildlife.
National Geographic’s annual best of the year travel list included destinations in North Dakota, Oklahoma, Hawaii and Pennsylvania. (Robert Knopes/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images; iStock; Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The area is also home to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and will welcome the Theodore Roosevelt National Library on July 4, 2026.
THREE US TRAVEL DESTINATIONS LAND ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’S ‘BEST OF THE WORLD 2025’ LIST
Roosevelt “sought refuge” in the Badlands and hunted bison in 1883, which later shaped the president’s character and thoughts on conservation as wildlife disappeared, according to NatGeo.
Next summer, the new library, measuring 93,000 square feet, will be “perched high on a butte” in the town of Medora, the publication shared.
The Badlands is home to Theodore Roosevelt National Park and will welcome the Theodore Roosevelt National Library on July 4, 2026. (Bernard Friel/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The library will reportedly include interactive exhibits on Roosevelt’s history and travels. The structure will also include a walkable roof covered in native vegetation that will be a part of a 1.3-mile trail toward the national park.
America’s famous Route 66, spanning the country from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026.
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NatGeo recommends taking the “Mother Road” through Oklahoma, which has been getting an “Americana glow-up.”
In the last four years, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation has invested more than $82 million on the state’s 400-mile stretch of iconic roadway, including “re-lit neon signs, revived motor courts and roadside attractions,” according to the article.
America’s famous Route 66, spanning the country from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026. (iStock)
Taking the road through the Meadow Gold District along 11th Street will lead to indie retail locations, “campy outdoor statues,” art galleries, “quirky” gift shops, record stores and western vintage boutiques.
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The Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, located in Clinton, Oklahoma, features a 1950s-style diner and historic exhibits.
Hawaii is already America’s tranquil getaway, attracting tourists with its blue waters and stunning beaches.
The devastating wildfires in Maui in 2023 caused more than $5 billion in damage and claimed more than 100 lives, specifically destroying the historic beach town of Lahaina.
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Many businesses in the area have since reopened, according to NatGeo, encouraging visitors to support ongoing efforts to rebuild.
A person golfs on the first day of tourism resuming in west Maui, two months after a devastating wildfire, on Oct. 8, 2023, near Lahaina, Hawaii. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
While tourism in the area is still down, there is a unique opportunity to explore the island without large crowds in a more intimate setting.
National Geographic reported that the Grand Wailea hotel just debuted Hawaii’s largest spa, and Wailea Beach Resort refreshed its grounds to include an adults-only wellness sanctuary with an infinity pool.
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There are also “voluntourism” opportunities, where guests of some hotels can participate in beach cleanups and native-plant restoration hikes.
National Geographic highlighted Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a not-to-miss city for its “thriving” cultural scene and museum variety.
Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History come recommended, as the Carnegie International, which occurs every four years, returns in 2026 with an anticipated contemporary art exhibit.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, touts a variety of museums and anticipated updates. (Robert Knopes/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The Andy Warhol Museum in the Pop District has also undergone a $60 million expansion, including a new performing arts venue.
The same area also houses the National Aviary, which NatGeo describes as a “hugely underrated attraction,” featuring free-flight habitats with hundreds of birds.
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Pittsburgh has 90 neighborhoods and widespread redevelopment plans across the city, including downtown restaurant hubs and city park spaces.
More of National Geographic’s 2026 Best of the World list can be found on its website.
Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle reporter for Fox News Digital.
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]]>The post Dad finds 13-year-old son dead after 200-foot fall from bluff inside popular National Park site appeared first on My Blog.
]]>The tragedy unfolded Saturday, Oct. 18, when the Searcy County Sheriff’s Office received a report around 11 a.m. that a 13-year-old boy had fallen from a cliff near Brewer Bluff in the park’s Middle District, according to a Facebook post from Buffalo National River.
Park staff and first responders, including search-and-rescue volunteers, fire crews and Survival Flight, responded. Members of the Harrison Fire Department rappelled about 260 feet down the bluff as park rangers approached from the river below.
The teenager, later identified as Kayleb Lynn Eddings, was found unresponsive by his father, Toby Eddings, who was among the first to reach his son, according to KHBS.
COLORADO MAN DIES AFTER CAR DRIVES OVER RIM OF GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Officials confirmed a 13-year-old boy died from a fall near Brewer Bluff at Buffalo National River on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (Buffalo National River Facebook)
“Buffalo National River staff and I send our condolences to this young man’s family,” said park Superintendent Angela Boyers. “We also thank the responders from the local communities that showed up to assist with this incident.”
Officials said the 13-year-old had been with a friend when he lost his footing near the edge of the overlook. He slipped from a lookout point and fell about 200 feet, the Department of the Interior said.
The National Park Service (NPS) and Searcy County Sheriff’s Office are jointly investigating the fall.
Arkansas father finds 13-year-old son dead after cliff fall at Buffalo National River park. (Buffalo National River Facebook/Coffman Funeral Home)
A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior, which oversees the NPS, said there are no advisories in the area and there is no danger to the public.
Officials reminded visitors that the terrain in the Buffalo National River area “can be rugged and steep,” urging people to stay a safe distance from the edge when enjoying overlooks.
TIKTOK STAR EMILIE KISER SAYS SHE ‘TAKES FULL ACCOUNTABILITY’ AFTER YOUNG SON’S TRAGIC DEATH
Officials at Buffalo National River confirmed a 13-year-old boy died over the weekend after falling from a bluff inside the park. (Buffalo National River Facebook)
Eddings was an eighth grader at Ozark Mountain School District, remembered by his family as a kind, joyful boy whose “bright, jovial personality had no rival,” according to his obituary.
BODIES OF 3 MEN RECOVERED FROM MISSISSIPPI RIVER AFTER SWIMMING, FISHING ON SANDBAR
Officials at Buffalo National River warn the terrain can be “rugged and steep” and to “stay a safe distance from the edge.” (Buffalo National River Facebook)
“While there are many words to describe Kayleb, the most accurate and profound word is LOVE,” his family wrote in his obituary. “Kayleb was loved by everyone who had the fortune to meet him.”
He loved riding his four-wheeler, collecting Hot Wheels with his dad, hunting with his grandfather and spending time with friends. “Most of all,” his family wrote, “he loved aggravating his younger brothers and absolutely adored his youngest brother, Bean.”
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“There are no words to express the deafening quiet that has filled the space where Kayleb’s voice once reverberated,” his family wrote. “While that space will never be filled, one can find comfort in the whispering of the wind, the flutter of a butterfly, the beauty of a buck and most of all, the eternal presence of God.”
A celebration of life will be held Thursday, Oct. 23, at 2:30 p.m. at the St. Joe School gymnasium in St. Joe, Arkansas.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
Stepheny Price is a Writer at Fox News with a focus on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, national and international crime stories, homicide cases, and border security.
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