America's Natural Wonders Photo Gallery

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This birthplace of the modern LGBT rights movement and home of the most diverse gay communities on Earth offers any kind of queer travel experience you could possibly ask for. From lipstick lesbian nightlife in Los Angeles to dark leather bars in Chicago, from gay nude beaches in Florida to all-male campgrounds in Tennessee, there’s something for just about everyone in the land where freedom rings.

To be sure, gays and lesbians in the United States have often had to fight harder for their rights than their comrades in Europe or even Canada, but that’s not to say that even the most conservative areas don't have booming gay scenes. For instance, Austin has a huge LGBT presence within Texas’ Bible-thumping borders, and Denver has a sophisticated queer café culture within a state that basically banned gay rights.

Across the conservative South, you'll find some of the gayest hot spots in the country, including New Orleans, Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Key West. In the Northeast, New York City, Boston, Provincetown, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., have huge gay and lesbian populations. The Midwest, too, is home to lively LGBT communities in cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, Madison, and St. Louis.

In the West and Southwest, you’ll find burgeoning gay enclaves in Dallas, Santa Fe, Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, and even Mormon-dominated Salt Lake City. The West Coast, meanwhile, is home to a huge, refined, and progressive LGBT scene in places like Los Angeles, San Diego, Palm Springs, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle.

Define your idea of gay vacation bliss, and you’ll be sure to find it in America. A gay dude ranch in Montana? A lesbian scuba class in Hawaii? A black-tie LGBT gala in New York? A bear restaurant in San Diego? A queer river-rafting trip through the Grand Canyon? The United States does, indeed, have it all.