Lonely Planet’s top 20 US destinations include 4 California landmarks

There’s a U.S.-centric sequel now to Lonely Planet’s best-selling “Ultimate Travel List.” The travel guide company has just released its first “Ultimate United States Travel List” ($25), which showcases — and ranks — the country’s 500 most memorable destinations and experiences, from the Metropolitan Museum in New York to the Na Pali Coast of Kauai.

Lonely Planet’s staff, writers and bloggers ranked them all — one can only imagine the arm wrestling and rounds of Rochambeau involved — and filled the book’s 320 pages with destination details, background and photographs to inspire road trippers and armchair travelers alike.

Four of the top 20 destinations are in California, with Yosemite National Park clocking in at No. 2 and Joshua Tree National Park at No. 11. The Bay Area is represented by the iconic Golden Gate Bridge at No. 14 and Muir Woods at No. 16.

Here’s Lonely Planet’s top 20:

1. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

2. Yosemite National Park, California

3. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

4. The MET, New York

5. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

6. Ellis Island, New York

7. Volcanoes National Park, Hawai’i

8. National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C.

9. Denali National Park, Alaska

10. Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, Hawai’i

11. Joshua Tree National Park, California

12. Civil Rights Museum, Tennessee

13. Central Park, New York

14. Golden Gate Bridge, California

15. White Sands National Park, New Mexico

16. Muir Woods, California

17. Crater Lake, Oregon

18. Freedom Trail, Massachusetts

19. Glacier National Park, Montana

20. 9/11 Memorial & Museum, New York