The Most Beautiful Place in Each U.S. State

[Midpack]

Even the source admits they couldn't possibly have every one right, but there sure are tons of beautiful places to see in the USA. I've only seen about a third of them in person.

Maybe you have another for your state, or you need to go see ones you've missed (nearby)?

Just for fun https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/most-beautiful-place-u-state-225525883.html]

Here's an awesome sight I was totally unaware of, do you know where it is?

 

[finnski1]

Just returned from a 5 week road trip out to the southwest. So we got to visit several on that list in just the last 5 weeks alone. It was a great but tiring trip(8800 miles in 5 weeks) but well worth it.

 

[njhowie]

Here's an awesome sight I was totally unaware of, do you know where it is?

Bisti De-Na-Zin Wilderness New Mexico : https://www.sharetheexperience.org/entry/35056924-Bisti/De-Na_Zin-Wilderness-Are

 

[RunningBum]

Pretty nice. I think I've only seen 10, but will add 2 more this fall. And I can look out my back windows and see one any time I want unless it's foggy.

 

[Rianne]

I live in the middle of corn and bean fields. A three-hour drive brings me to this. Southern Illinois if you can believe that. This video doesn't capture the caves, camping, and trails in the Garden of the Gods.

 

[skyking1]

I do love Hurricane Ridge and we are moving near it soon, but I think Mount Rainier wins out for beauty. If you can hike, the Wonderland trail has countless vistas on it. If you are more into car touring, I give you Paradise Valley

Drive up to the lodge at Paradise, then down the one way road through the valley.
At the bottom, take a left and start down Stevens Canyon road.
Inspiration point ( my photos )
One day

To the next

Another mile down the road, Reflection Lakes

25 miles away and leaving the Park at Lake Tipsoo, one of my personal favorites.

 

[MRG]

Bisti De-Na-Zin Wilderness New Mexico : https://www.sharetheexperience.org/entry/35056924-Bisti/De-Na_Zin-Wilderness-Are

+1
Been meaning to get down there.

 

[W2R]

What a daunting task that must have been, to select just one place for each state! I never heard of the place they selected in Louisiana ("Wild Azalea Trail"?), and might have selected the Atchafalaya Swamp, or some of the many other beautiful locations here. But they got it right with the Na Pali Coast for Hawaii. Maybe - - well, that was the first location that came to mind for Hawaii, anyway.

We live in such amazingly beautiful country.

 

[Midpack]

I live in the middle of corn and bean fields. A three-hour drive brings me to this. Southern Illinois if you can believe that. This video doesn't capture the caves, camping, and trails in the Garden of the Gods.

+1. I went to college in Indiana, also corn and bean fields for miles. But there are some truly beautiful areas in southern Indiana, Brown County State Park in Fall and the falls at Cataract State Park for example.

 

[Pellice]

I live in the middle of corn and bean fields. A three-hour drive brings me to this. Southern Illinois if you can believe that. This video doesn't capture the caves, camping, and trails in the Garden of the Gods.

Southern Illinois has a really interesting landscape and habitats. It's been a goal destination for me for years. Great birdlife and cypress swamps.

 

[savory]

We have been fortunate to visit many of these on our bike trips. But we have also seen some of them on our motor vehicle vacation.

 

[Gumby]

I live in the most beautiful spot in Connecticut, according to the article.

 

[Ronstar]

Thanks for posting! That’s quite a list! We’ll be visiting and revisiting several of these places this summer. Can’t wait.

 

[kgtest]

That's a great list. Been to 16 on the list. Some when I was a little boy when my DF would take us kids on super lengthy road trips. I think Napali Coast is #1, but there are some really breathtaking spots on that list.

 

[skyking1]

we went out of hanalei bay to the Napali coast on what was the only sailing vessel to tour there. It was spectacular and I recommend this boat.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60612-d1021584-Reviews-Captain_Sundown-Hanalei_Kauai_Hawaii.html
You board a small boat in the river, motor out in small loads to the sailboat anchored in the bay. He has a couple of big Honda outboards on a cool lift system, and in a few minutes you are in open water and those engines shut down and you are sailing.
Almost every other Na Pali trip starts out on the south shore ports and you motor for a long time to get there. From Hanalei bay it is half the time and no stinky diesel exhaust potential.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

I give myself credit for 19 of those. However, I am being a little liberal with my assignment. For example, I have never been to any of the Apostle Islands in WI, but I have been to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (on the mainland), and walked on the (frozen) water to see the sea caves on the mainland part of the park. And I have been to the Delaware Water Gap enough times, although I am not certain I was ever on the AT at the Gap.

 

[HarveyS]

Interesting. Hard to choose just one spot in each state, but I think the author(s) did a nice job. I'll claim credit for 20 of the 50 selected.

 

[Scuba]

I do love Hurricane Ridge and we are moving near it soon, but I think Mount Rainier wins out for beauty. If you can hike, the Wonderland trail has countless vistas on it. If you are more into car touring, I give you Paradise Valley

Drive up to the lodge at Paradise, then down the one way road through the valley.

At the bottom, take a left and start down Stevens Canyon road.

Inspiration point ( my photos )

One day

To the next

Another mile down the road, Reflection Lakes

25 miles away and leaving the Park at Lake Tipsoo, one of my personal favorites.

Wow! Gorgeous photos. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Surewhitey]

Having lived in CA, your perspective of beauty is warped. Yosemite, central coast, Mammoth lakes area are just so awesome.

Same for Montana and North into Alberta.

We just visited Maine and were underwhelmed with much of what we saw, but glad we did it.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Very interesting list! I wouldn't argue with the entries for most of the states I'm familiar with, except that I've never seen Weverton Cliffs (MD), and I have seen Gunpowder Falls, which was quite memorable.

I actually think they didn't quite do the Napali Coast justice, I think the credit sequence from Lost was also shot there and was more impressive. Pretty sure I took this there:

 

[skyking1]

Na Pali is so big and in your FACE, a camera is a poor substitute for the experience.
I'd advise to go to the top end and look down the "Grand Canyon" either the day before or after you see that coast.

 

[pb4uski]

For my home state of Vermont, while I like the Mad River Valley and have spent a lot of time there, I would have said the Stowe/Mt. Mansfield/Smuggler's Notch area is my favorite. Newport and Lake Memphremagogg would be a close second (though we do share the lake with Quebec).

 

[anethum]

Overall, that's not a bad list, though I disagree with half of their choices for the 30 I've been to. Most prominently, Big Bend NP far outshines Guadalupe Mtns NP in Texas. In PA, both the Laurel Highlands in SW PA and the so-called "Grand Canyon of PA" in the north are prettier than the Delaware Water Gap. OTOH, the NJ side of the Delaware Water Gap, which includes NJ's mountains and section of the Appalachian Trail, exceed Cape May IMO. I agree with Skyking1 than Mt. Rainier is tops in WA.

It's interesting that the Na Pali coast made such an impression on so many of us, including myself. I recall hiking on the trail. At some spot, I came around a bend and suddenly the vista of the series of verdant cliffs plunging into the Pacific was visible, and it was just about the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. And yes, the photos on the website don't do it justice.

For NY, I'd say the NY side of Niagara Falls surpasses the Finger Lakes (and the Canadian falls easily surpass the NY falls). The Adirondacks, too.

In FL, the Everglades is very interesting and worthwhile to visit, but not specifically "beautiful". I hiked in an old growth bald cypress swamp not far away from the Everglades which was prettier. There were probably some places in the Keys that I would describe as more beautiful than the Everglades.

Yellowstone is an astounding place, and Yellowstone Falls & Canyon are lovely, but I would describe the Tetons as more beautiful. Or perhaps one of the geyser basins in Yellowstone.

Utah has a wealth of gorgeous and unusual landscapes. For me, both Bryce Canyon NP & Canyonlands NP exceed Arches NP.

It's hard to quibble with Yosemite Valley (esp. when seen from above the valley on a hike like the Sentinel Dome trail), but an old growth redwood forest in far northern CA is uniquely stunning.

 

[Gumby]

I was surprised by their choice of the Badlands in SD. I would choose Needles Highway in the Black Hills

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

O
It's interesting that the Na Pali coast made such an impression on so many of us, including myself. I recall hiking on the trail. At some spot, I came around a bend and suddenly the vista of the series of verdant cliffs plunging into the Pacific was visible, and it was just about the most beautiful sight I've ever seen.

Comme ça?