There’s nothing like the beauty of the varied terrain you can find across the United States, from regal mountains to dramatic deserts to lush forests to majestic coastlines. With so many potential places to visit, it can be hard to decide where to go next. To help guide your travel plans, we asked travel writers to share what they think is the prettiest state to visit and rounded up this list of the most beautiful states in the U.S. complete with a photo of each.
The list ranges from the California coast all the way to Maine with plenty of states to visit in between. You can’t go wrong with any of them but you might be swayed to one or another based on a preference for desert beauty over jagged mountain peaks, or ocean views over vineyard visits. If you might want to expand your search, you can also check out our list of the world’s most beautiful countries (featuring, of course, some of the most stunning islands you’ll find worldwide), and they all come with some great options for the most luxurious hotels to stay in too.
Maine
According to Hannah Selinger, a James Beard Award-nominated lifestyle writer, New England’s largest state is the place to be. “Granitic, rocky beaches stretch all the way up to the Canadian border,” she says. “Even though southern Maine is only about 20 minutes from the Massachusetts border as the crow flies, the landscape changes almost immediately. Spruce and white pine define the interior, the water is emerald colored, and you can find all kinds of interesting flora that you don’t find in other parts of New England.” Perhaps its crown jewel of beauty is Acadia National Park (pictured), which sits outside Bar Harbor and includes Cadillac Mountain.
Dermot Conlan – Getty Images
Arizona
For Matt Kirouac, an Oklahoma-based travel writer, Arizona’s majestic and pure serenity always full of sunshine makes it unlike any other. “The bright-blue sky seems to stretch forever over Arizona, where canyons and cacti comprise some of the most iconic terrain in the country,” he says. “Beyond the staggering Grand Canyon, which totally lives up to its impossibly high expectations, the state is filled with so many underrated gems and natural beauty in every nook and cranny, from the shimmering fossilized logs at Petrified Forest National Park to the sky-scraping saguaro cacti surrounding Tucson.” In particular Kirouac notes that he feels “at peace hiking in the desert, watching roadrunners zip by, or atop Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains.”
Dean Fikar – Getty Images
West Virginia
Kate Morgan, a Pennsylvania-based freelance journalist, ranks West Virginia as the prettiest state with its “high peaks, verdant valleys, surging rivers and quirky, colorful towns.” “There’s something magical about the ancient Appalachian landscape, and the cities have their own charm, thanks to the eclectic architecture mix of the immigrants who built them,” she says.”It’s pretty enough to inspire a feeling best summed up by the state’s motto: Mountaineers are always free.”
Joe Rebello – Getty Images
North Carolina
“I honestly think North Carolina is the prettiest state,” shared food and travel writer and blogger Nikki Miller-Ka. “The elevations and microclimates make for a mixed bag of unique landscapes, breathtaking vistas, and access to see lush, agriculturally rich land.”
Lightvision, LLC – Getty Images
Wyoming
Katherine Parker-Magyar, travel and culture writer, has been to all 50 states but finds Wyoming the “most gorgeous.” “The Tetons are breathtaking, and you will never forget the feeling of awe and inspiration that will wash over you when you behold this mountain range for the first time,” she says. “The Tetons are the teenagers of the Rockies—more jagged than the rest of the range, as they’ve yet to be worn down by time. Winter, spring, summer, or fall, there’s no wrong time to visit. And you won’t be disappointed!”
Ron and Patty Thomas – Getty Images
New York
Michele Herrmann, an NYC-based travel writer, thinks the Empire State can’t be beat. “It’s easy to think of New York for New York City, but go outside this region and you’ll find small towns, state and national parks, lakes and waterfalls, and overall natural splendor across the state,” she says. “You probably know about Niagara Falls, but there are also the Adirondacks, Thousand Islands, Lake George, and the Finger Lakes. Each of the state’s regions has something to offer.”
DenisTangneyJr – Getty Images
California
For travel writer and photographer Stephanie Vermillion, the diversity of California’s surreal scenery is “seriously a photographer’s dream.” “There’s the extreme Death Valley desert, with landscapes that look more like Mars than planet Earth (it was even the backdrop for some Star Wars scenes),” she says. “But you also get bright and charming beach towns like Santa Monica or craggier surf spots like the San Diego coast. Plus redwood forests, jagged mountains, numerous dark-sky destinations, and fauna like bears, whales, seals, dolphins—you name it.”
Carlos Fernandez – Getty Images
Oregon
Oregon has the vote of Abbie Synan, writer and blogger, for prettiest place. “With its dramatic coastline and jaw-dropping mountain ranges, this slice of the Pacific Northwest is hard to beat,” she says. “My personal favorite is taking a road trip through the rolling hills of the Willamette Valley, taking in the scenery along with several glasses of pinot noir. The country’s leading wineries are found here, and it makes for a convenient stop from Portland en route to diving deeper into this stunning state.”
Ingrid Franz Moriarty – Getty Images
Utah
“After spending ten days traveling through southern Utah, I feel pretty confident in saying that it’s certainly one of the country’s prettiest states,” says veteran travel, food, and design writer Juliet Izon. “From the otherworldly hoodoos at Bryce Canyon to the lush, Jurassic Park-like cliffs at Zion National Park, the landscape truly contains multitudes.” And lucky for us all, Utah’s slew of National Parks mean these gorgeous landscapes will be preserved for generations to come.
Justin Reznick Photography – Getty Images
Minnesota
The North Star State is known for being the land of 10,000 lakes, and its serene, watery beauty makes it my pick for the prettiest state. (It’s actually closer to 15,000 lakes, but who’s counting?) As a born-and-bred Minnesotan, I can’t pretend to be unbiased, but as a travel professional, my homeland truly stands tall in terms of natural beauty. From the rolling prairies in the state’s southern reaches to the impressive bluffy beauty of the Mississippi River Valley to the rocky grandeur of Lake Superior’s North Shore, Minnesota has it all.
Jordan Schopper / EyeEm – Getty Images
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