40 Of The Most Beautiful Places In The United States That Everyone Should Visit Within Their Lifetime

Low-key planning our next vacay

Kylin

• Published in Interesting
• April 15, 2023

The United States of America is a relatively young nation compared to many others across the globe. It’s a big reason why American cities don’t have many historic and ancient landmarks or buildings like the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Much like the inhabitants of the land, the United States contains a vast array of different types of landscapes. As brilliantly described in Britannica, the environments in the United States range from the Arctic to the subtropical, from the moist rain forest to the arid desert, from the rugged mountain peak to the flat prairie.

While the total population of the United States may be much larger comparatively by world standards, the overall population density is relatively low. There are plenty of areas that are nearly or completely without any habitation.

The environmental diversity of the United States made this particular r/AskReddit post particularly interesting. So when user u/driedkitten posed the question “Where is the most beautiful place in the United States?” we were excited to see the many different responses.

We collected the top 40 responses, paired with a peek at the beautiful landscapes they were nominated for. Keep scrolling to see what made the list.

1. Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

TapReasonable2678

2. San Juan Mountains in Colorado

San Juan mountains of southern Colorado.

Strong_heart57

3. Waipi'o Valley in Hawaii

Waipio Valley just outside of Hilo. Specifically the White Road hike to the rim. I got to do it maybe 20 years ago, before it became inaccessible. Absolutely breathtaking.

Spartannia

4. The Florida Keys

the Florida Keys

frightofthenavigator

5. California has it all, acccording to this user

If you want ocean - Carmel/Big Sur

Mountains - Yosemite

Desert - Joshua Park

Forest - Redwood National and State Park

You might have guessed I'm from California.

papaHans

6. White Sands National Monument in New Mexico

The Appalachian trail in upstate New York or the Ozark mountains in Missouri or white sands New Mexico. All beautiful for different reasons but equally awesome

Disabled_Army_Vet_82

7. Big Bend National Park in Texas

Big Bend national park. It gets no press and it is beautiful.

wise_hampster

8. Glacier National Park in Montana

Glacier national park. I was continuously in awe that the place was real life

StrebLab

9. Big Sur in California

Big Sur

Heaven on Earth, in my opinion

driedkitten

10. Navajo Nation

There is a stretch of the Navajo reservation where there is no cell service, AM or FM radio reception. The road stretches before you for miles surrounded by red rocks touching blue sky. The buzzing undercurrent of modern connectivity fades away and your brain can be truly still.

tulleandtiaras42

11. Silver Falls State Park in Oregon

Silver Falls State Park outside Salem, OR. Nine waterfalls along a very narrow canyon. The water falls 50-200 feet and hits the rocks below, turning to mist. The mist travels back up the canyon walls and collects on the foliage. It is a perpetual rain forest. There is long, stringy lichen that hangs from the tree branches making it look like a scary Disney forest. A few of the larger falls have paths that you can walk behind the falls.

charliespannaway

12. Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona

As a girl who loves the desert, grand canyon national park on the backroads at night. Hermits rest past the busses closing is absolutely gorgeous, its so quiet and you can see the still water at the bottom and its just beautiful

-Fire-Opal-

13. Mount Rainier in Washington

Mount Rainier

WWDB

14. Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah

My vote is Bryce Canton in Utah

TheGeeeb

15. Guadalupe Peak in Texas

CO native here, most of the state.

Guadalupe peak was gorgeous at the top, though.

ederp9600

16. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan

Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan!

nalogowiecReport

17. Red Rock Canyon in Nevada

Red Rock Canyon in Nevada. If you like deserts, it's pretty as hell

beauhommad

18. Lake Tahoe in Nevada

Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Telrom_1

19. Redwoods National and State Parks in California

I’m incredibly biased, but the most beautiful place is the California redwoods. Drive up 101, and then detour towards Petrolia. There is absolutely nothing like it. Roll down your windows and drive 35mph. Smell the old growth. Stop at the pull out. Take a small hike. It’s worth it.

Altril2010

20. Yosemite National Park in California

Yosemite! You drive thru the tunnel and come out the other side. Looks like heaven / utopia

Socalrdb

21. Shenandoah Valley in Virgina

The Shenandoah Valley. Its an amazing place if you're an outdoorsman. Hiking, fishing, hunting, bird watching, camping.

homoco4396

22. Oahu in Hawaii

East side of Oahu or Maui

matchew92

23. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota

Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in northern Minnesota. Water so clear you can see the bottom of the lake. Loons, moose, beavers, bear, pine trees. the beauty is also in the quiet - motorized boats are only allowed on a few lakes. Everywhere else it's canoe, portage, or hike. It's very quiet. There's also very little light pollution so you can really see the stars. But I do have to warn you about the mosquitos swarms at the portages.

benofepmn

24. Crater Lake National Park in Oregon

Subjective of course, but Crater Lake is certainly a sight to behold.

KaboodleMoon

25. Hoh Rain Forest in Washington

A tie for Acadia, Hoh rainforest, and Rainier in the fall.

ParkLaineNext

26. Autumn in Maine

I think it depends on what you like. In my opinion I like the New England states because I’ve seen pictures of the autumns that they have there. It’s the perfect place for Halloween. I love everything related to horror. And Maine is the state where lots of horror stories from Stephen King books take place.

MidnightWolf_89

27. The Great Smoky Mountains

The Great Smoky Mountains

vaevictus75

28. The Upper Pennisula of Michigan

I’ve never been, but whenever I’m talking to someone who has been to the U P of Michigan, they talk about it like it’s better than any heaven they can imagine.

Taney34

29. The Pacific Northwest

PNW. Nothing compares

Infamous_Committee67

30. Badlands National Park in South Dakota

I’m gonna throw a curveball and say the Badlands of South Dakota. There’s never anyone there, and you can hike pretty much the whole place. It’s so peaceful.

Mayo__Man

31. Point Reyes Lighthouse in California

Point Reyes Lighthouse - the view of the shore from on the cliff will change your life.

AdUnfair3836

32. Coastal Southern Maine

Coastal Southern Maine

Relevant_Sail_7336

33. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan

Pictured Rocks, Michigan. Unexpectedly incredibly breathtakingly beautiful.

immoveablebeast

34. Northern Wisconsin

Northern Wisconsin. It may not be the most visually stunning, but there's a peacefulness there I have never felt anywhere else on this entire planet.

Flangeldorp

35. Large American Cities

Everyone's talking about nature and landscapes for obvious reasons but all joking aside large American cities are absolutely beautiful for distinctly American reasons. San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, DC, NYC, Chicago, Boston. American cities are just built differently than the rest of the world. And those are just the large ones - Portland, Annapolis, Savannah, Austin, Nashville.

plotrcoptr

36. Havasu Falls in Arizona

Havasu Falls, no picture does it justice.

whatifisaid

37. Nā Pali Coast in Hawaii

Na Pali coast and Kalalau Valley on Kauai

Spirited-Hyena-1927

38. Teton Range in Wyoming

Tetons on a clear day are beautiful

Ruminations0

39. America, the beautiful

I've been fortunate enough to have been in over half the states. California is absolutely gorgeous in the "wild" areas. The Pacific Northwest as people have also noted. The red rocks of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah are absolutely breathtaking. It's hard to believe sometimes that the color is actually real.

The Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee are also beautiful, especially when they are covered in the "smoke" that gives them their names. The beaches of Hawaii, and actually the green that is the island of Kauai are also otherworldly. I haven't yet been to the Dakotas, but it's in my bucket list because I want to see Mount Rushmore. I have a friend who took pictures and it doesn't seem real.

Ditto on Crater Lake that others have mentioned.

And then, of course, there are the cities. Now whether or not they can be classified as beautiful remains to be seen, but some of them are legendary and it's worth visiting.

Immediate-Try5967

40. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska

Glacier Bay, Alaska

einherjar81

41. The Adirondack Mountains in New York

The Adirondacks (upper NY State).

Asparagussie

Is there someplace in the United States that you want to visit someday, or a place that you can't wait to go back to? Where in the United States would you recommend people go to see incomparable beauty in nature?

Let us know in the comments section below, and be sure to share this list with your friends you’d love to travel with!

Kylin