Ranking the Top 25 most beautiful states. I examine scenic areas in each state and which ones are best for road tripping scenery. Album displayed: Deltron "Event 2- The Instrumentals" (2013)
The beauty of some states can also be highly seasonal. California is so much more beautiful in the Spring following a wet winter when the hills are wrapped in bright green. And New England at the peak of fall color is amazing.
i had been going to socal in the summer for years visiting family… visited Sacramento in the spring and it was a different state. loved it sm. desert summers look like dinosaur times
“I only have to be in Montana-any part-about ten minutes to reconvince myself that it is easily the most beautiful American state.”-Larry McMurtry, Roads: Driving America’s Great Highways
A Texan would know. We have some impressive mountains Out West. And pretty rolling hills in Central Texas. But miles and miles of flatness. And every lake is a dammed river. Larry found much to write about here. But little natural beauty..
I’m originally from vermont too. I learned in a college geology course that the white mountains are the only igneous mountains in the area and you definitely can tell. The roads in vermont made me seasick and I was sick of my long repetitive drives having no interstate. I got priced out of vt, I’m having culture shock living out of state with how cheap other states are in income to expenses ratios 🤣🤣 the summer months are lovely but couldn’t justify the brutal winters for me
I live in NH and i think Vermont is the more scenic state overall. No billboards, less people and traffic, less trash on trails. Sure the white mts are more spectacular than anything in VT, and the pittsburg area is nice too, the rest of the state is mediocre at best. If you take the whole state into the equation I could see why we are lower
I’m lucky to live in NY. While I might be biased, I still think it’s one of the most beautiful states. Mountains, rivers, lakes, farmland, rolling hills, forests, miles of Atlantic Ocean beaches, marshland, and of course the manmade beauty of NYC. There isn’t much we don’t have in terms of what people find beautiful about the northeast.
Don't forget Niagara falls and all the Autumn foliage (though many states have that). I think NY should be a little hight just because of all the variety.
When I go to Colorado, I drive an extra 100 miles to avoid Salina and points west. After 7 or 8 hours of featureless flat corn, I begin to think I've had a stroke and am in purgatory.
@Jedi Lowrie Taking I-80 from I-76 to Lincoln, Nebraska is an agonizing six hours. The scenery is brown grass, and the towns along it are dumpy. I’ve done it six times. Actually doing I-70 from Denver to Kansas City is bad as well, but there’s less traffic and the roadside towns are better. However, I-70 east of Denver is uglier than I-76.
I lived in Alaska for more than 15 years and only saw a fraction of it, mainly because there are no roads in most of it. I'm biased in favor of Alaska, but I put Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and Arizona in a 4-way tie for second. And the rest of the states in the western third of the country in a tie for 3rd. I just bought my annual National Parks pass and will spend most of April visiting National Parks in the west before moving back to Alaska. Can't wait.
Alaska's so OP it literally has the geography, climates, and topography of every state and many countries of the world combined and then some other special features, like the Northern lights, the tallest mountain in North America, the most Natives by percentage and population, the most coastline than the whole US Mainland alone, and more.
As a native Pennsylvanian I'm glad to see we make the list! Most people tend to think of PA as Philly, Pittsburgh, and nothing else but the vast majority of the state is quite scenic imo
@@GuadalupePicasso I agree with you that there's a lot of ugly poverty in the small cities in the middle of PA. Depressing, like at the start of the movie "Deer Hunter."
This really put things into perspective for me about a lot of the states you mentioned. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “America the Beautiful”. Thank you King! Fantastic video as always!
I grew up somehow (ignorantly) thinking that New Mexico was just another state that was nothing special at all. But then a road trip took me through New Mexico and opened my eyes. I now regularly make New Mexico a vacation destination. It's one of my absolute favorite places to visit.
Utah is absolutely gorgeous. From palm trees (in St. George down in the extreme southwest corner) to alpine peaks. And as Kyle stated, driving through the five national parks is one of the most breathtaking scenic drives in the country. The beautiful redrock canyons of the Colorado plateau are virtually indescribable. That's a dope Deltron 3030 record, Kyle. Your taste in music is great.
Pretty surprised South Dakota didn't make the list. Lots of prairie so people might glance over just how beautiful the Badlands and Black Hills are. Growing up in PA, it's pretty nice to see people appreciate the beauty. I will say that the beauty really peaks in the summer and fall. Winter and early spring in PA can be pretty dreary .
Yes, there were some Eastern states that got listed that are all very similar and are mainly just a lot of forests. SD has some nice variety and should have made the top 25 along with NM.
@@Quixote1818 and let's not forget Texas! God Texas has a shit load of varied scenery from swamps and bayous to hill regions that rivals western Arkansas to deserts and mountains! Yet for some reason the uploader has a major beef against Texas and Texans as a whole!!!!!
I have no beef against Texas. There are some very pretty spots in the state but most of the state is not very scenic. I like South Dakota a lot but most of it is pretty boring scenery. The Black Hills and Badlands are very pretty but a fairly small part of the state.
Your top 5 was what I expected, although I wasn't sure what the order would be but when I heard #5 I knew what #4 would be. #1 was definitely what I expected. Great video.
When I was growing up in Maine I took the natural beauty for granted. It was only after I traveled across the country that I realized how lucky I was to grow up in an area surrounded by lakes and trees... so I came home. :)
Wonderful video! I've been around the western US, but almost none of the eastern US, so it's great to see just how much beauty there is on that side of the country. Also, I appreciate the positivity, as always :)
Same for me but the opposite, I’ve been up and down the east coast but never the west. I can’t wait until I can go and see what that part of the country has to offer.
Honestly very impressed about the placement of my home Wisconsin state, can’t believe we’re above Minnesota and Tennessee. Proud of us! Really is a beautiful state
Another great piece of content, well done! Having only seen the eastern third of the US, I've only been able to hear how scenic these western states (especially the coastal states) are. Given that you have most of them so high up on your list, would be amazing to witness someday. Overall, you clearly showcase in your content that passion and love for these topics of geography, and as someone who also appreciates the geographic complexities, it's awesome to watch these videos.
Cool video! Learned a lot. Surprised you didn't give AZ a little more love other than the grand canyon. Central AZ has the largest pine forest in the world on the mogollom rim and Sedona, the Apache Trail, lower AZ is the only place you can drive through Saguaro forests.
Same here. I thought more should of been said about Arizona. Sedona is absolutely beautiful. I get that Utah has a bunch of national parks but I was surprised to see it so much higher than AZ.
This list is spot on! Colorado has the most majestic mountains I've seen. I was so spellbound by California, I've been wanting to move there ever since. Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, all gorgeous. When I FINALLY reached southern Utah, it was the most inviting scenery I'd seen since entering from the east via the I80- before that, I was having psychotic episodes from the nothingness with no fuel stations. Awesome list!
Colorado is fantastic of course but in terms of pure majesty I have to give it to the Cascades in Washington. Rainier and Baker are like nothing I’ve ever seen before, they’re otherworldly. The rest of the range is more jagged, rugged, and forested than what I’ve seen in CO. Totally agree about Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota though - most underrated part of the country!
Another great vid Kyle, I agree with a lot of the list. My only 2 disagreements are: 1. Pennsylvania over Arizona is laughable. I’m just salty as an AZ resident but there are endless beautiful spots in the state and it is one of the most mountainous states in the country in terms of percentage of land covered by mountains. 2. I think South Dakota deserved a spot on this list. I know a lot of the state is boring but the Black Hills and Badlands more than make up for it.
Having grown up in Maryland and lived in both Tucson and Central Pennsylvania, I could *not* agree with you more about part 1. Arizona is criminally underrated on this list, and Pennsylvania is the lamest state on the East Coast.
Before watching, here is my list: 25. South Dakota 24. Wisconsin 23. Nevada 22. Texas 21. Minnesota 20. Virginia 19. Georgia 18. Wyoming 17. Tennessee 16. New Mexico 15. Montana 14. North Carolina 13. Florida 12. Idaho 11. Oregon 10. New York 9. Washington 8. Michigan 7. Arizona 6. Colorado 5. Utah 4. Maine 3. Hawai'i 2. California 1. Alaska
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 I live in Michigan, so I will admit a little bit of bias there. Maine to me comes across as more of a wilderness area than both Oregon and Washington, which to me jumps it up that high on the list.
@@davezarvan After reconsidering I don't think you terribly overrated Michigan. It still doesn't belong to the top 10, though. If you value contiguous wilderness area then Idaho (and maybe even Oregon) should be rated ahead of Maine. I'm not trying to dump on your list, just offering some critiques.
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 I don't mind the critique one bit, it is completely opinion based. I definitely can justify moving many states up or down a few spots, except for the top three which are definitely set in stone.
I'm a little surprised that OR edged out WA on your list. Once you get away from the impressive volcanos, most of the mountains in OR have trees right up to the summit. Whereas in WA, the summits are more rocky and bare, giving you better views. WA's beaches aren't as accessible, since 101 goes right along the coast in OR, but they're worth the effort to see them. Don't get me wrong, OR's great. Almost as great as WA.
Kind of surprised Kyle didn't include his own favorite state of New Mexico! I'd be inclined to swap out Minnesota or WV for New Mexico myself, but hey, these lists are fun, and every state has some great scenic portions.
I honestly don't think desert and rocks are all that beautiful compared to forest, lake, rivers and greenery. But I guess New Mexico does have mountains and Kyle does rave about how it's his favorite.
No love for Iowa? Who doesn't love looking at soybean fields and corn stalks for 12 hours. 😁 I was surprised not to see your favorite state, New Mexico. 🤔
Just moved from California after a year there. Wow! Drove from the Sierra, to SF, and on Scenic 1. The Redwoods, Muir Woods, Napa, Pismo, Central Valley, Death Valley, Yosemite. Had no idea California was that Beautiful.
@@Saltyahole I didn’t have time to explore or visit SoCal, or Sequoia National Park. They were on my to do list, but ran out of time. Was only in CA for a year.
I lived in Southern California (since 1988) and I'm still absolutely WOW'd by some of the beauty I stumble across! The drive on PCH/ Hwy 1 from Southern Cal to The Bay Area (San Francisco) is the most beautiful I've ever encountered. Driving through Big Sur can't be described - it can only be felt.
For the amount of crap California gets.. and the amount of crap Californians have to deal with.. it sure it worth it because of the varied and jaw dropping scenery
As someone who lives in Coastal California for part of the year, I can attest that the scenery makes up for some of the crappy stuff here. It's very sad when it burns though
Yeah, as a Washingtonian I am always a little envious... if it weren't for the Californians. I like 'em well enough, just too darn many of them and they drive like maniacs :-)
People can hate on it ,but theres a reason its the most populace state, people were moving there in massive numbers. Arguably the bet weather in the country and some of the most beautiful nature. People love to pretend that they dont know what people move there,
When I think of scenic beauty on a state wide scale, I'm looking for a variety of beautiful landscapes. In my eyes, California edges out Alaska for that reason. I could look at pictures of Alaska all day, but it just doesn't keep up with the magic of having coastal redwood forest, Yosemite Valley, and the austerity of the Mohave desert (just to name a few) mixed with a ton of topographical variation. Keeping variety in mind, I'd probably push up states New York and tap back states like West Virginia. All these places are beautiful, I just like the more varied states. Also, I think conflating wilderness and scenic beauty too much is not really the best thing to do. Wilderness is great and often is beautiful, but I don't think the presence of one 100% means the other follows. Nevada, for one, isn't even on this list and is almost entirely Wilderness. It's cool to note the amount of wilderness here, but I think ranking the quality of a state's wilderness could be its own video.
I also agree. I've gone south to see Death Valley in a good spring, astounding! Plus coast, granite mountains and volcano mountains, a couple kinds of desert, redwoods and sequoias, and more. Hard for an Oregonian to admit.
One thing to note about Alaska that does give us the edge, we do have deserts, plains, mountains, rainforest (yes, I did say that, most of the peninsula is actually considered rainforest), tundra, and most of it is barely touched. There are areas of the state that have never been touched by a human footprint. The only area where California has the edge is accessibility, Alaska only has 11 highways, and a few smaller "main roads", so getting to a lot of the places is tricky. But, if you hike, boat, snowmachine, (that is Alaskan for snowmobile) mush, or fly, you can get to some of the most awe inspiring scenery in the world. And be isolated from the rest of the world.
Yes, the variety is the amazing thing. Mojave Desert, Death Valley, Sierra Nevada,Lake Tahoe, the volcanoes Shasta and Lassen, Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP as well as Yosemite, the redwoods, foggy, craggy northern coast, southern sandy beaches, Coast Ranges including the Trinity Alps, just to name some highlights.
I knew going in it was gonna be a battle between Alaska and California for the top spot. There are good arguments for either, but certainly no other state besides those two could compete for the top spot imo.
Great video as always! I was fortunate enough to visit Alaska last summer and there was absolutely no surprise that it would be #1. Also great to see some respect for the North Woods of the Midwest!
I'm a South African who travelled through 33 of your states many years ago. My choice of states for beauty are New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. But, having said that, every state I visited was spectacular - so very different in fauna and flora from Africa.
Great to see my home the Pacific Northwest (WA, OR, ID) in the top 10! So many evergreen forests and mountains! I honestly like the "boring" parts of these states as well. I like both scenic drives and boring drives.
Thank You Kyle for including Michigan. Most people when they think of Michigan, think of dirty, crime-ridden Detroit and Flint. The rest of the state is gorgeous! I live in Southwest Michigan (Kalamazoo), and it's beautiful. Grape vineyards, blueberry farms, etc. Only 35 miles west of Kalamazoo is South Haven, Saugatuck, Grand Haven and St. Joseph. Basically, anywhere on the Michigan coastline (Lakes Michigan, Superior and Huron) are awesome. Michigan has the most Lighthouses than any other state. The upper-lower peninsula is amazing, and the UP of Michigan is gorgeous. In my humble opinion, stay away from the East side of Michigan and explore the riches of West Michigan, the upper part of Michigan's lower peninsula, and the UP. You will be amazed.
This list included some beautiful states but I have traveled up and down the East Coast Virginia is easily one of the most beautiful states in the nation. The VA Blue Ridge mountains are stunning and the Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore are absolutely beautiful. How you left VA of this list is a mystery.
@@willp.8120 you must be referring to Shenandoah which is a narrow chain of mountains. Shenandoah however only makes up a small part of the mountains in VA. The highest peaks are in the western and southwestern part of the state and are more contiguous.
@@GeographyKing You are very welcome. I live abroad, but your channel has made me want to visit my home country and do a proper road trip to see it's natural beauty and even eat some of its regional foods! I have seen more countries than I have states, and this has to change. Thanks again!
Okay I always knew you were the kind of awkward nerd that I identify with and would probably get along with. I did not realize that you were also a Deltron fan. I’ve had a bad day, but seeing that poster cheered me up. Keep doing you
I-80 boring drive? Perhaps you haven't been to Pennsylvania, the Delaware River Gorge or the Sierra Nevada in California!!! Highlights along an I-80 road trip include Donner Pass, Reno, the stretch between Salt Lake City and I-84 (I hear there's World Class Skiing in that area of I-80), Pennsylvania, and the Delaware Water Gap!!!!!
Disagree. Went on that last summer. Loved seeing vast grasslands with mountains and large hills in the background with storms and rain clouds all over the fields. It was a vibe even if it wasn't the most in your face with beauty.
Nice to see my home state of Pennsylvania made the list. People only think of Philly, but the state has lots of mountains, lakes, woods, and waterfalls. It's not the most exciting of places, but it's definitely beautiful. Another great video! ✌️
I have always wanted to see this list from you! I myself have looked up numerous lists like this online in the past. It’s interesting to see all the different opinions out there. I really like your list. Alaska should never really be debated as #1. The beauty is so vastly expansive compared to any other state. I also like that you added in the upper Midwest. I don’t think it gets nearly the attention it deserves. Especially Minnesota (being Minnesotan, I’m not biased in the least though😂). And I have said it before, but really loving the sanborn canoe paddle as a background staple in your videos. We will get you to the bwca one of these days, Kyle!!🙂
@@GeographyKing I really want you to get the most of out of your visit when you do come. Since it will be your first time, I am going to ramble for a bit on all your options and things to do/places to visit. First off, to get to the bwca, drive the coast of superior (highway 61) to get there. You will not regret this in the slightest as it is the most scenic drive in the state, and the drive can lead to both the eastern and western portion of the BWCA. Stops along the way right off hwy 61: split rock light house, gooseberry falls, palisade head. In my opinion, all must stops and can easily all be seen briefly during the drive up. Once past those points of interest, you have to choose either to go to the eastern portion of the bwca or the western portion. Ely is kind of the gate to the western portion while Grand Marais is the gate to the eastern portion. I love both, but if I was only going to visit one time, I would say go to the eastern portion through Grand Marais. Grand Marais is a great little town on the coast and an awesome place to spend time before or after leaving the bwca. Sven and Ole Pizza is a very popular restaurant in the town. The gunflint trail, that starts in grand marais, will take you to a huge number of entry points. There are tons of great first time lakes off the gunflint trail. I personally love the border lakes and have spent lots of time on them. Everyone is going to have a differing opinion, but if I had to suggest one lake to see/camp on from the east side, it would probably be ROSE. Thats if you want to experience some moderate portages (I believe 3 portages to get to rose from the entry point parking lot) and camp in the backcountry. Another great option for seeing the boundary waters is going to sawbill lake which is south of Grand Marais. Sawbill has a car camping camp ground (and outfitter for canoe rental), but also is an entry point to the bwca. I believe 2/3rds of sawbill lake is in the bwca. Then of course, all of the lakes you can portage into from sawbill are fully bwca as well. The nice thing about sawbill is you can see the boundary waters during the day, but have the conveniences of car camping at night. If you decide to go in through the western portion near Ely, there are also some other great options. Ely is a great little town for a day visit as well. There is the North American black bear center and international wolf center in Ely. Both of which are definitely worth a stop. Also, piragis northwoods is a great little shop for outdoor gear and souvenirs (its actually where i bought my sanborn paddle). There are so many lakes to mention, but I will list one of my favorites and a great spot for a first time trip. North and south Hegman lakes have some really nice camping spots. There is one moderate portage from the entry point lot and then a super small portage to get to north Hegman where there are really awesome pictographs. Obviously there are other surrounding lakes via portage from North/South Hegman, but those two lakes are a great place to spend a night or two. Side note... if you go to the east side and travel to grand marais, driving all the way up the coast to grand portage is a gorgeous drive and also a great place to see the best waterfall in Minnesota. Pigeon falls is on the border of MN/ON and the hike is located at the start of the grand portage visitor center/state park. Its a brief hike to get to the falls and almost all paved I believe. Totally worth the extra 40 miles from grand marais. There is also an over look of the susie islands on lake superior you must stop at if you make that drive. I actually have a video on my youtube channel paddling pigeon point which is located right next to the islands. Stop by and check it out if you get a second! The best view in the state, in my opinion is at the top of the mt josephine hike. also located up in grand portage. Lastly, if you plan on seeing Voyageurs. The town nearest is international falls. The town is nothing to right home about to be honest, but its just down the road from the rainy lake visitor center. definitely the main center of the park and most interactive. This is where the tours go out from. If you are looking to paddle voyageurs I would suggest going to the ash river visitor center and then heading west. Its very scenic over that way with lots of little islands and channels. There are some really nice hiking trails over near that center as well. Anyways, hopefully this will give you some ideas for when you visit. And if you ever have any questions, just shoot me a comment on my youtube channel.
What a great topic! I also appreciate the videos when you show where the rural regions of each state are. Doesn't surprise me which state took No. 1 but too bad you can only really truly enjoy it in summer. I admit to liking MT a bit more than WY as it is less dry & _way_ less windy. WY is a grand land that's not for creampuffs (like me).
The first picture of Oregon has four mountains. In the foreground is Broken Top, the it's left is South Sister, then you have Middle Sister and to the right of that is North Sister. This view is from the south and due east of there about 20 miles is where I am so those mountains are my daily view when the mountains are out.
All 50 U.S. States have scenic beauty in their own right. All of them, from a tourism perspective, are good in their own way. It’s not a list from good to bad imo, but instead from best to least best. But I agree that many people would take a #1-50 ranking the wrong way.
I have been lucky enough to have at least driven or ridden through all the lower 48. I was surprised at how attractive some states not lauded for their beauty could be. Riding across Iowa on the Greyhound, with the high viewpoint, was like being on a fairly calm sea--crests and dips of cornfields. In North Dakota, I was on a bus through just the less scenic southeast (i was filling in my tally of states visited), and there were glorious fields of sunflowers. Okay, not all states are spectacular, but all do have some beauty.
Great video. It *is* such a big country with so many beautiful places. Just going through our state parks you feel like you're walking/driving through a painting. Loved the video!
Overall, not a bad list, but a few glaring issues I had was Hawaii at #12 and Arizona at #17. Sedona, flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, and antelope canyon should put Arizona in the top 10 by itself. Hawaii should be no lower than 3. It’s literally paradise. In my opinion, Maine, Michigan, and North Carolina are the only states east of the Mississippi that should be in the top 15. The west is where the beauty is at. But nonetheless, great video as always Kyle!
I would generally echo this. I do understand Tennessee and some gems in the East but Pennsylvania over Arizona? And Hawaii not even breaking top 10?! Come on.... Every state has its qualities but the west certainly has more scenic beauty than the east.
I think though hard to rank states, isn't it? I forgot re: Flagstaff but I love that area. Also Sedona (esp outside the city--such a damn busy place), even has some caverns and that sort of thing. I might rank Utah higher but you know, I suppose each state has areas no one knows about too. I love NM. And there are places I don't think visitors ever visit.
As someone who is bored of East Coast greenery, I would place Arizona much higher on the list. Desert areas can be just as beautiful, if not more beautiful.
Southern Arizona has Saguaro National Park which is classic desert beauty! The Mohave Desert and Joshua Tree National Park in California also should be included as scenic places in that state.
I respectfully disagree with your ranking of Arizona. The Grand Canyon does get all the attention but honestly, the rest of Arizona is also gorgeous. The Sonoran Desert is beautiful and has all kinds of super unique plants! Personally, I'd switch it on this list with Pennsylvania.
My wife and I really enjoyed this video! Although we're surprised you didn't include New Mexico, which is one of your favorite states, if I remember correctly. (Granted, I'm biased, because it would easily be my #1 if I were compiling this list.) I've done my own share of roadtrips, and while there are definitely states I prefer more than others, I would say that every state I've visited has had at least one region or attraction that I find attractive. I don't think of Ohio as a magnificently beautiful state, for example, but southeast Ohio is pleasantly hilly and bucolic. Similarly, I enjoyed the desert and hills in southwestern Oklahoma more than I expected.
The only thing that holds New Mexico back a little bit is that not everyone finds the vast open wilderness of red and brown desert mountains be the most beautiful scenery. I find it beautiful but there isn't the same variety in landscapes as Arizona or Colorado.
I guess it depends on where you live in NM 🙄... I lived in eastern NM for three years (Clovis and Alamogordo) and all I ever experienced was high winds and all I ever saw was tumbleweeds. No doubt there are scenic areas in every state but overall NM is ugly asf.💯
Lovely video! It's just as important to have lists like these to remind us that there's so much natural beauty to explore in this country! Just about every state has something to offer!
Thank you for including my beloved Commonwealth of PA. I was surprised VA was not included but I know you have to draw the line somewhere. For the most part the northeastern and mid-atlantic states are very green where a lot of the western states have the stark beauty of mountains and deserts.
I will have to say that New York is, in my opinion, the “prettiest” state in terms of natural scenery in the Northeast. Of course I’m biased bc I live in Upstate NY, but Adirondack Park is literally the size of Vermont and there’s the Catskills, Letchworth, and Harriman too.
I first saw New York State about age 6. The beauty amazed me. Every Texss lake is a dammed river. Your glacier carved Finger Lakes filled me with envy.
Niagara Falls, Finger lakes + gorges, long Island beaches, the Hudson Valley, the Great lakes, Allegheny SP, the list goes on and on. Plus, these are all very different places geographically and geologically. I would definitely put NY higher too.
First, I know any list like this is subjective and won’t please everyone. And, overall, I think it’s a good list. However, I would definitely place New York ahead of West Virginia in terms of scenery, especially when you consider the array of amazingly beautiful lakes in NY. Nothing in WV matches the Adirondack high peaks. Plus the east end of Long Island, especially Montauk, adds another element of scenery that gives it an edge. I also would have placed Virginia and Massachusetts higher in this list. I find driving in either of those states to be more pleasurable than most of, say, Florida, Wisconsin or Minnesota.
Having lived in the Midwest and travelled many times to New Mexico, I'm surprised NM doesn't solidly beat every Midwestern state. The Midwestern states you chose are certainly pretty, mostly because they have areas north enough to not have been plowed over by agriculture, but nothing I've seen matches the spectacular scenery of places like Taos...
Kyle, I always like your videos. I learn a lot. You say you have a nerdy perspective. I don't know if that's true. Or maybe I'm nerdy, too, so I can't tell, LOL! Anyway, keep the great geography videos coming!
Something that you forgot about Washington WA. We have beautiful deserts in the middle of the state that resemble more of California or Utah than what someone would imagine from WA. There’s also dry forests and large lakes in the east part of the state around Spokane. This area resembles Northern California and served as the setting for the less than savory Red Dawn 2012 remake.
Agreed. I'd assert that the eastern half of Washington is even more beautiful than the eastern half of Oregon. Dry Falls; the Palouse; the Columbia river; Okanagan county... etc.
As an European, the part I most want to visit is the Pacific Northwest. I have only seen it on videos, games, and maps, but those forests along the coast just have something special
When watching I didn't think California was going to be as high as it was👍 There is a lot of breathtakingly beautiful land in the USA 👍👍👍👍👍Great video!
ARIZONA should rank in Top 10! .......Sedona, Saguaro Natl Park, Organ Pipe Cactus Natl Monument, Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley, Mount Lemmon, Bisbee, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, plus an entire magazine devoted to "Arizona Highways." Also Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are stunning too. 😁
Yes. The Grand Canyon alone would be enough to justify a higher place. There's nothing else in our country so stupendously majestic and humbling. It gives "breathtaking" a whole new meaning. The GC puts you in touch with the holy awe of this ancient planet. No cathedral could do as much.
i knew which would be the last 2 by the time you got to 15...yours spot on with this and to my surprise you acknowledged Arizona & Utah, which I appreciate being desert rat myself. great list!
I'm Canadian and have never been to Alaska. I see the argument for Alaska being #1, but personally I would give it to California. While Alaska is larger in area and might have more stunning scenery, California is unmatched when it comes to diversity of landscapes, and it's also gorgeous. I've only been down the coast of California and to Yosemite, but I can't even begin to imagine how many other beautiful locations there are in the state. Beautiful coastlines, deserts, the forests of the Sierra Nevada. The list goes on. We have beautiful forests and a seemingly countless number of lakes here in Ontario, but for for a province of over 1 million km2, there isn't a whole lot of landscape variation compared to other states and provinces. California's definitely crazy in that regard.
I just said that to a friend the other day. California has the most diverse beauty of any state. It has EVERYTHING in abundance. He didn’t mention the route 395 drive on the eastern side of the sierras. The mountains come right up out of the ground and tower over you. Spectacular. I think I like this drive more than Route 1 down the coast.
I felt the same until i really sat down and thought about it. California is simply stunning during road trips. Unless you are on the 5, 10, 15, or 99. Then its not so nice.
I feel like you're forgetting that Alaska has 100,000+ glaciers, 39 mountain ranges, volcanoes, temperate rainforest, fjords, arctic plains, ice fields, and the tallest mountain in North America
An under-visited attraction in California is Mount Shasta (14,162 ft). It sits alone it its snow-capped splendor like our own Mt. Fuji. It has its own weather system with "lenticular" clouds encircling its peak. It's breathtaking. And the highway skirts its base giving you a great view. I've never myself seen anything more majestic. It's truly more than scenery, it's almost to be idolized.
As a northern arizona native, I want to thank you for not talking about the actual beauty here. While the grand canyon is gorgeous, people obviously talk about Sedona, the Painted Desert, Lake Powell, Fossil Creek and the Coconino Pine Forest (largest continuous pine forest in the world). It's literally impossible to not pass through at least one of these areas on your way to the grand canyon lol.
Pictured rocks is gorgeous and has the BEST BEACHES in the Midwest. only make sure you visit June-Sept because it's very cold, but you don't regret doing a drive around the Lake of Superior if you have a week's vacation but Pictured Rocks you can have a WONDERFUL WEEKEND.
I thought NM would’ve shown up! Michigan is slightly prettier than Wisco due to the UP and Isle Royale, and Lake Huron is underrated, especially Negwegon SP
Good video, Kyle. Not commenting to say I disagree with anything, but wanted to say underrated beautiful states: Kentucky, South Carolina, West Virginia, Maine and Wisconsin. Yes I know you mentioned some of those but I’d say those are the most overlooked. Again, great video! Love your rankings.
As someone who currently lives in SC & grew up here & has visited every single county in the state & 85% of all the towns, I believe I have to disagree with you about SC... there is definitely some decent scenery in the Lowcountry part of the state, particularly near Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, & Charleston & the northwest corner of the state has some really pretty scenery (particularly Oconee County, the northern 3rd of Pickens County, & the northwestern 5th of Greenville County). But even that Blue Ridge Mountain scenery pales in comparison to the Blue Ridge Mountain scenery you see in GA, TN, & especially NC. There are some decent forests throughout the middle of the state, but overall, most of it is very boring, bland, & very, very dull. Especially the counties that border NC to the Northeast.
Hey Kyle, I’m from Alaska and I’m sure you’d love to do a trip here. I made a road trip route with all the best places to check out in Alaska for my friend that was considering doing a trip up here, if you’re interested I could send you the google doc so if you do a trip up here you can maybe see some cool things you wouldn’t have thought about. I’ve been on almost every bit of the connected road system here so I know some good spots.
Great video! One other thing to mention about Florida is how beautiful the freshwater springs and underwater caverns are in the center of of the state. Totally clear blue water, and often you can see manatees swimming underneath you! Sometimes they are more beautiful than the beaches.
I agree with most of this list, so props to you! However, WA should be in the top 3 (or at least above OR hahaha). Just saying, even though I am from Washington and may be biased. Did you know Washington's Northeast corner contains the Rocky Mountains? Washington is the most diverse state in terms of geography: Desert region, Snow-capped Volcanos, Rainforest, Coastal region (and Inner coastal-Puget Sound), Rivers/Waterfalls, Marsh land, Old-growth forests, Lakes, Prairies, Plateaus, and Meadows. I love it here in Washington just very expensive to live here, it's almost impractical at this point in time.
If there's one thing I love about living in the United States is just the variety of landscapes I can go to. Where I'm from, there are wonderful swamps and hilly forests and that's just a taste of all that you can see here. I think we can all agree we live in a beautiful piece of the planet.
I’m so glad West Virginia was high on your list. But I was surprised to not see Virginia! With forests, mountains and beach coast line. (I’m from Ohio, which is not on the list, so don’t come at me! I’m not holding a state bias.)
I love driving through the Cleveland Metroparks that are in Northeast Ohio. Ohio has its beautiful scenic parts to drive through, but you have to get off of the highway to find it.
Wow, they are all so beautiful! I must go to Utah at some point. One suggestion - it would be really useful to see a little inset of the US when you introduce a new state and highlight the location of the state. (for folks not terribly familiar with the exact location of all the states, like myself... teachable moment!) Thanks for sharing your insights!
Before the list started I came up with my own top 5 and we're pretty damn close. I had Alaska and California and 1 and 2, but squeezed Montana and Wyoming ahead of Utah.
Utah is more scenic than montana and Wyoming imo because there’s so much variety. You can go from the beautiful Rocky Mountains (Uintas and wasatch) in the north to the red rocks and plateaus (canyonlands area and lake powell) in the south. And the unique geology also allows for a lot of exploring all across the state, even in the basin and range west near the great salt lake. But I guess an argument can be made for either case because beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Having been on several road trips, including once going from Washington DC to LA, CA and up the coast to SF before heading east again, I was surprised New Mexico wasn't included. Especially the North-Western section; whether north from ABQ thru Santa Fe and Taos, or west heading towards The Petrified Forest in AZ. And Carlsbad Caverns is pretty spectacular. I haven't been to New England, or south of TN, but I was surprised VA wasn't included. Although I'm British, so shouldn't really be biased, I did spend several years in VA, and went to Shenandoah National Park plenty of times! On my first trip I was so eager to get to CA that I hadn't thought about what we'd see on the way, and it was only driving around South-East Utah for the first time that I forgot about seeing CA, which I'd also not been to before!
Great list! As someone who lived in California for 4 years (and drove all around it), I'd put it lower only because that San Joaquin Valley is easily one of the ugliest parts of the country I've ever been to, and it's such a huge part of the state. It's such a weird state in that Yosemite and Big Sur (two of the most beautiful places I've ever seen) surround that valley (one of the ugliest).
If you visit one of the wildlife refuges in the San Joaquin Valley, especially in the winter near Marysville when migrating birds such as Tundra Swans and Sandhill Cranes are there, you will see how scenic it was in its natural state! While the farmland may not look as nice, try a drive through the almond orchards in the spring when those trees are in bloom, miles of stunning beauty!
I was glad to see Pennsylvania on the list. Many people don't realize that the Northern part of the states is very scenic. It only makes sense that our neighbor to the north, New York would be ranked a little higher.
Not a road tripper myself but your list seems pretty fair for the most part. However as a lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest I would 100% put Washington above Oregon. Sure Oregon has a prettier coastline, but Washington beats it in every other respect: a lot more mountains, a lot _bigger_ mountains, and eastern WA is much more beautiful than eastern OR (Lake Chelan & the Gorge Amphitheatre come to mind). There are several vantage points in the Puget Sound area where you can see both the Olympic & Cascade ranges on either side of the water, I can't think of almost anywhere else in the US with more spectacular scenery. Also you can view Victoria, Canada from 30 miles away at Hurricane Ridge, on the northern side of the Olympics. Too many great places I could mention.
You forgot to include the San Juan islands and the Palouse as well. I think you can argue that Oregon's natural beauty is more accessible, but pound for pound Washington had it beat.
As a very proud Oregon native, I was pretty surprised to see Oregon ahead of Washington. I would have put Washington ahead. Though it could be the eastern half that gives Oregon the edge. I do prefer Eastern Oregon to Eastern Washington.
I think Oregon is more diverse. My perspective having lived, traveled and hiked 36 years OR, 26 WA: NCNP, Rainier, Oympics>>Oregon Cascades, Wallowas; OR Coast >>>WA coast; WA Rainforest>>Oregon wet forest; OR Hells Canyon (overlooked), Crater Lake and Oregon High Desert (including the Steens & Alvord desert)> WA nothing like them but has Lake Chelan and Puget Sound. The states share the Columbia Gorge
For road trips my favorites are Oregon Coast(101), CR Gorge (both sides), North Cascades Hwy(W), Chinook Pass (W), Olympic Peninsula loop (101), Crater Lake loop. Honorable mention to add variety are Steens Mtn, Hells Canyon Byway, Cascade Lakes Hwy in OR and in WA Stevens Pass, Hwy 97 east base of Cascades , Palouse Scenic Byway.
YES! Absolutely came in clutch for Wisconsin! I saw Minnesota and then Michigan, and I thought Wisconsin was gonna miss out on this list. (I was already getting a bit mad we got snubbed) But Geography King came in clutch for us putting Wisconsin at #18. Above both Minnesota AND Michigan! Thanks for appreciating a state that I think is absurdly underrated
Yes, AZ has incredible diversity. It's one of the main states people come to see from all over the world. Utah and AZ have a huge number of National Parks and Monuments along with CA. Other than Nevada, I would rank all the Western states above the Eastern States on diversity alone. While the East is beautiful with it's greenery, you can find plenty of forests out west as well.
I,m going to take a guess at your top five, however I have no guesses as to the order, so I'll go alphabetically. Alaska California Colorado Hawaii Utah
I love the more subtle beauty of the desert mountains of New Mexico (and Nevada) but if you are not into that type of scenery there isn't as large of a variety of landscapes as other western states.
