The Most naturally beautiful U.S. states
America’s Most Scenic States
The U.S. touts stunning natural beauty from coast to coast and even off of the mainland in places like Alaska and Hawaii. Nonetheless, some states top others when it comes to providing travelers with the most tantalizing scenery and landscapes. The team of experts at Airport Parking Reservations recently analyzed every U.S. state based on several different factors related to natural beauty, including the number of mountains, waterfalls, beaches, large natural lakes and national parks to determine a final state beauty score on a scale of 10. From the Mid-Atlantic to the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains in between, visitors to these states stand to experience the most natural beauty.
10. New York
New York rounds out the list of the top 10 most naturally beautiful states with a solid state beauty score of 6.12 out of 10. In addition to some 3,600 named mountains, New York offers visitors 7,600 large natural lakes, more than 940 waterfalls and close to 350 different beaches to choose from.
9. North Carolina
Elsewhere on the East Coast, North Carolina offers travelers an abundance of mountains and beaches, boasting 2,700 and 241, respectively. Home to the Great Smoky Mountains and plenty of other nature lover hotspots like the Outer Banks, North Carolina has 885 waterfalls and 59 large natural lakes.
8. Colorado
Rocky Mountain Country features some of the most scenic landscapes in the world. Landlocked Colorado may lack any beaches but it has mountains and waterfalls in bunches with nearly 4,000 combined. Colorado is also home to four national parks, including Rocky Mountain National Park spanning the Continental Divide.
7. Wyoming
Wyoming’s numerous large natural lakes (4,000) and named mountains (2,471) help it to a state beauty score of 6.6 out of 10. Meanwhile, visitors can also look forward to exploring iconic national parks like Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
6. Montana
Montana edges out its neighbor to the South with a state beauty score of 6.87 out of 10. Montana wows visitors with more than 3,340 mountains and an incredible 3,223 large natural lakes. The state also boasts more than 480 serene waterfalls.
5. Hawaii
Hawaii is renowned for its natural beauty and doesn’t disappoint with a state beauty score of 6.97 out of 10. The Aloha State offers plenty of mountains (1,137), waterfalls (543) and beaches (385), of course, and is home to five large natural lakes and two national parks, including Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
4. Oregon
Back on the mainland, Oregon has scenery to suit all preferences. The Pacific Northwest destination features 3,700-plus named mountains, 1,616 waterfalls, 1,400 large natural lakes and 91 beaches, helping it to a stellar state beauty score of 7.79 out of 10.
3. Alaska
It’s no surprise that Alaska ranks among the most naturally beautiful states in the country. After all, America’s Last Frontier has the most “ultras” in the U.S. The term refers to a mountain with an elevation of 4,921 feet or more and Alaska is home to a whopping 64, including the iconic Denali. Alaska also has nearly 3,200 large natural lakes and eight national parks.
2. California
California’s beauty can’t be denied but the Golden State’s score is also boosted because it has the most named mountains in the country. Its 8,008 named peaks account for nearly 11 percent of the country’s total. California also offers visitors more than 1,000 waterfalls, over 430 beaches and nine national parks. The latter figure is also the most in the country.
1. Washington
The Evergreen State is the most naturally beautiful state in the U.S., receiving a state beauty score of 9.29 out of 10. Washington is home to some 8,000 lakes, 3,160-plus named mountains and more than 3,130 waterfalls in addition to a trio of national parks and close to 1,400 beaches. Whether it’s on the coast or up in the clouds, travelers have a plethora of gorgeous scenery to experience.