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
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’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 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 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.
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.
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."
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. :)
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.
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.
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.
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'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.
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.
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).
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.
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
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.
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!
Amazing and well detailed list. I’ve only been to half of the states, but my list goes as follows. 10) Wyoming 9) Idaho 8) Colorado 7) Washington 6) Oregon 5) Montana 4) Utah 3) Hawaii 2) Alaska 1) California
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.
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. 🤔
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.
We've never been to Hawaii, but we do agree, Alaska is #1. We've been to nearly all 50 states, in an RV. While these two weren't on your list, we loved South Dakota, and surprisingly, Kansas. Yes, it's farmland. But between the thousands of cows, oil drills, wind farms, gas fields, sorghum fields and beautiful farm houses, we found it delightful. We stayed off the interstate and traveled Hwy 96 and 56 West to East. No traffic and beautiful.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I love the geographic diversity of my state of Utah. I love the variety of deserts and mountain ranges, too many to name. Many scenic highways and byways in all directions.
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.
I'm a lifelong Westerner. I love it out here, From Montana to Arizona! To quote Jim Morrison, "The west is the best; hop in, we'll do the rest"! The USA is just a beautiful country, you're never very far away from natural beauty.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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! ✌️
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
I grew up in Arizona, not appreciating the natural beauty at all. I couldn't figure out why people would want to live in the desert. But since I've left I'm come to appreciate the mountains, cacti, desert flowers, etc. that I took for granted.
@@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!
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 video and thank you for showing the natural beauty of these states. So many beautiful places. I would have switched New Hampshire with Vermont I find NH beautiful
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!
Driving through Kansas should be on everyone's must-see list. Ok, maybe just once is enough, but the Flint Hills to the absolute flatest land you'll ever see with that huge blue sky and maybe a grain mill in the distance is a true wonder.
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,
Great job on a short overview. Perhaps you did one for Canada and I will look. I've been to Colorado and Montana mountains a lot but BC Canada was another level IMO ... at least from highway views.
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.
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!
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
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!
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.
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!
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.💯
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.
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.
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.
Coastline is the only category in which Oregon beats Washington. In every other category (mountains, desert, forests, inland bodies of water, etc...) Washington is more beautiful, imo.
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.
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've, grew up in Utah, lived in Idaho for 7 years, and now live in West Virginia. I'm happy to see they all made the top 10. West Virginia in particular is underrated in its beauty. I'm honestly not exagerating when I saw there isn't a single place in the state that isn't beautiful. The entire state is mountainous forests.
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!
Yup, people talk about Washington getting a ton of rain or parts of Oregon but I could swear that it's almost always raining here and I'm in Roane County.
I had the pleasure of delivering log homes to replace the old living quarters for a few of the Maine fire towers in Northwestern part of the state and its very desolate but very beautiful !!
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.
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.
The beauty of New England fall colors can not be overstated, especially in Vermont. It's almost surreal.
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
@@unnecessaryapostrophe4047 that’s it I’m moving to Vermont
@@Avi00124 lmao chill people already flood the area with traffic just to see leaves there everywhere just not as much
And Pennsylvania extremely naturally beautiful all scenes
Kansas number one. There’s nothing quite like flat land as far as the eye can see 😂😂😂
The Great Plains are underrated to look at. It gets bashed too much.
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.
I drove through Kansas 4 years ago. All I could think was utter desolation.
@@timwolfers7880 you have not seen the chalk towers. Thruout the state about 30 miles south of 70
@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 live in Vermont, but I would have ranked New Hampshire higher. As scenic as the Green Mountains are, the White Mountains are simply more impressive.
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
Both are ranked too low.
New Hampshire does have somewhat more sprawl, to be fair. However, both are excellent and definitely deserve to be ranked higher.
That's actually kind of a reason why I like the Greens more. They're quainter and less aggressive-seeming.
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 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..
@@kmaher1424 except for Caddo Lake! That one’s natural.
@@rongreen8962
Yes. And Geography King sees beauty in swamps, so he might like Cargo Lake...
Montanas landlocked that immediately excludes it from being top 5
One of the best roads in all the country is the Beartooth Highway.
Your channel really makes me want to travel across all 50 states and Canada to see the massive variety of scenery here.
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.
Colorado, Utah and Montana for me top 3
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.
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.
I love Watkins Glen.
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.
@@Peanutbetter27 I live near the falls . I often take it for granted. The Ausable chasm up north is also beautiful.
Agreed! He didn’t even mention Fire Island National Sea Shore and the other incredible beaches.
Your state's gun laws are as bad as the scenery is good.
Can't wait for the 25 least scenic states list!!!
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
especially amish country !
I lived in Pittsburgh for 12 years, visiting Philly multiple times. I jokingly refer to the middle of the state as “Pennsyltucky”😂
@@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."
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. :)
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.
A Geography King video that didn't mention New Mexico, one about natural scenery, was pretty unexpected.
I live in New Mexico and the scenery here is spectacular.
@@KathleenMcCormickLCSWMPH agreed
I was surprised too but when I saw AZ at 17 I knew NM wouldn't be in the list.
@@schadlarry yeah
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.
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.
Wow. SD and TX. Streeeetch.
@@ralphjames1211 I've seen the movie Giant. Texas is a whole lotta flat nothingness. I'm sure it has some nice places. But most of it... no.
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!
Glad to see WA placed highly. Still holding out hope for a state geographic profile or Seattle urban analysis in the not too distant future...
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.
More videos like this!! About natural beauty.
I've been to Montana, and when you're in the mountains, its beyond breathtaking
Unrelated but love your username! Packers fan from RI!
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.
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).
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.
There's also the Tonto Bridge near Payson & Pine, one of the most stunning natural wonders in the state!
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.
For sure it’s more scenic then PA
On behalf of Michigan, thank you for the mention. We love our Great Lakes State!
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
Ya wi is prettier then tn not
Honestly I feel like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota could all be interchangeable all 3 are just so similar in geography
@@user-vr3mr5eu7y Stay in school.
@@stich21 uobviously not been to the smokies. Wi pretty plane Jane sure apostle islands r fine
@@stich21 wi n tn ain't even close
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.
Arizona, California, Utah are my absolute favorites
CA, UT, & northern AZ for me in that order because being baked to death ain't my thing.
Pennsylvania and West Virginia really are gorgeous. Speaking from a Native Montanan who moved to New England in his teens.
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!
@@mattmenzi8809
I know right! I was thinking about other ranges, but I haven't visited those areas yet. Hopefully I'll get a chance to see them...
Michigan great
Amazing and well detailed list. I’ve only been to half of the states, but my list goes as follows.
10) Wyoming
9) Idaho
8) Colorado
7) Washington
6) Oregon
5) Montana
4) Utah
3) Hawaii
2) Alaska
1) California
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.
And Lake Erie
I do like the shores of Lake Huron, nice and quiet. But i'm glad the mitten made the list.
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. 🤔
Actually, I do love looking at soybean fields and corn stalks! I think farmland is so beautiful and oddly eerie. I love driving through Iowa!
The eastern coast of Iowa along the Mississippi has beautiful views atop bluffs and rolling hills which protect it from the farmer's plow.
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.
We've never been to Hawaii, but we do agree, Alaska is #1. We've been to nearly all 50 states, in an RV. While these two weren't on your list, we loved South Dakota, and surprisingly, Kansas. Yes, it's farmland. But between the thousands of cows, oil drills, wind farms, gas fields, sorghum fields and beautiful farm houses, we found it delightful. We stayed off the interstate and traveled Hwy 96 and 56 West to East. No traffic and beautiful.
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.
I'd love to visit your country. I'm sure there are quite a few spectacular drives there.
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.
Malibu also.
@@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.
This is why people pay the big bucks
@@drksideofthewal
I only understood it when I got to live there.
Incredible beauty.
Great weather.
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.
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.
The mountains of Virginia are very narrow.
@@willp.8120 The Appalachians on the whole are narrow as compared to almost any other mountain range on earth.
@@CC-jl7jz I'm speaking in comparison to North Carolina, or even Georgia.
@@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.
Can’t forget the southwestern regions like the Grayson Highlands. Absolutely gorgeous…
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
You've got Michigan ranked way too high. And Maine doesn't deserve to be rated ahead of Washington or Oregon, imo.
@@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.
WV is a giant forest...so pretty
@@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.
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.
SD is one of the worst states easily. I lived right next to it. Sure the hills n badlands r fine, but not that extravagant n very small area
@@user-vr3mr5eu7y Because you put down South Dakota, I only wish nothing more than the worst of luck for you!!!!!!!!!!
@@ralphjames1211 just being realistic. It's a good state just lacking natural beauty in most of it
Totally agree with PA vs AZ. Not even close.
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.
I love the geographic diversity of my state of Utah. I love the variety of deserts and mountain ranges, too many to name. Many scenic highways and byways in all directions.
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.
I'm a lifelong Westerner. I love it out here, From Montana to Arizona! To quote Jim Morrison, "The west is the best; hop in, we'll do the rest"! The USA is just a beautiful country, you're never very far away from natural beauty.
I've been all around the world and the beauty of a sunset on The Great Plains is hard to beat.
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.
Every state has some beauty
No. Delaware doesn't.
Nah, North Dakota is pretty terrible.
Numbers 38 to 25 (not listed) good, numbers 26 to 13 good, numbers 12 to 6 Better, numbers 5 to 1 BEST. Maybe?
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.
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.
he missed amish country around Lancaster, most beautiful farm land anywhere.
Not having VA in this list is simply laughable. Beaches, bays, swamps, rivers, valleys, piedmont horse farms, Shenandoah valley, sw Va high peaks.
Thank you for pointing out how beautiful Wisconsin is!
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.
Yeah, my family lives in WV, me in Montana. I wouldn't have ranked WV above Montana. But, it's the flavor you like. 😀
@@rhiahlMT Yeah, now that I think about it, ranking WV ahead of MT is a tough one to defend.
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.
Obviously you have never been to the upper part of Minnesota. It is gorgeous. Lake Superior is worth the trip on its own.
I was surprised too by that
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.
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! ✌️
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.
Thank you very much! I really appreciate that
Another great video. Although, I was surprised to not see South Dakota. It’s underrated and it has tons of great scenery
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.
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 live in California very close to Yosemite. I never get tired of the mountains especially driving through the Sierras to Nevada. ♥️
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.
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.
video ideas: ranking all of the state governor’s mansions/ geographic profiles on kentucky, tennessee, arkansas and/or West Virginia
I've got at least one of those states coming up real soon
Alaska 100% deserves the first spot. Been everywhere and that place still puts me in awe.
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!
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.
Agree. The sheer amount of diversity in California makes it #1.
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.
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.
I grew up in Arizona, not appreciating the natural beauty at all. I couldn't figure out why people would want to live in the desert. But since I've left I'm come to appreciate the mountains, cacti, desert flowers, etc. that I took for granted.
New Mexico was #26, I have no doubt.
I noticed this too. Geography King does not blow it often, but this omission really surprised me, especially with his love for the state.
And Texas was in at #27, I have no doubts about that, too!
You always provide such fantastic content. It's well thought out and well presented.
Thank you!
@@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!
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 video and thank you for showing the natural beauty of these states. So many beautiful places. I would have switched New Hampshire with Vermont I find NH beautiful
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!
Driving through Kansas should be on everyone's must-see list. Ok, maybe just once is enough, but the Flint Hills to the absolute flatest land you'll ever see with that huge blue sky and maybe a grain mill in the distance is a true wonder.
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 :-)
Californians get what they vote for. People are fleeing like rats
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,
@@diodelvino3048 Best weather in the country, with San Diego being so consistently mild that it's like the outdoors is heated and air conditioned.
Great job on a short overview. Perhaps you did one for Canada and I will look. I've been to Colorado and Montana mountains a lot but BC Canada was another level IMO ... at least from highway views.
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!!🙂
I look forward to seeing the northern Minnesota wilderness perhaps this year.
@@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.
Thank you very much for all of the great info! I hope to be up there in the late spring and it'll definitely come in handy
@@GeographyKing You are welcome! I am really excited for you to make it up this way.
Southeast Utah is beautiful, the night was the most beautiful aspect. The starts lit the landscape up like a Christmas Tree.
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!
Thank you very much! Maybe you are a nerd yourself
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
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!
Thanks, Kyle, for the Pacific Coast nod of approval. California, for sure, but as you say, Washington and Oregon have a lot going for them.
Good to see you this Sunday night, sir. You do a great job.
Thanks!
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.
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!
Good list, South Dakota and New Mexico come to mind as close ones.
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.💯
Not a bad list at all, and what a pleasant video to watch. You have clearly been to all the states and not only 'to' them but 'through' them.
If New Hampshire is 25 then half of the US must be just stunning!!
Maybe the other lesson is: it's prettier where the people ain't..
Every photograph in this video was gorgeous and makes me think of God's paintbrush. 🎨 Thanks Kyle!
Arizona & New Mexico should be in the top 10. Also, for the East coast I think you should have included Virginia.
Really surprised to not see your favorite state, New Mexico, in this list, King. Great video nonetheless!
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.
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.
Facts.
I'm a desert rat, I live in Utah, and the scenery here is gorgeous! And, nothing comes close to our Winter skiing!
South Dakota has been one of my surprise favorite states to drive through, surprised it didn’t make this list!
Thank you for putting my home state, Arizona, on this list!
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.
I would say NY n north is all about equal, but main has that coast
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.
NY is very pretty but the South is more diverse in its beauty and wins the prize as far as I'm concerned.
Native Californian living in WA here. Oregon has spectacular windswept coast. But we have the San Juan Islands.
Great stuff Kyle. Awesome shirt!!
Coastline is the only category in which Oregon beats Washington. In every other category (mountains, desert, forests, inland bodies of water, etc...) Washington is more beautiful, imo.
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 Yep! North Cascades, Okanogan, Palouse, Olympic National friggin park!!
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.
Couldn't agree more Jordan
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.
Jordan - Completely agree, AZ top 10 and Hawaii top 3. AZ also has some beautiful areas in the southern portion, Mt Lemmon, Bisbee, Patagonia Lake.
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 feel like Virginia,New Mexico and South Dakota should all be on this list.
Yes but the question is which ones shouldn’t be. I think Florida and Arkansas shouldn’t be. Unsure of third.
I think Nevada as well
I've, grew up in Utah, lived in Idaho for 7 years, and now live in West Virginia. I'm happy to see they all made the top 10. West Virginia in particular is underrated in its beauty. I'm honestly not exagerating when I saw there isn't a single place in the state that isn't beautiful. The entire state is mountainous forests.
Please please please do a bottom 25 scenic states!! It'd be so funny!!
The exact video I’ve been waiting for and didn’t know 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!
Being from WV, I totally agree with you saying it gets a ton rain. No truer words have been spoken.
Yup, people talk about Washington getting a ton of rain or parts of Oregon but I could swear that it's almost always raining here and I'm in Roane County.
I would love a video like this on the Canadian provinces and territories!!
Yes agreed
I had the pleasure of delivering log homes to replace the old living quarters for a few of the Maine fire towers in Northwestern part of the state and its very desolate but very beautiful !!
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.
“Less than savory Red Dawn remake” lolol
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 Double agree. The Palouse region. The Okanogan in the fall...Beautiful!
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 Dry Falls is sick, I went last summer during the heatwave (not a wise choice) but had a good time and went up to see the dam.
I was born and raised in Seattle and we used to go camping in the eastern part of the state. With all that desert, it was so exotic to me!
Kyle, I have driven or bicycled through most of these states and I think your ranking is right on. I have yet to visit WV or AR and I need to.