Which State Is The Most Beautiful in the US? | All States Rated

Naturally, there is some sibling rivalry among the states. States that believe their granite mountains are superior to others' red-rock deserts or whose bone-white beaches must be superior to thousand-year-old redwoods. Well, we're here to resolve the argument.

After all, how do you choose between deserts and mountains? Mountain versus lake? Forests vs. lakes? Woods or beaches? Which is better, the seashore or the glaciers? Orchards vs. glaciers? There was no correct answer... until we determined there was.

The short answer

• 3. Alaska, for scale nothing else in the country can match
• 2. Hawaii, for range packed into the smallest space
• 1. California, for having every single kind of beauty at once

Below is the whole ranking, counting up from 50. There is a table of all fifty first if you want the short version, then every state in turn with what makes it worth looking at and the airport to fly into.

In This Article

1. How We Ranked All 50 States
2. All 50 States, Ranked at a Glance
3. 50 to 41: The Flat Middle
4. 40 to 31: Pleasant, Not Remarkable
5. 30 to 21: Quietly Underrated
6. 20 to 11: The Contenders
7. The Top 10 Most Beautiful States in America
8. So Which State Is the Most Beautiful?

How We Ranked All 50 States

This is a ranking of natural beauty. Architecture, cities and colonial streetscapes are not counted, which is why Charleston does not carry South Carolina and why New York State is judged on the Adirondacks rather than the skyline.

Every state was assessed on four things:

• Diversity. How many different kinds of landscape does the state have?
• Amount. How much of the state is worth looking at, as opposed to one famous corner?
• Concentration. How close together are the good parts?
• Highlights and lowlights. How high does the best of it reach, and how far does the worst of it drag?

The order is a judgement, not a measurement, and reasonable people will want to fight about it. That is rather the point.

All 50 States, Ranked at a Glance

50 to 41: The Flat Middle

Someone has to be at the bottom, and mostly it is the states the glaciers flattened and the plains never stopped. That does not make them ugly. It makes them subtle, and subtle is a hard sell against a canyon. Every state in this tier has one genuinely good thing in it, and in several cases the good thing is bigger than its reputation.

50. Iowa

A tip of Wisconsin driftlands lies on the east side of Iowa, where there are some beautiful cliffs. There is some romance in seeing that far when the lights go out, but that comes only as a result of the state's flatness and boringness.

• The driftland cliffs along the eastern edge, where the land finally breaks
• Sightlines so long that the dark itself becomes the view

Fly into: Des Moines (DSM)

49. Kansas

Kansans are a hardy people who can find satisfaction in the little things in life. Its surroundings, which accent the latter portion of the "Great Plains," foster this attractive personality. If Kansans can love their land, there are no excuses for anybody else not to love the bejesus out of theirs.

• The tail end of the Great Plains, running out to the horizon
• Big-sky country where the weather is the scenery

Fly into: Wichita (ICT)

48. Illinois

This generally featureless Midwestern state makes up for it by putting hundreds of gorgeous towers around Lake Michigan. In the southern tail of the state, you can see the knobby sandstone formations of the Garden of the Gods, which are stunning panoramas outside of Chicago. Also, don't forget to admire its long, winding western border and the breathtaking Mississippi River vistas.

• Garden of the Gods, where knobby sandstone gives the south a skyline of its own
• The Mississippi River border, winding the whole length of the state

Fly into: Chicago (ORD)

47. Indiana

The summit of Dunes National Lakeshore has a fun small playground and views of Lake Michigan. Indiana's hills contours along its southern border offer places like Bloomington a bucolic atmosphere. But what about in between? Except from summertime drives and discovering the relaxing, even hypnotic charm of watching corn rush by your window at 60mph, there's hardly much to suggest.

• Dunes National Lakeshore, with Lake Michigan laid out from the summit
• The hill country along the southern border around Bloomington

Fly into: Indianapolis (IND)

46. Oklahoma

The panhandle stretches out and kisses New Mexico on the cheek, while the southern edge is ideal for reading Lawrence McMurtry scenarios and the eastern side near the Arkansas border is a startlingly diversified combination of electric-green hills and jungly mid-American forests. To summarize, Oklahoma is certainly more beautiful than you expect, but your expectations were probably low for a reason.

• The eastern edge near Arkansas, all electric-green hills and dense forest
• The panhandle, running west until it touches New Mexico

Fly into: Oklahoma City (OKC)

45. Mississippi

Hundreds of Mississippians are reading this right now and exclaiming, "Oh my goodness! There is a state ranking in which we are NOT among the lowest five!" Mississippi, thank your happy stars for the quirky, frolicsome Gulf Coast. Despite your wonderful magnolias and appealing Southern greenery, you're only 21 miles of unspoiled white sandy beach and pristine marshes away from being the Indiana of the South.

• Twenty-one miles of unspoiled white sand along the Gulf Coast
• Magnolias and pristine marshland behind the beaches

Fly into: Gulfport (GPT)

44. Ohio

Ohio has a decent reputation for being flat and forgettable, despite being high in the middle and round on the edges. But, the steep southern half of the state is more beautiful than most people think; after all, it borders Kentucky and West Virginia. While no one would confuse Lake Erie's southern side for Big Sur, Ohio's roughly 300 miles of Great Lake shoreline offers spectacular open-water views from the tops of roller coasters.

• The steep southern half, borrowing its hills from Kentucky and West Virginia
• Roughly 300 miles of Lake Erie shoreline and open water

Fly into: Cleveland (CLE)

43. Nebraska

If you wish to sleep on Nebraska's subtle beauty, its huge sky and rolling hills have a truly nice and serene charm. As amazing as Toadstool Geology Park (Nebraska's Badlands!) and Chimney Rock are, the Cornhusker State lacks the breathtaking vistas of its western neighbors.

• Toadstool Geology Park, a badlands in miniature
• Chimney Rock, standing alone above the rolling hills

Fly into: Omaha (OMA)

42. North Dakota

For some reason, perhaps a mix of fracking, the Coen brothers, and the month of January, the words "North Dakota" have come to mean "frozen tundra." It isn't entirely incorrect when describing some portions of this state, but let's not forget that it also has Theodore Roosevelt National Park, a stunning combination of plains, mesas, and mountain views filled with buffalo. Likewise, like the younger child who is frequently compared to their larger brother, North Dakota is underappreciated when compared to its lovely sister state to the south.

• Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where plains, mesas and buffalo meet
• Mountain views most people never associate with the state at all

Fly into: Bismarck (BIS)

41. Missouri

It's difficult for Missouri, which borders five states that have already been on this list, to stand apart. The state's enormous sweeping core is a less agriculturally exhausted transition between Illinois and Kansas. But, the southern third or so is a joy. The reddish hills of the Lake of the Ozarks region (population: Branson) are ideal for scenic drives and trout-fishing excursions. Missourians further east use their forests and rivers as playgrounds. Strange rocky outcroppings near the Johnson Shut-Ins State Park swimming holes and the lazy tube floats on the Current River would be the examples. They're almost spookily litter-free, showing that Missourians appreciate what they have.

• The reddish Ozark hills around Lake of the Ozarks, built for a scenic drive
• Johnson Shut-Ins and the Current River, both improbably litter-free

Fly into: Springfield (SGF)

40 to 31: Pleasant, Not Remarkable

These ten are not short of good scenery. They are short of room. Most are small, crowded, developed states where the beautiful parts are real but have to be found between the suburbs, or larger ones whose best feature belongs more convincingly to the state next door. Pleasant is not an insult here. It is just not a reason to get on a plane.

40. Connecticut

Not only would most New Englanders disdain it because of its close ties to New York cause half the state is Yankees country but it also stood out among the region's hill-and-valley idylls. Notwithstanding several picturesque communities along the coast and magnificent streams further inland into the Berkshires, generic suburbia and developed regions remain the norm. Even the Mighty Connecticut River has lost its steam by this stage in its voyage to the sea (and picked up flotsam in Hartford and Springfield).

• Picturesque villages strung along the coast
• The streams running inland toward the Berkshires

Fly into: Hartford (BDL)

39. Delaware

Do you want to surprise someone? Send a postcard from Delaware to them. "I had no idea Delaware was so beautiful," they'll exclaim as they gaze at a silhouette of dune grasses framed by an ocean sunset. But since Delaware is too small to house more than three automobiles at once nobody does that anymore. Although if you're lucky enough to be in one of those three automobiles, you, too, may take in the rolling rural countrysides and the not-half-bad beach vistas and remark, "Delaware. Hi. I'm now in Delaware."

• Dune grass silhouetted against an ocean sunset, the state's one postcard
• Rolling rural countryside behind the beaches

Fly into: Philadelphia (PHL). Delaware has no major commercial airport of its own.

38. Louisiana

Despite New Orleans (deservedly!) receives the most attention, there's enough to do in Louisiana outside of the cities: the fishing is excellent, the duck hunting is excellent, and the airboat excursions through alligator-infested cypress woods are unforgettable. Yet its location at the mouth of the Mississippi River doesn't help its beaches or marshes, and when the state's highest natural peak is only twice as high as the Superdome, you're going to be left with a lot of landscape that ducks are best suited to admire.

• Cypress woods best seen from an airboat, alligators included
• The marshes and waterways at the mouth of the Mississippi

Fly into: New Orleans (MSY)

37. New Jersey

Even if New Jersey hadn't gone and covered the whole of the state in jug handles and suburban development, it wouldn't be a surprise. Yet, if you can get away from the sprawl, many portions of the state are magnificent, with rolling hills and glacial lakes, good beaches, and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, a very beautiful and overlooked piece of land shared by New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Not to mention the Palisades.

• The Delaware Water Gap, the most overlooked landscape in the northeast
• The Palisades, plus glacial lakes and rolling hills once you clear the sprawl

Fly into: Newark (EWR)

36. Alabama

Despite most Gulf Coast states are a flat, green stretch of humidity and pine trees, Alabama offers some beautiful elevation in the state's center region around Birmingham. When you combine this with the white sand beaches of the Redneck Riviera, you have a state that rarely receives its due. Unspectacular? Maybe. Yet, in terms of nature and comfort food, you can't get much better.

• Real elevation through the middle of the state around Birmingham
• White sand beaches along the Gulf coast

Fly into: Birmingham (BHM)

35. Pennsylvania

It has hills, Amish buggies, and pleasant woodlands that molt into stunning golds, yellows, and oranges in the fall. But, for a state of Pennsylvania's size, it lacks that "wow" aspect. It's an overcrowded eastern state with no redeeming coastline. It has a great slice of the Appalachians, although not as much as its neighbors. And, yes, you can ski in the Poconos if you don't feel like venturing further. Nevertheless, like so many other things on this list, you'd upgrade if given a chance.

• Woodlands that turn gold, yellow and orange every autumn
• A genuine slice of the Appalachians, and the Poconos for snow

Fly into: Philadelphia (PHL)

34. Rhode Island

On average, Rhode Island does quite well for itself for such a small state. Several people joke that half of the state is made up of beaches, and they're not far off. Block Island has some gorgeous ones, and sea cliffs and bluffs there and in Newport contribute to the state's nautical beauty. The odds aren't on its side, though; the Breakers apart, Rhode Island just doesn't have enough space for something genuinely monumental. It's simply a shame that nature didn't create them.

• Block Island's beaches, cliffs and bluffs
• The nautical coastline around Newport

Fly into: Providence (PVD)

33. Georgia

If you live in Florida, the most beautiful sight you'll ever see is crossing the state line into Georgia and seeing petrol costs decrease by a dollar per gallon. What comes after that? There's not much. Apart from the charming Southernness with Spanish moss-draped trees and unspoilt beaches in the south, the picturesque highlight is the "mountains" north of Atlanta. Which, after traveling through Florida, appear imposing, but pale in comparison to the Smokies or the Appalachians a few hours away.

• Spanish moss-draped trees and unspoiled beaches in the south
• The hills north of Atlanta, imposing until you reach the Smokies

Fly into: Atlanta (ATL)

32. New Hampshire

If we're being honest, New Hampshire lost its most beautiful sight when the Old Man of the Mountain fell a few decades ago. (No, we're not over it yet.) However its profile remains relatively high: it is home to the majestic Presidential Range of the White Mountains, as well as spectacularly carved flume gorges, notches, large lakes like Winnipesaukee, and broad expanses of farming along the Canadian border. It's simply a shame that the state's southern half resembles suburban Connecticut, although with fewer booze outlets.

• The Presidential Range of the White Mountains
• Carved flume gorges, mountain notches and Lake Winnipesaukee

Fly into: Manchester (MHT)

31. Kentucky

This state can't determine whether it belongs in the Midwest, the South, or Appalachia. Geographically, it doesn't care since it has the best of everything: the pocky hollers and mountain views in the east, the 400-mile-long Mammoth Cave, and plenty of rolling, green hills. On the back roads, you may still see family tobacco farms, but the most distinguishing feature of the area is the symbiotic relationship between horses and brilliant fields. Many here swear they can see blue glints in the grass (therefore, you guessed it, bluegrass). Every hue makes you want to pause and admire.

• Mammoth Cave, 400 miles of it, the longest cave system on earth
• Bluegrass horse country, where people swear the fields glint blue

Fly into: Louisville (SDF)

30 to 21: Quietly Underrated

This is where the ranking gets competitive, and where the biggest gaps open up between a state's reputation and what is actually in it. Nevada is not just the Strip and a long drive. South Dakota is not just four faces on a mountain. Every state in this tier has a landscape that would carry a whole holiday, and most of them are booked by people who came for something else.

30. South Carolina

Charleston is arguably the most beautiful and popular region in South Carolina. However, because this is a rating of natural beauty rather than lovely colonial buildings, the highlight of the state is the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, which includes the 420-foot Raven Cliff Falls in Caesars Head State Park and some of the most panoramic vistas in the South. The coastal beaches are very lovely and relaxing, and there's nothing like a sun-dappled drive through the low country beneath a canopy of moss-draped live oak.

• Raven Cliff Falls, 420 feet of it, in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness
• Low country roads running under a canopy of moss-draped live oak

Fly into: Greenville (GSP)

29. Maryland

It's difficult to say anything negative about Maryland because it has everything you look for in a state in terms of landscape. With its spectacular green hills and flowering fall colors, the hilly west is like an extension of West Virginia. The state offers 600 miles of shoreline along the Atlantic beaches and Chesapeake Bay tributaries, nearly double what Texas has on the Gulf of Mexico, while Talbot County's bucolic countryside and wineries round out the paradise.

• Six hundred miles of Atlantic and Chesapeake shoreline, nearly double Texas
• The hilly west, which behaves like an extension of West Virginia

Fly into: Baltimore (BWI)

28. Massachusetts

Massachusetts is geographically located at the crossroads of New England. Its southern neighbors are unremarkable, whereas its northern counterparts are significantly more rugged (both in geography and the boot-leather character of their citizens). Nonetheless, Massachusetts has its draws: the Cape Cod National Seashore has long-drawn painters because of the brilliance of its sunsets, and the Berkshires and Pioneer Valley have some of the greatest fall foliage in the country. But Massachusetts also contains Middlesex County, which, despite its name, is not very sexy.

• Cape Cod National Seashore, painted for two centuries for its sunsets
• The Berkshires and Pioneer Valley, with some of the best foliage in America

Fly into: Boston (BOS)

27. Arkansas

Being a hermit kingdom has its advantages. Unless you're like marshes, pastures, rice fields, and the same fungible pine woods seen in Mississippi and Georgia, the southeast part of the state isn't much to look at. Going north, though, you'll encounter hills that hide caverns, rivers, and gullies, and that every now and then will disclose a flat slab where you may slump and watch the sunset. The Buffalo River, the country's first designated national river, is one of the few undammed American rivers of any significance. And in the southwest, the Ouachita Mountains meander endlessly, pocked with springs and villages just big enough to sustain a petrol station where you may stock up on supplies for a few days of floating or camping.

• The Buffalo River, the country's first national river and still undammed
• The Ouachita Mountains, meandering and pocked with springs

Fly into: Little Rock (LIT)

26. Nevada

The majority of people associate Nevada with "Las Vegas plus the let's-floor-it section of a road trip to California." And, indeed, the vast majority of this state is so dusty and uninteresting that the military used to test nukes here with little concern. Nonetheless, the highlights range from astounding to obscure. Red Rock Canyon is a jaw-dropping refuge of striated limestone and sandstone only a short Uber ride from the Vegas Strip. The Ruby Valley is a sassy little mountain range that will break up any ride over I-80. Valley of Fire State Park's whirling cream-and-crimson rock formations appear like they were drawn by Dr. Seuss. There's also Lake Tahoe and Death Valley National Park.

• Red Rock Canyon, striated limestone and sandstone minutes from the Strip
• Valley of Fire, whose cream-and-crimson rock looks drawn by Dr. Seuss

Fly into: Las Vegas (LAS)

25. Virginia

Things get pretty competitive in the top half of this ranking. The beaches in Hampton Roads are some of the best and broadest on the East Coast, with some of the least-appreciated landscapes in the state. Central Virginia's rolling hills and wine country are a large part of why they claim "Virginia Is for Lovers." A journey along Skyline Road in Shenandoah National Park may be the greatest way to see the leaves in America.

• Skyline Drive through Shenandoah, arguably the best leaf-peeping road in America
• The broad, underrated beaches of Hampton Roads

Fly into: Washington Dulles (IAD)

24. Minnesota

This American state could as well be called Canada Lite. Come in the summer, when the Boundary Waters provides some of the most sought-after fishing and paddling in the upper plains, and you'll find dramatic lakeshore cliffs studded with lighthouses and dense forests concealing great hiking routes and waterfalls along the North Shore. The steep, craggy Lake Superior shoreline provides another sight of raw North America, and the pocky glacial craters around Interstate State Park remind you just how far north you are.

• The North Shore of Lake Superior, all cliffs, lighthouses and waterfalls
• The Boundary Waters, the best paddling in the upper plains

Fly into: Minneapolis (MSP)

23. Wisconsin

More than just grasslands and dairy farms. You could walk 800 miles along the coastlines of Lakes Superior and Michigan, not to mention the other 15,000 lakes sprinkled around the state. (Indeed, it is more than Minnesota's Land of 10,000 Lakes.) The state lacks a single spectacular, hallmark natural feature that you just must visit, yet the Apostle Islands are one-of-a-kind and you'll be hard-pressed to find more delightful scenery than Door County. Take the 1,200-mile-long Ice Age Trail that snakes across the state like a tapeworm to properly experience Wisconsin's entire assortment of cliffs, woods, rivers, and the odd natural stone bridge. Glaciers left these lakes and rocks for you to enjoy, so make the most of them.

• The Apostle Islands and Door County, the two best stretches of shoreline
• Fifteen thousand lakes and 800 miles of Great Lakes coast

Fly into: Milwaukee (MKE)

22. Texas

Texas is so vast that there are bound to be some memorable sites along the way: Big Bend National Park, with its incredible night sky and the vast desert grandeur of West Texas beyond, Hill Country in spring, and the broad lap of the American West reaching off to the horizon. What it lacks is something that is truly the finest in its field. There is more Western beauty as you travel westward, better woods as you travel eastward, and nicer beaches in every direction except straight north. But give Texas credit where credit is due. Everything you'd want to see (save for snow-capped mountains) is here, and once you're out of the city, the vast roads here feel as open and free as anyplace.

• Big Bend, with one of the darkest night skies in the country
• Hill Country in spring, and West Texas desert running to the horizon

Fly into: Austin (AUS)

21. South Dakota

If you're wondering how a friggin DAKOTA got this far, you've definitely never seen America's most undervalued state. The landscape here is so much more than four men' faces disrespectfully etched into a mountain. It's the entire Black Hills region, where you may walk Harney Peak in the morning and Spearfish Canyon in the afternoon. Or venture a bit farther into the Badlands, a misnamed Martian rockscape with more plant and a wider range of hues. Even in the state's flatter east, locations like Palisades State Park near Sioux Falls, where Split Rock Creek flows between 50-foot quartzite cliffs, are worth a visit.

• The Black Hills, where Harney Peak and Spearfish Canyon fit into one day
• The Badlands, a Martian rockscape misnamed by people in a hurry

Fly into: Rapid City (RAP)

20 to 11: The Contenders

Any of these ten would win this ranking in a smaller country. They have a signature landscape, usually more than one, and enough of it to fill a fortnight. What separates them from the top ten is almost always a single missing element: no coast, no mountains, or one corner of the state that drags the average down. Every one of them is worth a flight on its own.

20. Tennessee

Read the state left to right, and it simply keeps getting better: from the top of the Delta in the west, to the hills and meadows of the center third, to the crescendo of mountain panoramas that proclaim your arrival in the Smoky Mountains. Since this landlocked eastern state is so diverse, you may take any highway, stop off the first time you see a state park sign, and feel like you've won the gorgeous jackpot.

• The Great Smoky Mountains, the crescendo at the eastern end of the state
• A landscape that improves steadily the further east you drive

Fly into: Knoxville (TYS)

19. West Virginia

You may not have intended to travel there, but you will never forget driving through it. West Virginia's beauty is full of uninterrupted, rolling ancient hills and rivers cascading down limestone, making it a favorite among base jumpers and outdoor enthusiasts who come to gaze America's newest national park. The Monongahela National Forest typifies the wooded, mountainous environment that children from Maine to Missouri grew up exploring. One of the country's most ignored nooks conjures the finest of the continent's eastern half.

• New River Gorge, the newest national park in the country
• The Monongahela National Forest, the eastern woodland at its best

Fly into: Charleston (CRW)

18. Florida

It's a tough question in Florida, where people have dug the flat swamplands that once characterized the state, erected hundreds of miles of artificial beaches, and then lined those beaches with ugly condominiums, big-name hotels, and the Florida Men (and spring breakers) that come with both. Yet, we'd be negligent if we ignored the obvious beauty provided by places like Biscayne National Park, the Keys' palm tree and white sand-lined seas, and even the rather good swamplands in Big Cypress National Preserve. If you clean up your act a bit, Florida, you could rank higher the next time around.

• The Keys, palm trees and white sand on both sides of the road
• Biscayne National Park and the swamps of Big Cypress

Fly into: Miami (MIA)

17. New York

Too frequently, New York State is defined by New York City. Unfortunately, the state's wilder areas exceed the diversity of practically any other. Consider this: New York has three coastlines (Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the Atlantic), as well as two unique mountain ranges (the Catskills and the Adirondacks). It claims a piece of Lake Champlain and the whole Finger Lakes region.

Additionally, the nicer half of Niagara Falls, and there's a reason why the greatest views are from the Canadian side. New York's conservation efforts are ongoing, but the state has done an amazing job of preserving natural areas for animals and wild people to enjoy. The Empire State has more publicly held land than any other state east of the Mississippi, and it ranks first in the US in terms of the percentage of land owned by the state itself. (Many thanks to the New York City tax base!)

• Three coastlines and two mountain ranges in one state
• More publicly held land than any other state east of the Mississippi

Fly into: Albany (ALB)

16. Idaho

Which states have a bit of Yellowstone? Most people will mention Wyoming and Montana, but Idaho also has a national park. Surprises like those can be found all around Idaho, which is possibly America's most underappreciated state in terms of landscape. The Sawtooth Mountains boast some of the greatest mountain riding in America, and Coeur d'Alene is a world-class skiing destination because to its snow-capped peaks. A ride down the Snake River, which winds past mountains and picturesque meadows, is the greatest way to take in all of the state's grandeur.

• The Sawtooth Mountains, some of the best riding country in America
• The Snake River, winding past mountains and meadows the whole way

Fly into: Boise (BOI)

15. Maine

Maine folks are well aware that they have some of the nicest natural settings in the Northeast and are quite okay with you staying in the Portland area to eat lobstah so that there is more room up north for them. Maine has some of the most beautiful coastline in America (with thousands of jagged islands offshore bringing the total mileage of pebbly beach to over 3,000), as well as the stunning Acadia National Park, Mount Katahdin (the Appalachian Trail's tip), and countless acres of dense wilderness and rugged seashore for the L.L. Bean types (it's basically, like, their uniform up there).

• Acadia National Park, where the mountains meet the Atlantic
• Over 3,000 miles of coast once you count the offshore islands

Fly into: Bangor (BGR)

14. New Mexico

Breaking Bad's excellent cinematographers transformed this state into a gorgeous background for crystal meth production. The desert view here is very magnificent even without the decaying trailers in the foreground. The red granite cliffs and wide mesas of New Mexico make a road drive across the state feel much shorter than the 375 miles that I-40 really covers. Northern New Mexico has the Taos Mountains, which give the state a Colorado feel rather than an Arizona one; travel south, and you'll come through the stunning Organ Mountains before arriving at White Sands National Park, one of the most distinct and arresting pieces of land in the lower 48.

• White Sands National Park, unlike anything else in the lower 48
• Red granite cliffs and mesas that make 375 miles of I-40 feel short

Fly into: Albuquerque (ABQ)

13. Vermont

This historically sparsely inhabited state is covered in rolling green hills, all of which appear to be surrounded by pristine alpine streams, lakes, and little settlements. (Please avoid visiting during the peak of autumn, when the crimson and gold leaves makes the sight almost unbearably lovely.) From the sunset shores of Lake Champlain to the foggy rivers of St. Johnsbury, it's difficult to find a spot in Vermont that doesn't seem like it came straight out of a calendar. Of course, it is the only New England state without an ocean shoreline, and even Bernie Sanders and Ben & Jerry's can only do so much to compensate.

• Lake Champlain at sunset, and the foggy rivers around St. Johnsbury
• Autumn colour so good it is almost a nuisance

Fly into: Burlington (BTV)

12. North Carolina

The most lovely state on the East Coast? It's difficult to disagree with North Carolina, an unique eastern state where you can travel from beaches in the east to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west. The Outer Banks are among the nicest beach getaways in the country, and a trek across the state's rich flora eventually gets you to the east's leading mountain landscape, Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

• The Outer Banks, among the best beach country in America
• The Blue Ridge and the Smokies at the other end of the same drive

Fly into: Asheville (AVL)

11. Montana

The adjective that springs to mind is "impressive." Montana is a brunch-menu version of Alaska, with massive Mountains, large lakes, distinct seasons, and two of the world's most awe-inspiring national parks: a part of Yellowstone at the south border, and the wide shoulders of Glacier at the top. The sky isn't much greater here than it is elsewhere; rather, the rugged outlines at the boundaries define the surroundings. But what you do get is a lot of wide-open places. This, America's third-largest state, has just 1 million residents, compared to 38 million in California and 27 million in Texas. Montana is full with splendor, and chances are you'll have a large chunk of it all to yourself.

• Glacier National Park at the top of the state, Yellowstone at the bottom
• The third-largest state with about a million people in it, so you get it to yourself

Fly into: Bozeman (BZN)

The Top 10 Most Beautiful States in America

Here is where the arguing stops being fun and starts being serious. Every state in this tier has at least one landscape that people cross oceans to see, and most have three or four. The difference between tenth and first is not quality. It is range: how many completely different kinds of beautiful a single state can hold at once.

10. Wyoming

Wyoming is so beautiful that even the Grand Tetons, which have to be the most stunning panorama in the country, are eclipsed by Yellowstone National Park, which lies right next door. You're missing out on the otherworldly high plains outside of Laramie and Cheyenne if you've only seen Jackson Hole and I-80. You're missing out on the ghostly rocks at Vedauwoo, the Front Range mountains (the same ones you saw in Denver), the Wind River Range, the Bighorns, and the brightest Milky Way in the lower 48. Not to mention Red Canyon, the Red Desert, Devils Tower, and the fauna, which includes hundreds of thousands of elk, moose, bison, and pronghorn.

Few people travel to Wyoming to see how the sun shimmers off gold Aspen trees on an endless mountain prairie, and the Cowboy State loves it that way.

• The Grand Tetons, the single most stunning panorama in the country
• Yellowstone next door, plus the brightest Milky Way in the lower 48

Fly into: Jackson Hole (JAC)

9. Arizona

The Grand Canyon, the conclusion of a million American road journeys, is Arizona's baseline, a riot of desert oranges and fuchsias that only grow to possibly the continent's most-ogled sight. Monument Valley has been scientifically shown to be the final resting place of cowboys' spirits. Elsewhere, Arizona's B-sides, the Superstition Mountains, the Petrified Forest, Lake Powell, and the areas around Flagstaff and Sedona, would be enough to propel the state into the top 20. And don't overlook one of the most stunning terrestrial features on the planet: the 560-foot-deep meteor crater that, like so much of Arizona's appearance, originated from elsewhere in the solar system.

• The Grand Canyon, and it is only the state's baseline
• Monument Valley, Sedona, Lake Powell and a 560-foot meteor crater as the B-sides

Fly into: Phoenix (PHX)

8. Michigan

Considered separately, the Upper and Lower Peninsulas may have rated towards the top of this list. When you add them together, you get 3,288 miles of pure Michigan shoreline and the most gorgeous state east of the Mississippi. That's a lot for a Midwestern state, so consider how Michigan's neighbors performed. You might spend years exploring Michigan, from the untouched woods of the Upper Peninsula to the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan to the rugged shoreline of Lake Huron, and the more than 11,000 interior lakes in between.

• 3,288 miles of shoreline, more than any state but Alaska
• The Upper Peninsula's untouched forest and 11,000 inland lakes

Fly into: Traverse City (TVC)

7. Oregon

Oregon is the ideal gateway between California and the Pacific Northwest. Like northern California, the state begins with a rough coastline and temperate desert. The road then winds into the mountains into evergreen forest, making Oregon's length of I-5 the most picturesque segment of the route. The state also has beautiful beaches, most notably Cannon Beach and Seaside in the north, which are known for their iconic Haystack Rock. Mt. Hood, the craggy mountain between Mt. Whitney and Mt. Rainier, is well worth a visit. Throw in Crater Lake, wine country in the Willamette Valley, and the undulating Painted Hills in the wide, open east, and you've got a state that can be a coastal beauty or a desert standout.

• Crater Lake, Mt. Hood and Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach
• The Painted Hills in the east, a completely different state from the coast

Fly into: Portland (PDX)

6. Washington

Seattle does not boast the finest skyline in America only because the Columbia Center is an architectural marvel. It's because of the setting: Seattle faces Mt. Rainier to the south and is sandwiched between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. And that is only one city. The state is home to not one, but two, high mountain ranges (the spectacular Cascades and the lush Olympics), as well as the flowing Columbia River Gorge. The San Juan Islands are the closest thing to traveling across Alaska without crossing the 49th parallel. Even sections of Eastern and Central Washington, particularly the Okanagan Valley, contain some stunning desert scenery.

• Two high mountain ranges, the Cascades and the Olympics, in one state
• The San Juan Islands, the closest thing to Alaska below the 49th parallel

Fly into: Seattle (SEA)

5. Colorado

You have to have a specific something to make it into the top 10% of picturesque states. That's no problem for Colorado, where the sheer verticality has amazed everyone who's ever set foot here. Colorado boasts more than 50 peaks higher than 14,000 feet, more than the rest of the lower 48 combined. The state's plentiful alpine lakes are more difficult to reach, but no less amazing, and they are places that make the hike up those slopes worthwhile and give some of the world's most undervalued shoreline.

The main issue to Colorado is that the eastern third or so feels like a director's cut of Nebraska. Take a journey from Denver to Telluride and expect to be blown away to get the most out of this state.

• More than 50 peaks above 14,000 feet, more than the rest of the lower 48 combined
• Alpine lakes that repay every mile of the climb

Fly into: Denver (DEN)

4. Utah

With exactly zero miles of shoreline, you've got to have some spectacular scenery, and Utah delivers like no other landlocked state in the country. It's one of the few places where you can look at a photo and think, "Oh, yes, that's Utah," whether it's Moab's iconic sandstone arches and canyons or Goblin Valley's strange formations. That's only the southern part. The Bonneville Salt Flats are one of America's most spectacular natural views, and farther north, Utah has powder-covered mountains to rival any in the west. If outdoor activity is your main priority during your holiday, you might not find a better site.

• Moab's sandstone arches and canyons, recognisable from a single photograph
• The Bonneville Salt Flats in the west and powder mountains in the north

Fly into: Salt Lake City (SLC)

3. Alaska

No other state will leave you in awe of nature like Alaska. Whether it's the Kenai Fjords and the glaciers of the inner passage, Denali's enormous sweep of snow-capped peaks, or the expansive tundra of the interior, Alaska has the type of rough environment that the rest of America doesn't have. (For instance, consider its eight huge national parks, including the biggest of all 63, Gates of the Arctic.)

Half of the pleasure is that most of Alaska isn't accessible by car, so the only way to travel about is on picturesque boat excursions, helicopter tours, or Northern Lights train journeys, all of which include plenty of chances to view whales, bears, sea lions, and other species you'd never see outside of zoos. Although the land masses are the main lure here, Alaska also has some really decent beach communities.

• Denali, the Kenai Fjords and the glaciers of the inside passage
• Eight national parks, including Gates of the Arctic, the largest of all 63

Fly into: Anchorage (ANC)

2. Hawaii

This archipelago is the most stunningly diversified and diversely magnificent site you can see without a passport, and maybe even with one. The Hawaiian islands, seven larger islands plus 130 smaller, uninhabited islets, have such a diverse range of landscapes due to their vast age differences: Kauai, with its forested canyons, is 6 million years younger than Big Island, which is still at its birthing point, fed by its glowing volcanic vent.

Between them: Oahu, with its heart-stopping beaches, jungles, and cliffs under constant attack by rainbows; Maui, a slew of vacation postcards that merged to form the island; tourist-light Molokai, where steep cliffs plunge straight into the ocean; and Lanai, which is reminiscent of an Irish island crossed with a Caribbean one. You don't believe it until you visit, but Hawaii is one of the few locations that manages to outperform its perfect-10 image.

• Kauai's forested canyons and Big Island's still-glowing volcanic vent
• Molokai's cliffs dropping straight into the ocean, with almost nobody there

Fly into: Honolulu (HNL)

1. California

Certainly, it has flaws. There are a lot of them. But how many lovely things do you know that do not? Let's forget about climate change and traffic for a bit and focus on how California offers every single kind of beauty you could ever want. Begin in the south with the vast natural beaches situated against high cliffs. Then go inland to the Mojave Desert's lunar-like landscapes. There's the trip up the PCH and Big Sur, via wine country on the Central Coast and up into San Francisco, a city defined by cliffside panoramas and fog curlicues.

Not to mention Yosemite National Park. Or even Redwood National Park. Or even Death Valley National Park. Or any of the several underappreciated national parks. Or wine region, which runs from Napa Valley in the north to Temecula in the south. The Golden State isn't for everyone, yet nothing else compares in terms of sheer range of natural beauty.

• Big Sur and the Pacific Coast Highway, the best drive in the country
• Yosemite, Redwood and Death Valley, in one state, alongside beaches and desert

Fly into: San Francisco (SFO)

So Which State Is the Most Beautiful?

California, and it is not especially close. Not because any single view there beats the Grand Tetons or Denali, but because no other state makes you choose. Beach, desert, redwood, alpine and vineyard are all inside one border, and you can drive between them in a weekend. Hawaii takes second for doing something similar in a fraction of the space, and Alaska third for a scale nothing else in the country can answer.

The biggest surprise in the ranking is Michigan at number 8. A Midwestern state with 3,288 miles of shoreline, more than any state except Alaska, that most people have never once considered as a place to look at. The most overrated is Georgia at 33, which trades on a southern charm that its actual landscape, pleasant as it is, does not quite earn once the Smokies are a few hours away.

And the honest note to end on: the bottom ten are not ugly. Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska are subtle rather than empty, and subtlety photographs badly and ranks worse. Spend a summer evening watching a storm cross the Great Plains and you will understand why the people who live there did not need this list.

Wherever you land on the argument, the states are all still there, and most of them are a cheap flight away. Set an alert for the airport nearest whichever one you have been arguing for, and go and settle it yourself.