If there's one word that could describe the United States, it's probably 'variety.' The country ranges from the Arctic to the subtropical, from the moist rain forest to the arid desert, from the rugged mountain peak to the flat prairie. And although it is home to some of the world's largest urban areas, the overall population density is relatively low and there are plenty of sites that are almost devoid of habitation.
So when Reddit user u/driedkitten made a post on the platform, asking others to name what they believe to be the most beautiful place in America, it's no surprise that the answers were also quite different from one another. But that's what makes this online thread interesting. It illustrates just how colorful the US really is and can even act as sort of a bucket list for anyone planning to go there.
#1
Na Pali coast and Kalalau Valley on Kauai.BD401 replied:
Ludicrous I had to scroll this far to find Na Pali coast. I’ve been to around forty states - there is a LOT of incredibly scenic stuff in the US, but Na Pali is next level.
Image credits: Spirited-Hyena-1927
#2
Big Sur.Heaven on Earth, in my opinion.
Image credits: driedkitten
#3
Silver Falls State Park outside Salem, OR. Nine waterfalls along a very narrow canyon. The water falls 50-200 feet and hits the rocks below, turning to mist. The mist travels back up the canyon walls and collects on the foliage. It is a perpetual rain forest. There is long, stringy lichen that hangs from the tree branches making it look like a scary Disney forest. A few of the larger falls have paths that you can walk behind the falls.
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#4
Subjective of course, but Crater Lake is certainly a sight to behold.Commercial-Layer1629 replied:
On a clear,sunny day, there is no more beautiful place on earth than Crater Lake. Stunning blue water. Mountains all around…
Image credits: KaboodleMoon
#5
Havasu Falls, no picture does it justice.
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#6
Mount Rainier.Wise_Ad_4816 replied:
If I stand right at the doorjamb of my front door on a clear day, I have a beautiful view. I owned this house for 15 years before I figured that out. You can't see it from any other position in the doorway, or if you're outside.
Image credits: WWDB
#7
Yosemite! You drive thru the tunnel and come out the other side. Looks like heaven / utopia.ThrustersToFull replied:
Did a hike in Yosemite on January 1 last year. A spectacular way to start the year. I had seen photos of it, seen it in movies, watched countless videos on Youtube about it but -nothing- prepares you for the sight of El Cap as you turn that corner. I was very nearly moved to tears.
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#8
Glacier National Park. I was continuously in awe that the place was real life.tastygrrrl replied:
The vistas of this road, on a motorcycle, were beyond breathtaking to experience. Would 100% do it again. Being on a bike allowed for stops at the waterfalls where there was no room for vehicles to pull over, and the views from the tunnels under the road were supernatural.
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#9
Lake Tahoe, Nevada. It's gorgeous.
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#10
The Appalachian trail in upstate New York or the Ozark mountains in Missouri or white sands New Mexico. All beautiful for different reasons but equally awesomeericj5150 replied:
Camped at White Sands under a Full Moon. 2am under a full moon was crazy beautiful and very cool. The Moon reflecting off the White Sand. It was incredible how bright it was.
Image credits: Disabled_Army_Vet_82
#11
Everyone's talking about nature and landscapes for obvious reasons but all joking aside large American cities are absolutely beautiful for distinctly American reasons. San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, DC, NYC, Chicago, Boston. American cities are just built differently than the rest of the world. And those are just the large ones - Portland, Annapolis, Savannah, Austin, Nashville.Oh yeah not to mention American girls in American cities.
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#12
Pictured Rocks, Michigan. Unexpectedly incredibly breathtakingly beautiful.
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#13
Big Bend National Park. It gets no press and it is beautiful.
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#14
Glacier Bay, Alaska.Downtown_Skill replied:
I've been to tons of national parks (Yosemite being my favorite) but Alaska's one of the places that's always been on the top of my list. I always viewed Alaska as the most beautiful place in the US. Denali national park looks unreal too as well as the Bering land bridge and the Arctic parks. It's just another world up there.
slade357 replied:
Alaska is just cheating. There's so many different places with such different sights and all of them are breathtaking. There's this specific period of fall where a certain grass begins to die and turns orange. So on one mountain you have bright green grass with patches of deep orange, blue and purple wildflowers, black rock, and white snow on top. An explosion of color all on one mountain.
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#15
If you want ocean - Carmel/Big SurMountains - Yosemite
Desert - Joshua Park
Forest - Redwood National and State Park
You might have guessed I'm from California.
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#16
I’m incredibly biased, but the most beautiful place is the California redwoods. Drive up 101, and then detour towards Petrolia. There is absolutely nothing like it. Roll down your windows and drive 35mph. Smell the old growth. Stop at the pull out. Take a small hike. It’s worth it.strongy78 replied:
Yes, 100%. My brother lives in McKinleyville and I am going to see him the end of April. Can't wait. It's my happy place. They are like the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls... you have to see them to believe them. Those redwoods are something else!
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#17
My vote is Bryce Canyon in Utah. It's breathtaking.
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#18
The Shenandoah Valley. Its an amazing place if you're an outdoorsman. Hiking, fishing, hunting, bird watching, camping.
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#19
Red Rock Canyon in Nevada. If you like deserts, it's pretty as hell.
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#20
Point Reyes Lighthouse - the view of the shore from on the cliff will change your life.
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#21
There's a spot on Angel Island in San Francisco where you can look around and see the entire city around you, and maybe the waters of the bay will be green and glassy if it's a sunny day.#22
As a girl who loves the desert, Grand Canyon National Park on the backroads at night. Hermits rest past the busses closing is absolutely gorgeous, its so quiet and you can see the still water at the bottom and its just beautiful.
Image credits: -Fire-Opal-
#23
I've been fortunate enough to have been in over half the states. California is absolutely gorgeous in the "wild" areas. The Pacific Northwest as people have also noted. The red rocks of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah are absolutely breathtaking. It's hard to believe sometimes that the color is actually real. The Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee are also beautiful, especially when they are covered in the "smoke" that gives them their names. The beaches of Hawaii, and actually the green that is the island of Kauai are also otherworldly. I haven't yet been to the Dakotas, but it's in my bucket list because I want to see Mount Rushmore. I have a friend who took pictures and it doesn't seem real.Ditto on Crater Lake that others have mentioned.
And then, of course, there are the cities. Now whether or not they can be classified as beautiful remains to be seen, but some of them are legendary and it's worth visiting.
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#24
Pacific Northwest would be high on the list. Alaska.Maine Coast in the summertime.
Kauai in Hawaii.
Hudson River Valley
Vermont especially in the fall.
But man it's really hard to beat the Pacific Northwest. So many breathtaking places. Columbia River Gorge, Olympic Mountains, Cascades, on and on.
As far as picturesque urban places obviously Seattle, San Francisco, LA from Newport Beach down to San Clemente, Denver, San Diego especially La Jolla, Miami along the Macarthur Causeway, the drive from Jersey City to Nyack along the Hudson River with the Manhattan skyline across the river, I've seen some unbelievable sunsets in Las Vegas when the sun sets behind the mountains and lights up the sky in electric colors.
As far as places that I found ugly or visually uninteresting, that list is easy. Sacramento, Memphis, Baltimore, Philly, Newark (and surroundings), Albuquerque, Amarillo, most of New Orleans outside of the French quarter and St Charles, most of south Florida that's not on the coast, Modesto, San Bernardino, Riverside, Jacksonville, Mobile, Springfield Massachusetts, Bridgeport Connecticut. I also didn't care for Honolulu, which isn't horrible but I think the rest of Oahu is nicer.
Image credits: NCreature
#25
I’ve never been, but whenever I’m talking to someone who has been to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, they talk about it like it’s better than any heaven they can imagine.
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#26
Tetons on a clear day are beautiful.
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#27
San Juan mountains of southern Colorado.
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#28
A tie for Acadia, Hoh rainforest, and Rainier in the fall.NunChuckNorris007 replied: "I was going to say Acadia. It's very underrated for some reason. My mom's friend by coincidence ended up being my English professor in college and we went on a trip to see family in ME. We stopped at Acadia for a day and she said it reminded her a lot of her visit to Greece."
Hal9000_Red_Eye replied: "Hoh rainforest is absolutely devastatingly beautiful. Hiked the whole Hoh river trail when I was 17 and it's still near the top of the list for my favorite things I've ever done."
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#29
There is a stretch of the Navajo reservation where there is no cell service, AM or FM radio reception. The road stretches before you for miles surrounded by red rocks touching blue sky. The buzzing undercurrent of modern connectivity fades away and your brain can be truly still.KaleidoscopeWeird310 replied:
We did a little unscheduled off-roading in that area when we came to a road closed barrier. A Navajo couple pulled up alongside us while we pondered the dirt road heading roughly in the direction we wanted to go and assured us it was passable. Really lonely place... but wonderful.
#30
The Great Smoky Mountains.#31
Coastal Southern Maine.#32
Beauty is subjective. The US has an amazing amount of different environments in it. The two main mountain ranges have beautiful peaks. and wonderful scenery.The east coast and lowlands have amazing areas, gorgeous sunsets, and brilliant people.
The Florida keys are fantastic for diving.
The Midwest has beautiful areas (mostly around the blackhills) but rolling fields and wonderful small towns.
The west coast have amazing areas where you can snowboard in the morning and swim in the ocean at night if you like.
The southwest is home to breathtaking rock formations.
The north west have beautiful forests.
The gulf states have mesmerizing swamps.
Alaska is known for its wilderness and glaciers and Hawaii is known for its beaches.
Guam is a rainforest island as well.
The US is full of beauties. I highly recommend checking out the national forests.
#33
Waipio Valley just outside of Hilo. Specifically the White Road hike to the rim. I got to do it maybe 20 years ago, before it became inaccessible. Absolutely breathtaking.#34
The Gulf Coast, more specifically Gulf Shores, AL and anything east of it. Check out the Emerald Coast in the FL panhandle.#35
CO native here, most of the state.Guadalupe peak was gorgeous at the top, though.
#36
North Dakota. January. White snow in the horizon dozens of miles ahead of you. Blue skies, orange sunset. Crisp smell. By yourself- you become the only person on this beautiful white earth. And nobody else cares about where you are, and nobody else wants to join you - because to them, where you are is a joke. Their loss.#37
It's not as flashy as the other places mentioned, but I live here and still am struck by its beauty every day, so I'll say the Driftless region in Wisconsin.#38
Depends on what you like. If you want some good red rock, Zion National Park in southern Utah is breathtaking. In fact, most parks in central and southern Utah are truly phenomenal. Moab has arches that are absolutely incredible and mind blowing. I highly recommend spending time traveling the national and state parks of Utah, especially southern Utah.#39
Santa Barbara coast.#40
Block Island.#41
The Death Desert, AZ. If you like to watch the night sky.#42
I went to Elmira, New York back in 2019 to visit my grandmother. It was so beautiful. Rivers and bridges were pretty much every few square miles. Forests and trees surrounded that small town. The air was very pure. And the people there were very friendly and old fashioned. I loved that place a lot.#43
Estes Park Co.#44
Not going to be the most popular but the Driftless area of NE Iowa in the fall is amazing. Even in summer when everything is green is a sight to behold. Getting to Decorah is like entering a whole new world.#45
The Pacific Northwest. Nothing compares
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#46
East side of Oahu or Maui.frodoslostfinger replied:
Black sand beach on Maui was the most beautiful place I've been to.
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#47
I think it depends on what you like. In my opinion I like the New England states because I’ve seen pictures of the autumns that they have there. It’s the perfect place for Halloween. I love everything related to horror. And Maine is the state where lots of horror stories from Stephen King books take place.
Image credits: MidnightWolf_89
#48
I am particular to Philmont Scout Ranch in northern New Mexico, but I may have a slight bias. I really like the Painted Canyon in western North Dakota in the summer, and while it’s not naturally beautiful, the National Mall in Washington DC can be gorgeous at night.#49
I’m gonna throw a curveball and say the Badlands of South Dakota. There’s never anyone there, and you can hike pretty much the whole place. It’s so peaceful.#50
Valley of Fire State Park, NevadaControlYourPoison replied:
This was my response. It's one of my favorite places on Earth.
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#51
Lake Superior shoreline, Michigan's Upper Peninsula.Appalachian Mountains. Specifically in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina.
Hocking Hills state parks, Ohio. All of them.
Much of Utah and quite a bit of Colorado.
#52
The Florida Keys.HawaiianBrian replied:
That water. Omg, the perfect color and temperature
#53
Depends on what you’re looking for. The United States is a big place.For me - Hawaii is hard to beat.
#54
My wife and I road tripped to Yellowstone and it was f*****g beautiful.#55
Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan!#56
Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in northern Minnesota. Water so clear you can see the bottom of the lake. Loons, moose, beavers, bear, pine trees. the beauty is also in the quiet - motorized boats are only allowed on a few lakes. Everywhere else it's canoe, portage, or hike. It's very quiet. There's also very little light pollution so you can really see the stars. But I do have to warn you about the mosquitos swarms at the portages.#57
Glad to see some love for deserts.I went to Death Valley NP and fell in love with salt flats
#58
The Adirondacks (upper NY State).#59
This may not be super big or grand, but in certain areas on the inner elbow of Cape Cod, you can look out over the ocean on a decent day, and see the tip of where Cape Cod ends.It's not much, but it's a pretty remarkable sight to see at least once.
#60
Mountains are gorgeous and the Keyes are breathtaking, but I think the Tennessee hill country is the most beautiful place in the US. Just don’t stop to talk to the locals when you’re in the sticks, cause, like, the klan.#61
Sedona, Arizona.#62
Oregon Coast.#63
I like the Huntington Library in Pasadena California.#64
Lake Willoughby, Vermont.Just gorgeous.