The Most Beautiful Spot in Every U.S. State

Oh hello, 45-foot waterfall.

Accessible only by plane or boat, Lake Clark is one of the most well-preserved parks in the entire country.

You’ll have to hike about ten miles along the Hualapai hills to make it to this remote, crystal-blue oasis nestled into the Grand Canyon.

This canoe lover's dream wasn't declared the first national river for nothing.

This Big Sur beach is known for its purple sand, stunning stone arches and crashing waves. (Serenity now.)

This Colorado Springs park almost looks like another planet.

Nope, you haven't traveled back to medieval times. This stone castle perched above the Connecticut River was the home of William Gillette, the actor who first played Sherlock Holmes.

Bird lovers, rejoice. This wildlife refuge contains 16,000 acres of coast (and avian breeding ground) on the Delaware Bay.

This secluded island off the coast of the Florida Keys is as gorgeous and exotic as any Caribbean beach.

The Greyfield Inn--previously the Carnegie family’s mansion--is the island’s only hotel, but many visitors set up camp right on the shoreline. (PS: wild horses!)

Known as the stairway to heaven, this steep hiking trail along Ko’olau Mountain is probably the most scenic climb in the entire country. (Though it’s technically closed to the public--sorry, daredevils.)

We totally get the nickname: “The Tuscany of America.”

Hike along one of Starved Rock’s 13 trails and you’ll find 18 colorful canyons, along with sandstone overhangs and cascading waterfalls.

Fall in Indiana is unbeatable, and Brown County State Park (or “the Little Smokies,” at it’s locally known) is the best place to see the changing leaves.

This scenic state park’s most notable vista is a 500-foot cliff overlooking the Upper Mississippi River.

These chalk formations rise up to 70 feet, forming buttes and arches.

Take the 2,440-foot hike to Pinnacle Overlook for views of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. When the weather is right, you can even catch a glimpse of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Fun fact: This island, located about 140 miles from New Orleans, is the home to the factory where all your Tabasco hot sauce is made.

Get up early to climb to the top of Cadillac Mountain (it’s the first place the sun rises in the United States) and consider yourself a happy camper.

What’s more beautiful than a field of golden sunflowers? Hit up this White Hall farm in late summer to see the blooms in all their glory.

In Aquinnah, the outermost town on Martha’s Vineyard, waves from the Atlantic Ocean crash against the clay Gay Head cliffs. And it’s all just wonderfully dramatic.

The iconic Turnip Rock sits just off the coast of Huron County and can only be reached by kayak…or by walking across the frozen lake during the winter months.

There’s a reason this Lake Superior lighthouse is one of the most photographed spots in the entire U.S.

Come for the eagles, foxes and alligators. Stay for the bonkers beautiful sunsets.

This natural playground, about two hours from St. Louis, is basically the world’s best waterpark. Hello, waterslides and chutes.

Green prairies, snow-capped Rocky Mountains, lakes so clear they look like mirrors. Um, why don’t we live here?

Deep in the northwest corner of Nebraska’s Badlands, you’ll find the state’s best-kept secret: an out-of-this-world landscape that comes from thousands of years of wind and water wearing down on the land.

Take out your fancy camera and head to Bonsai Rock at sunset. It’s probably the most picturesque hidden gem in all of Lake Tahoe.

BRB. Buying a lake house here.

The next time you order a vodka cranberry, remember to thank New Jersey. The Garden State is the third largest cranberry producer in the U.S.

Head to Alamogordo (and bring the sled) for a glistening white sand desert surrounded by dramatic mountains.

As they say, “Upstate is gorges!”

About an hour outside Asheville, you’ll find Pisgah National Forest, home to the iconic (and cloud-piercing) Glass Rock.

Make your way to this scenic vista in Theodore Roosevelt National Park and look down upon the Badlands, natural cliffs made of multi-colored rocks and layers of sediment.

The oldest continually operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes, Marblehead Lighthouse has lit up the night since the late 19th century.

Ozark Highlands State Park…or Garden of Eden?

In reality, this Cape Perpetua Well is only about 20-feet deep. But visit an hour before or after high tide and you’ll swear it’s an abysmal sinkhole.

Cherry Springs is possibly the best spot for stargazing in all of the U.S. On a given night, 10,000 stars are visible to the naked eye.

Look familiar? These mansion-clad cliffs were the filming location for most of The Great Gatsby. 

Twenty-five miles off the coast of Charleston, you’ll find this gorgeous oasis, known for sandy beaches and world-renowned golf courses.

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Honest Abe Lincoln--the gang's all here!

Set in Rock Island State Park, these waterfalls might be man-made, but they are still damn pretty.

Just outside Austin you’ll find this natural pool, which was created thousands of years ago when the dome of an underground river eroded and collapsed.

Fiery red rock + piercingly white snow = jaw-dropping view.

Picture the most quintessential New England landscape. You're probably imagining something strikingly similar to Jenne Farm, set in the quaint town of Woodstock. 

Ignore the menacing name: You're going to want to take a plunge into the blue-green, idyllic water that fills this natural swimming hole.

An easy hike from the Pacific Crest Trail will bring you to Jade Lake, known for blue-green water so surreal, not even an Instagram filter could reproduce it.

Two words: Cherry blossoms. In April, this national monument is set among fields of gorgeous pink flowers.

Whatever, Alps. We’ve got the Allegheny Mountains.

These ice caves are accessible only every few years, when it’s safe to walk a mile on frozen Lake Superior.

Good God you’re pretty, Yellowstone National Park.