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Dont know about top ten but I will be a homer and say Idaho has to be in the top ten.
Great skiing, hiking, boating, bike trails, hunting and fishing and great weather to be outside.
1. California...It is so big and has so many diverse landscapes that it takes the prize.
2. Washington...Best state in the 48 contiguous for mountaineering plus lush rain forests and beautiful coastline offer a lot of options.
3. Wisconsin...Most of the Driftless Region, the Baraboo Range (probably the most underrated and overlooked rock climbing locations in America for top rope and trad climbing), the Northwoods which is a southern extension of forests, lakes, and waterfalls from the UP, dunes on the Lake Michigan coast, and the Apostle Islands on the Lake Superior Coast.
4. Oregon...A smaller version of California.
5. New York...Access to a Great Lake and the Ocean, some great waterfalls, and the Adirondacks.
6. Michigan...Over 3,000 miles of coastline with all sorts of topography and the thick forest dotted with incredible waterfalls in the UP. I cannot forget to mention Isle Royale which is about as primitive and isolated a person can get in the contiguous 48.
7. Alaska...The highest mountains in America, fjords, glaciers, and incredible wildlife. Oh yeah, it also has a ton of wide open space.
8. Utah...The Rockies and other worldly topography in southern Utah.
9. Colorado...While there is a high quantity of hikes, it lacks in diversity of hikes. Most of the hikes seem to be the same...up a barren mountain to look at mountains. Like Utah, the lack of coastline hurts its rating. Black Canyon and Great Sand Dunes are both incredible places that keep it in the top 10.
10. Virginia and North Carolina (tie)...Both states are similar and I cannot pick one over the other. In the western part you have numerous mountain hikes and climbs and access to the Atlantic on the eastern part of each state.
Honorable mention: Minnesota...the land of 10,000 lakes, the North Shore (which has the nearly 300 mile long Superior Hiking Trail most of it on a ridgeline along Lake Superior), 2nd most amount of land in the Driftless Area, a lot of pristine forest up north.
I had trouble complying a list, however I think that either Colorado or California would be #1. I'd also choose a couple more Western states (Oregon, Washington, Arizona), some Midwestern states (Minnesota, Wisconsin) and a few Appalachian states (West Virginia, Vermont, Tennessee)
I feel that an outdoor enthusiast would love to have variety. California and Arizona I feel offer the most variety. Not only do they have big mountains to hike and places with good snow for snow sports, they have low desert with dunes (desert off-roading is very exciting), lakes and rivers to kayak/whitewater raft/boat etc., extensive forest, and so on. Not sure about California but Arizona has the high desert, which is home to the Grand Canyon, part of Monument Valley, the Petrified Forest, and Painted Desert, along with many uniquely colored smaller canyons which make some of the most unique hikes and trails in the country. California in contrast has part of the Pacific Coast, which speaks for itself.
Outside of variety, it would depend. If they really love hiking, but not too much into water sports, Florida may not be a good option.
Can't be enthusiastic about being outdoors if the weather is horrible. For year-round "enthusiastic" weather, that would be the California coast. Times 10.
1. California...It is so big and has so many diverse landscapes that it takes the prize.
2. Washington...Best state in the 48 contiguous for mountaineering plus lush rain forests and beautiful coastline offer a lot of options.
3. Wisconsin...Most of the Driftless Region, the Baraboo Range (probably the most underrated and overlooked rock climbing locations in America for top rope and trad climbing), the Northwoods which is a southern extension of forests, lakes, and waterfalls from the UP, dunes on the Lake Michigan coast, and the Apostle Islands on the Lake Superior Coast.
4. Oregon...A smaller version of California.
5. New York...Access to a Great Lake and the Ocean, some great waterfalls, and the Adirondacks.
6. Michigan...Over 3,000 miles of coastline with all sorts of topography and the thick forest dotted with incredible waterfalls in the UP. I cannot forget to mention Isle Royale which is about as primitive and isolated a person can get in the contiguous 48.
7. Alaska...The highest mountains in America, fjords, glaciers, and incredible wildlife. Oh yeah, it also has a ton of wide open space.
8. Utah...The Rockies and other worldly topography in southern Utah.
9. Colorado...While there is a high quantity of hikes, it lacks in diversity of hikes. Most of the hikes seem to be the same...up a barren mountain to look at mountains. Like Utah, the lack of coastline hurts its rating. Black Canyon and Great Sand Dunes are both incredible places that keep it in the top 10.
10. Virginia and North Carolina (tie)...Both states are similar and I cannot pick one over the other. In the western part you have numerous mountain hikes and climbs and access to the Atlantic on the eastern part of each state.
Honorable mention: Minnesota...the land of 10,000 lakes, the North Shore (which has the nearly 300 mile long Superior Hiking Trail most of it on a ridgeline along Lake Superior), 2nd most amount of land in the Driftless Area, a lot of pristine forest up north.
1. Alaska...No other state can touch the majesty of Alaska!!!
2. Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington)
3. Colorado
4. California
5. Idaho/Montana
6. Utah
7. Maine....just because that's where LLBean is headquartered, and I can't imagine NOT wanting to go outside exploring, lol
8. Wyoming.....because Yellowstone
9. Hawaii
Not sure what other states to add
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