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I'd say Oregon is the prettiest state. I loved the few years I lived there. It's a photographers paradise.
A very close second would be Utah. Beautiful alpine lakes and forests, rugged peaks, desolate deserts, and the southern half has some of the most unusual areas on the planet: Arches is amazing, the shear dramatic beauty of Zion, the hoodoos of Goblin Valley and Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef and Escalante are gorgeous, I could go on and on.
California. Love the redwood and sequoia forests, Yosemite, the Sierra Nevada, and the mid and upper state coastline.
Of all of the Western/Rocky Mountain states I would have to say Idaho is the most beautiful and topographically diverse state minus the ocean. Idaho has the largest true wilderness areas in the lower 48, the most mountain ranges within one state in the lower 48, it is the most heavily forested Rocky Mountain state, and has desert canyon scenery in the SW area of the state that is so spectacular that the canyonlands are a World Heritage Site. There are also some of the worlds largest lava flows and several areas in those lava flows show proof of the oldest human habitation on the continent. The deepest canyon/river gorge in North American is in Idaho as well as more wild and scenic whitewater rivers than any state except Alaska, and huge, huge natural lakes.
My favorites are probably Hawaii and California. (I have never been to alaska but heard it is spectacular) I like appalachian states, the east coasts states, the rocky mountain state along with the west coast.
I'm currently in Missouri, and not a big fan of the natural topography of the midwest. Kind of boring.
Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. I have been to most of the states in this country including California (not Hawaii, though), and to me the most beautiful are Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee.
CALIFORNIA Is The Last Man O.K. (Then) State Standing........
Quote:
Originally Posted by lutarian
Hi everyone!
Everyone please vote for the states that you think have the best scenic beauty. You can name more then 1 if you wish.
If you happen to have some "jaw dropping" photos feel free to post them along with the city and state.
ALASKA is really the most beautiful state ( Hands Down) , but I have a riddle for you , If There Is Matchless Beauty In A State And No One Can Get To It To See It...Is That State Still Considered A Beautiful State"No" you would need a "Dog Sled" or "Float Airplane" just to see Alaska. ALASKA is the largest state in AMERICA it's larger than California and Texas , but only has LESS than 700,000 INHABITANTS in the entire state , and that should tell you something about the DESIRABILITY OF ALASKA.Alaska is in a Time Warp and it's 1909 instead of 2009 everywhere with the exception of Anchorage...Fairbanks ( No Infrastructure) what so ever...Now let me tell you a story about the WILDLIFE in Alaska , I was stationed on the Coast Guard Buoy Tender "U.S. Sweetbrier" for 1 1/2 years in CORDOVA ALASKA In 1976-1977 and at the end of my work day and LIBERTY Decided to take a walk in the woods or back country , I looked down and saw these Super Large Dog Track (looking TRACKS) & heard a very low GROWL , ....I stop dead in my tracks and All Of The Hairs On The Back Of My Neck & Head Stood Up..In Fear (First thing that I) Though about was making a break for it , running away , but A Calm Voice Popped Into My Head And Said..Slowly Turn Around and Slowly Walk AWAY And(Don't Look BACK) NOT LOOKING BACK Was One Of The Hardest Things that I Ever Did In My LIFE , because I Feft Something Watching Me Until I was 100 to 200 Yards away.Well when I got back to the SHIP I promised myself that I would never go into the Woods or Back Country without a Fire Arm Again ,now I had a Caucasian friend named Watson that would go into the back country for TARGET PRACTICE and I would go with him , but I HAD A PARTNER AND A FIRE ARM , well I'm one of 7 or 8 African American on this SHIP and None of the other were INTERESTED In The Back Country (But Me) they were from Larger Metro's than I was being from TULSA OKLAHOMA...Like Los Angeles..Philly..Cleveland..Mew York..Atlanta..New Orleans...etc.Both Myself and Watson Never Saw A Alaskan BROWN BEAR,after spending hours in the back country "Target Practicing" I guess we were making "Too" much Noise.(By the way) Alaskan Brown Bears are 50% to 100% Larger than the Brown Bears In The Lower 48's and the Largest Bears In The World Are The Polar Bears and The Kodiak Island Brown Bears.For ALASKAN BEAUTY Cruise The Coast and take the ANCHORAGE to FAIRBANKS(Train) you will SEE THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN InAMERICA The Second Tallest is OUTSIDE OF (FRESNO CALIFORNIA).. (50 MILES AWAY)From Fresno Calif....It's FUNNY BUT WE AFRICAN AMERICAN USED TO CALL ALASKA A-LAST-####.............LOL...FOMC-falling out of my chair.....
I'm from the Pacific NW and currently in the Midwest. I've seen some really pretty areas around here, especially in Kentucky. But no topography in the Midwest comes close to comparing with the topography of the West Coast and Alaska. It just doesn't. Period.
"Mountains" east of the Mississippi are mere hills. Sure, they are pretty to look at, but they are not take-your-breath-away amazingly ginormously huge and unworldly like the mountains you find in the West.
And sure, there are "rural" areas east of the Mississippi, but the towns are VERY close together. It doesn't seem that way to people who grew up here, but I grew up out West where the rural towns can be 300 - 400 miles apart! And there is nothing in between but land untouched by human hands.
And forests? Forget about those east of the Mississippi. Yes, there are "forests" (or at least that is what they are called on the map). But they are not on the same scale as western forests. To me, a TRUE forest is one that you cannot see through to the other side, walk from one end to the other in a day, much less a week or a month, covers a LARGE area (I'm talking like over a million acres), and has trees that are at least 200 years old and taller than the nearest building. LOL
Every place has its own unique beauty, sure. But some areas of this country just have beauty that is far more magnificent and on a grander scale than others! I find that a lot of folks around here in the Midwest who were born and raised here tend to defend the more local areas of natural beauty, as if it's a crime to admit that there are other areas of this country that just have a "little bit more". Oh well. Local pride I guess. Anyhow, here's my list:
1) Alaska
2) Washington
3) Utah
4) Oregon
I am just going to lump 5-10 together because I can't decide the order:
Montana
Idaho
California
Colorado
Wyoming
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Right On Bro..............
Anyhow, here's my list:
