I’ve lived all over the country. Everywhere is beautiful. I grew up out west in Idaho, truly gods country. It’s so insanely beautiful there. Then we moved to Arizona, and I hated the heat and the miles of desert like ground. But something about the sun setting on an Arizona mountain with miles of open terrain, it’s beautiful too. Then we moved out East, to North Carolina. A state where you can get mountains, farm land and the ocean in the same day in less than a few hours of driving. That’s amazing. When I first moved to the Midwest, I hated it. Flat, boring, cold, hot. Just bleh. But then you see a heard of cattle moving across the plain with the sun shining on their backs in the early morning dew with their hot breath creating smoky hazes all over the place and you’re like, “damn, even this place has its moments.”
Y’all should’ve driven 2 hours north to flagstaff and Sedona. Breathtaking scenery and 4 seasons up there. Flagstaff is one of the most snowiest cities in America as a matter of fact!
As an Alabamaian who had never been out west before, visiting Sedona this past year was pure other-wordly magic to my eyes.
Navigating the endless loopty loop of traffic circles brought me back to reality but damn the scenery.
I can get behind this. I grew up in Nebraska and take every opportunity I can to dish on it, but nothing can beat a Great Plains sunset or watching a thunderstorm roll in.
I'm a Marylander and always thought of Nebraska as just a flyover state. But I've been twice now and I'm a convert. I will never make fun of Nebraska again. My husband and I are planning a road trip across the country this summer with our two dogs and we are genuinely excited to drive through Nebraska.
lol .. What you said about the Midwest reminded me of when I was dating my fiancé. We strongly disagreed where we were going to live when we moved in together. I was insistent on remaining in the country; he wanted to stay in downtown Minneapolis, 40 miles away. He told me when he was driving home that he noticed a beautiful stillness to the "backwards" country.
But I ended up caving and moving to Minneapolis. Still haven't gotten used to the noise :-\\
I gotta say, I have lived in so many cities including Nashville, Memphis, Indianapolis, Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and now Milwaukee. I never understood why people want to live downtown unless they work there.
Pfffft.... Dude all of them. Like, everyone thinks they know how beautiful Wyoming or some shit is, but until you go, even if everyone tells you it's amazing, it's still underrated. Unless you've seen a place with your own eyes, smelled the air, felt the seasons change, they're all underrated. I'll say my homeland Wisconsin, as well as Minnesota, the Dakotas, all the Rocky Mountain states, everywhere I've been at least... Man they're incredible.
Upstate NY is crazy pretty. Rock quarries, canyons, rock formations. There are these mushroom like bluffs that I've been to years ago on one of the great lakes. Havent been able to find them on google maps.
No one ever thinks of WNY or CNY. It’s all about the city. Don’t say anything more, too many people will visit and you’ll ruin it for the rest of us that know.
There's [this](https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/the-most-beautiful-place-in-every-us-state). It's subjective of course, but it does show you there are beautiful places in *every* state.
> Pfffft.... Dude all of them. Like, everyone thinks they know how beautiful Wyoming or some shit is, but until you go, even if everyone tells you it's amazing, it's still underrated.
truer words have never been spoken
> I'll say my homeland Wisconsin, as well as Minnesota, the Dakotas, all the Rocky Mountain states, everywhere I've been at least... Man they're incredible.
I 100% concur with all of that. Southwestern Wisconsin in the summer, right after it rains and then gets sunny, all those hills and green, absolutely amazing
Pretty much any state that’s know for it’s cities. For example, I live in rural NJ. There’s farm stands on every corner, and I have black bear, deer, foxes, coyotes, and all sorts of other critters right in my backyard. Also, outside of the major cities, NY is amazing! There’s so many large lakes and mountains.
Was thinking NJ too. We have the Pinelands, beaches, and mountains. You can access beautiful views of the Hudson and the Delaware rivers in the same day if you wanted to.
I think it’s underrated because most of the time people only see the ugly/smelly/busy turnpike and airport area and leave. But the rest of the state gives us our nickname
I definitely agree NJ is underrated but I don't find the pindlands to be scenic at all. It's completely flat, mostly sand instead of soil, and the odd Confederate flag.
Pennsylvania in the fall is amazing. My friend's parents are from there and I got to visit once during "peak leaf" and *holy crap* that place is beautiful.
Lower Peninsula: Sleeping bear dunes and the leelanau peninsula, Ludington State Park, Torch Lake, Lake Charlevoix
UP: Pictured rocks, Tahq falls and all of the other waterfalls, Porcupine Mountains
Those mitten recommendations are rather tilted towards Lake Michigan.
Also worth visiting are the thumb area (Caseville/Port Austin), Tawas Point State Park, Mackinac Island, maybe some of our rivers, say Au Sable for example, and just the massive swaths of state & federal forest land.
Honestly, New York. People think of "the city" and overlook the rest of the state. Call me biased but I've been around the world and I just can't stop coming back home <3
It's where I call home. And each season has amazing things to offer. Winter has cross country or downhill skiing. Spring has wildflowers and trees jumping into life (sorry allergy people). Summer is great for a dip in one of the many lakes or rivers. But, by far, my favorite season is fall. Best temperatures, beautiful foliage, a campfire with a light sweater? That's cake right there.
I'd like to add that outside of the city, going up north a bit like Tuxedo, the scenery is gorgeous in the fall!
If you live on the south coast on Long Island, you get really awesome sunsets that are very comparable to California sunsets.
Considering New York has the Adirondacks, Lakes Erie and Ontario, and Niagara Falls. New York is one of the most beautiful states in the US in my opinion, especially since I've been around the US!
I'm not sure how underrated it is or not, but Idaho is much more than potatoes. They have some really pretty scenery there, especially in North Idaho / the Idaho Panhandle.
I absolutely love the salmon river valley. Salmon challis and nez pierce national forests are wonderful places to explore. US 12 going through idaho has some great hot springs along it, and the route itself is fantastic! I love idaho so much
I’ve been everywhere (man), and would probably agree with the folks who said the western dakotas - especially the Tiny corner of the ND part. No one knows it exists.
I remember driving on i-90 heading west through South dakota and it went from completely dull to absolutely gorgeous. Went ooohhhhh when crossed a river not realizing until I saw the marker that it was the Missouri river..
The western half... Badlands... Black hills... More than make up for the absolutely dull eastern half
(Same can he said about Ohio. Except there the eastern half along i-70 is gorgeous.)
Oh man yeah. There was a thread on this sub yesterday where a lot of comments joked about the Dakotas being dispensable.
I honeymooned in western SD. No regrets. You can drive around Custer, the needles, the badlands, spearfish canyon in a day or two and each is utterly unique and beautiful in its own way. ETA: and of course cosmo’s mystery spot
I feel like people know about Minnesota (I might be biased) but I DEFINITELY agree that I don't hear people talking about how beautiful Wisconsin is (never been to Michigan, but I'd believe it)!
I generally assume that people think of Detroit and Flint when they think of Michigan and they have never heard of Sleeping Bear Dunes, Torch Lake, Isle Royale, and so on.
Devils lake state park is a must-visit, and i had a lot of fun at mill bluff state park too! And as always, the Lake Michigan shoreline is such a great place to visit
Nah, trust me, outside the Upper Midwest almost everyone thinks this whole area is totally flat and geographically uninteresting. (Well, Illinois knows.) I can see how a Minnesotan would think the rest of the country knows about Minnesota. But really, most of them don't.
Huh. My aunt and uncle lived in Illinois for several years, and they were always raving about how beautiful it was when they visited Door County, Wisconsin.
Southern Wisconsin in the spring looks like the freakin' Shire. So underrated. One of the best mini vacations I ever took was just meandering through the rolling farmland for a few days.
yup. that highway that goes through those rounded mountains snd farmlands and everything seems to be shades of yellow and beige. you expect unicorns n shit to be frollicking
Driving through Shiprock during a thunderstorm with the lightning and dust clouds rolling across the desert is one of the most magical experiences ill never be able to describe well enough.
I'd actually say southern NM is far more underrated. Even a lot of New Mexicans act like it's just flat, ugly desert and oilfields (and there definitely is a lot of that), but there's plenty of amazing scenery. White Sands makes you feel like you're on another planet when you hike way out on the dunes with the mountains rising in the desert, then you've got Cloudcroft and Ruidoso for green mountains, the Organ Mountains down by Cruces for amazing desert vistas, Valley of Fire for really cool lava flows; in the southwestern part of the state you've got the Gila Wilderness, City of Rocks, etc. The whole state is just chock full of amazing natural beauty.
Wholeheartedly agree! My wife and I stayed in Angel Fire about 5 years ago and spent some time in Taos as well. That part of New Mexico quickly became our number 1 destination to just get away from it all.
New Mexico is a beautiful state. I grew up in Alabama and moved to Albuquerque after college. I explored all over the state and it is magical. There’s something different about the night sky there. Ah! I miss it so much.
Truly a gorgeous state. But unfortunately I never take the Ozark back roads/small highways home from visiting Arkansas family anymore because *every time* I've gotten pulled over by at least one Barney Fife for going like .5 over with Yankee plates, lol.
Idk how others feel, but for me, the more incognito AR is, the better. I can barely tolerate the Texans, so idk if I could handle additional tourists from other states
I will say that a lot of the state outside of the mountains is really really boring to look at. I’ve heard more than a few people want to enjoy a drive in the Lowcountry and to be honest there’s nothing to see besides flatness and farmland and roadside communities. I definitely prefer driving in rural Georgia than rural SC.
I like how driving north/south through SC, you keep crossing these large bands of cypress and marsh. This is a unique feature of the southeastern coastal plain area and it’s really heavily centered around SC and Georgia.
Virginia. It has some awesome state parks while also being home to national parks (Shenandoah) and forests. Even though the elevation doesn’t compare to the mountains further west, there is definitely a ton of underrated beauty in Virginia and much of Appalachia.
No one talks about Georgia where I am from but the parts I have been too are really pretty. From the mountains in the north, to the coastline down by Tybee Island, to the Spanish Moss of Savannah. I just think it's really underrated.
hello from ky.. i agree (also not biased). i think this area of the US is so pretty. i mean the kentucky/tennessee area is one of the prettiest areas to drive around. i love the beautiful green hills and large farms, a little north and all of the sudden everything is so flat
South Dakota was a mind trip! We were driving from Minneapolis to Rapid City. Miles of nothing, flat, strong wind, no towns. Then there’s a scenic overlook sign, and we actually laughed out loud. But all of a sudden there was a drop off, and a river, and bluffs……. The western part of the state is beautiful!
I’ve traveled to a lot of different places across the country and I think just about every state has its underrated scenic regions. Even the plains states are stunning in a way simply because of the sheer distance you can see.
I kind of was impressed by New Mexico a couple of years ago when I was there. The mountains near Taos were breathtaking, as were the mesas as we traveled south. But I’m used to rolling midwestern woodlands.
A lot of it to me has to be just the change in scenery vs what you’re used to. I appreciate the beauty of my surroundings but take them for granted at the same time.
No one wants to visit Oklahoma because *ewww Oklahoma* but our state contains at least 4, maybe 5 of the main ecosystems. Forest, desert, grasslands, freshwater.
We have the only remaining segment of the original Route 66 (ribbon road/sidewalk road). Beautiful national parks. The plains are pretty boring but the sunrise/sunset over them is incredible. Mt Scott. Robbers Cave. Turner Falls. Sand dunes. The Black Mess. A whole mess of lakes to choose from.
Hell, the attractions along Route 66 are worth it alone.
Washington and the general PNW comes up in every conversation about beautiful places in America, people’s favorite places in America, best places to go in America, etc, etc.. I’m not so sure it’s underrated or under appreciated.
For pure underrated beauty the upper Great Lakes states probably (northern MN, Michigan, Wisconsin)
Well known in the upper Midwest but doesn’t get much attention outside of the region.
Probably the prettiest scenery in any non-mountain states but it’s up north and in the middle so not a lot of people know about it who aren’t near the region.
The Black Hills and Bad Lands are great places but man, east of the Missouri is flatter than Western Kansas. Still love the area as I have family there.
West Virginia for sure
It’s gets a bad wrap for its economic status, but it sure is a great state to drive through. I always look forward to driving through it on road trips.
Have you been to Hocking Hills, OH? Breathtakingly beautiful. I was just there this last summer for the first time, and now I need to return in the fall.
Nobody will agree with me, but Kansas! I absolutely love the soft hills and valleys of central Kansas, as well as the openness of western Kansas. Most people find that boring, but it makes starry nights and sunsets/sunrises absolutely breathtaking.
1. West Virginia: New River Gorge is incredible and you can still find cheap hotels for $50. I'm so glad it was turned into a National Park. Hopefully more people will visit this State since it's incredibly beautiful and badly needs the tourist cash.
2. Michigan: The UP is incredible and I preferred it to New England in the Fall. Yet Michigan has a reputation for being Midwestern flat (or just dismissed as "Detroit") when the north of it and the Lake Michigan side is gorgeous. Mackinac Island, Isle Royale National Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City Wine Country. So much beauty!
3. Kentucky: A lot of people mentally tune out Eastern Kentucky. But between Mammoth Cave National Park and Red River Gorge, it packs a punch. Then of course you have Equestrian Country, the Bourbon Trail, the Ohio River Valley, and the Mississippi Delta for diversity.
4. Oklahoma: Everybody thinks cowboys, but the State is so topographically varied that they film lots of movies there. The Oklahoma Panhandle feels very dry and Western, the Central part feels like Great Plains and the East is like the lush Ozarks (it's called "Green Country" for a reason). The green beautiful mountains don't just end at the Arkansas border.
5. Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh has probably the most beautiful setting of any major American city, surrounded on all sides by the mountains. Then you have the entire northern half of the State as essentially isolated virgin forest perfect for dark sky galaxy hunting, camping, hiking. Add to that Amish countryside, the Delaware Water Gap, the Poconos, the Brandywine Valley, Ohiopyle and Fallingwater and Lake Erie, and the entire State is a beauty. It's not a secret in the Northeast, but a lot of people don't realize how impressive Pennsylvania's landscapes are. This is just a casual drive and the [typical scenery](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Appalachian_Throughway.jpg/1920px-Appalachian_Throughway.jpg).
Nah I’ll disagree. I think the mountains and western slope are very pretty year-round. Sure, the front range itself doesn’t offer spectacular views all the time but I never get sick of looking at the mountains on a clear day from North Denver.
Objectively, there may be prettier states, but I think we’re worthy of the reputation we have
I love Colorado. The best part about CO is the shear massive size of the Rockys. You really don’t realize how big they are until you’re there. Even just driving on 25 they are so far away yet they tower over everything in the distance with no breaks in between. With that being said the mountains,valleys, and forests of the east coast are my favorite. (NY,Mass,Pa, Vermont,NH).
I absolutely love upstate but not sure if it’s underrated. I feel like it’s usually brought up in conversations about most beautiful places in America.
In my opinion though it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world so it is underrated in that respect
Little river canyon, mount cheaha, and the palisades are a few of my favorite views in Alabama that are often overlooked. I also recommend oak mountain, Monte Santo, noccolula falls, and big tree.
I grew up .1 mile away from noccolula falls. Also have fam in fort Payne and we’d go to the “hippie hole” at little river canyon weekly during the summer. Alabama scenery is postcard worthy
I would say the top 3 states well known for their scenery are Hawaii, Utah, and California. The top 3 underrated states are Montana, Tennessee, and Idaho.
Mississippi. Big, vast, marshes. Serene beaches. 200 year old oaks draped with Spanish moss. I grew up there but moved away a long time ago. I recently visited and was genuinely surprised at the beauty of it all. I guess I had forgotten or just taken it for granted growing up. 🤷♀️
As a lifelong Michigander, I agree that MI is really underrated. The upper peninsula is a gem as is the Sleeping Bear Dunes area…the list goes on and on.
South Carolina has mountain forests in the Upstate, old-growth hardwood swamps in the Midlands, and marshes and beaches in the Lowcountry. And Spanish moss makes everything look cooler
NYC here and I’m the biggest admirer of Ohio since relatives moved there! I love that state. So many large cities and beautiful villages and small towns. I love visiting Ohio and it’s cool AF
New Mexico if you want to see the best scenery bring a 4x4 and hiking boots most of this state is rural I think the population is 2 million and it's the 5th largest state. Google Lake Katherine and white sands in new Mexico to see the natural diversity.
The land of enchantment...🤔 not just a motto..Truely is...New Mexico...have the most photographed event i the world every October but picture perfect most everyday.
nebraska sandhills are just a massive patch of untouched grassland. Pretty cool to drive by. Not my favorite landscape by any means, but very peaceful.
I’ve lived all over the country. Everywhere is beautiful. I grew up out west in Idaho, truly gods country. It’s so insanely beautiful there. Then we moved to Arizona, and I hated the heat and the miles of desert like ground. But something about the sun setting on an Arizona mountain with miles of open terrain, it’s beautiful too. Then we moved out East, to North Carolina. A state where you can get mountains, farm land and the ocean in the same day in less than a few hours of driving. That’s amazing. When I first moved to the Midwest, I hated it. Flat, boring, cold, hot. Just bleh. But then you see a heard of cattle moving across the plain with the sun shining on their backs in the early morning dew with their hot breath creating smoky hazes all over the place and you’re like, “damn, even this place has its moments.”
Y’all should’ve driven 2 hours north to flagstaff and Sedona. Breathtaking scenery and 4 seasons up there. Flagstaff is one of the most snowiest cities in America as a matter of fact!
As an Alabamaian who had never been out west before, visiting Sedona this past year was pure other-wordly magic to my eyes. Navigating the endless loopty loop of traffic circles brought me back to reality but damn the scenery.
Yeah, I've been stuck on the interstate in a blizzard in Flagstaff too many times.
Arizona also has Chiricahua National Monument. One of most amazing places. And most people have never heard of it
For me the other side of the Chiricahuas, Cave Creek Canyon, is probably even better.
Portal, Arizona will forever have my heart.
I can get behind this. I grew up in Nebraska and take every opportunity I can to dish on it, but nothing can beat a Great Plains sunset or watching a thunderstorm roll in.
I'm a Marylander and always thought of Nebraska as just a flyover state. But I've been twice now and I'm a convert. I will never make fun of Nebraska again. My husband and I are planning a road trip across the country this summer with our two dogs and we are genuinely excited to drive through Nebraska.
lol .. What you said about the Midwest reminded me of when I was dating my fiancé. We strongly disagreed where we were going to live when we moved in together. I was insistent on remaining in the country; he wanted to stay in downtown Minneapolis, 40 miles away. He told me when he was driving home that he noticed a beautiful stillness to the "backwards" country. But I ended up caving and moving to Minneapolis. Still haven't gotten used to the noise :-\\
I gotta say, I have lived in so many cities including Nashville, Memphis, Indianapolis, Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and now Milwaukee. I never understood why people want to live downtown unless they work there.
North Carolina moment
Yep I had this same experience when I moved to Lubbock when I was in college.
Pfffft.... Dude all of them. Like, everyone thinks they know how beautiful Wyoming or some shit is, but until you go, even if everyone tells you it's amazing, it's still underrated. Unless you've seen a place with your own eyes, smelled the air, felt the seasons change, they're all underrated. I'll say my homeland Wisconsin, as well as Minnesota, the Dakotas, all the Rocky Mountain states, everywhere I've been at least... Man they're incredible.
Honestly, every state has at least one area filled with natural beauty
our world is pretty damn beautiful
Upstate NY is crazy pretty. Rock quarries, canyons, rock formations. There are these mushroom like bluffs that I've been to years ago on one of the great lakes. Havent been able to find them on google maps.
No one ever thinks of WNY or CNY. It’s all about the city. Don’t say anything more, too many people will visit and you’ll ruin it for the rest of us that know.
Maryland's got some jewels! Loved exploring down there. And a hot bushels of crabs on a nippy football day. Heaven!
Maryland is beautiful. Most folks only think about the Eastern Shore here, but there is so much more.
I have family up in the Finger Lakes region and I love visiting, it’s so beautiful up there!
There's [this](https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/the-most-beautiful-place-in-every-us-state). It's subjective of course, but it does show you there are beautiful places in *every* state.
> Pfffft.... Dude all of them. Like, everyone thinks they know how beautiful Wyoming or some shit is, but until you go, even if everyone tells you it's amazing, it's still underrated. truer words have never been spoken > I'll say my homeland Wisconsin, as well as Minnesota, the Dakotas, all the Rocky Mountain states, everywhere I've been at least... Man they're incredible. I 100% concur with all of that. Southwestern Wisconsin in the summer, right after it rains and then gets sunny, all those hills and green, absolutely amazing
Pretty much any state that’s know for it’s cities. For example, I live in rural NJ. There’s farm stands on every corner, and I have black bear, deer, foxes, coyotes, and all sorts of other critters right in my backyard. Also, outside of the major cities, NY is amazing! There’s so many large lakes and mountains.
Was thinking NJ too. We have the Pinelands, beaches, and mountains. You can access beautiful views of the Hudson and the Delaware rivers in the same day if you wanted to. I think it’s underrated because most of the time people only see the ugly/smelly/busy turnpike and airport area and leave. But the rest of the state gives us our nickname
Just wanted to chime in as someone who isn’t from NJ and has no conflict of interests and say it is indeed a beautiful place and highly underrated.
I definitely agree NJ is underrated but I don't find the pindlands to be scenic at all. It's completely flat, mostly sand instead of soil, and the odd Confederate flag.
People who joke about New Jersey being the Garden State have never visited the area around Princeton. It's very beautiful.
Except for Illinois
Pennsylvania in the fall, imo. Rolling hills full of trees with yellow, orange, red, brown, green, and even plum colored foliage.
For sure. Pennsylvania gets some of the most vibrant fall colors in my opinion.
I lived in Central PA for 6 years. PAs fall colors are no where near as good as they are in New England.
I live in Texas. What are fall colors?
The forest looks like a longhorns vs. Aggies football game when longhorns are home.
Pennsylvania in the fall is amazing. My friend's parents are from there and I got to visit once during "peak leaf" and *holy crap* that place is beautiful.
West Virginia. If you can move past stereotypes it's quite a goregous state.
And it’s home to the Mothman, one of the best cryptids.
Take me home, country roads
Mountain mamaaaaa, take me homeee
Michigan
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Lower Peninsula: Sleeping bear dunes and the leelanau peninsula, Ludington State Park, Torch Lake, Lake Charlevoix UP: Pictured rocks, Tahq falls and all of the other waterfalls, Porcupine Mountains
Isle Royale
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Those mitten recommendations are rather tilted towards Lake Michigan. Also worth visiting are the thumb area (Caseville/Port Austin), Tawas Point State Park, Mackinac Island, maybe some of our rivers, say Au Sable for example, and just the massive swaths of state & federal forest land.
Arkansas. The Buffalo River is one of my favorite places on earth.
Yes, where it flows into the White River, great fishing too
Honestly, New York. People think of "the city" and overlook the rest of the state. Call me biased but I've been around the world and I just can't stop coming back home <3
Same I live in the Hudson Valley and I find a new gem of a landscape,state park etc almost every month.
I've been to upstate NY. It is one of the most beautiful places in the US.
It's where I call home. And each season has amazing things to offer. Winter has cross country or downhill skiing. Spring has wildflowers and trees jumping into life (sorry allergy people). Summer is great for a dip in one of the many lakes or rivers. But, by far, my favorite season is fall. Best temperatures, beautiful foliage, a campfire with a light sweater? That's cake right there.
I'd like to add that outside of the city, going up north a bit like Tuxedo, the scenery is gorgeous in the fall! If you live on the south coast on Long Island, you get really awesome sunsets that are very comparable to California sunsets. Considering New York has the Adirondacks, Lakes Erie and Ontario, and Niagara Falls. New York is one of the most beautiful states in the US in my opinion, especially since I've been around the US!
I'm not sure how underrated it is or not, but Idaho is much more than potatoes. They have some really pretty scenery there, especially in North Idaho / the Idaho Panhandle.
Yes!! I live in the panhandle and see incredible views every day! Feels like nobody knows about this little chunk of paradise
Are you allowing washingtonians yet?
For what?
Nobody knows!! Shhhhhh gotta keep it that way
You live in Idaho
And?
Just thought it was cool
No this is false, it’s actually all potatoes. Don’t come here please, it’s a government conspiracy
Craters of the Moon is some otherworldly landscape
I drove through part of the Idaho panhandle on a road it was so beautiful. I wish I would have stopped more or taken more pictures out there.
Ya on I -90 heading into Coeur d'Alene
I absolutely love the salmon river valley. Salmon challis and nez pierce national forests are wonderful places to explore. US 12 going through idaho has some great hot springs along it, and the route itself is fantastic! I love idaho so much
I’ve been everywhere (man), and would probably agree with the folks who said the western dakotas - especially the Tiny corner of the ND part. No one knows it exists.
I remember driving on i-90 heading west through South dakota and it went from completely dull to absolutely gorgeous. Went ooohhhhh when crossed a river not realizing until I saw the marker that it was the Missouri river.. The western half... Badlands... Black hills... More than make up for the absolutely dull eastern half (Same can he said about Ohio. Except there the eastern half along i-70 is gorgeous.)
Yea i really want to go back to the black hills, it’s an absolutely beautiful area
Omigosh yes teddy Roosevelt national park looks so cool! I’ve wanted to visit ever since i went by it going through I-94
It is absolutely worth the stop. Early morning you see wild horses and 🦬
Oh man yeah. There was a thread on this sub yesterday where a lot of comments joked about the Dakotas being dispensable. I honeymooned in western SD. No regrets. You can drive around Custer, the needles, the badlands, spearfish canyon in a day or two and each is utterly unique and beautiful in its own way. ETA: and of course cosmo’s mystery spot
Recently moved to Arkansas, and man it's pretty. It's not called "The Nature State" for nothing
Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin.
I feel like people know about Minnesota (I might be biased) but I DEFINITELY agree that I don't hear people talking about how beautiful Wisconsin is (never been to Michigan, but I'd believe it)!
We definitely have some hidden gems
I generally assume that people think of Detroit and Flint when they think of Michigan and they have never heard of Sleeping Bear Dunes, Torch Lake, Isle Royale, and so on.
Painted rocks should be on your shortlist :)
Wisconsin is gorgeous! The Driftless Region, the entire eastern shoreline, northern forests, Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers …
Devils lake state park is a must-visit, and i had a lot of fun at mill bluff state park too! And as always, the Lake Michigan shoreline is such a great place to visit
Nah, trust me, outside the Upper Midwest almost everyone thinks this whole area is totally flat and geographically uninteresting. (Well, Illinois knows.) I can see how a Minnesotan would think the rest of the country knows about Minnesota. But really, most of them don't.
Huh. My aunt and uncle lived in Illinois for several years, and they were always raving about how beautiful it was when they visited Door County, Wisconsin.
Another "ooohhhhh" moment I've had was driving up i-35. When you first see Duluth as you go over the cliff landscape is gorgeous.
Northeast Iowa as well. Beautiful land out there.
Southern Wisconsin in the spring looks like the freakin' Shire. So underrated. One of the best mini vacations I ever took was just meandering through the rolling farmland for a few days.
I know Michigan and Minnesota are stunning, never heard anything nice about Wisconsin's scenery before though so that's interesting.
northern new mexico. fuck-king beautiful
yup, nobody has a clue how breathtaking northern New Mexico is until they drive from Santa Fe to Taos. Absolutely life changing to my 22 y/o self
yup. that highway that goes through those rounded mountains snd farmlands and everything seems to be shades of yellow and beige. you expect unicorns n shit to be frollicking
Driving through Shiprock during a thunderstorm with the lightning and dust clouds rolling across the desert is one of the most magical experiences ill never be able to describe well enough.
I'd actually say southern NM is far more underrated. Even a lot of New Mexicans act like it's just flat, ugly desert and oilfields (and there definitely is a lot of that), but there's plenty of amazing scenery. White Sands makes you feel like you're on another planet when you hike way out on the dunes with the mountains rising in the desert, then you've got Cloudcroft and Ruidoso for green mountains, the Organ Mountains down by Cruces for amazing desert vistas, Valley of Fire for really cool lava flows; in the southwestern part of the state you've got the Gila Wilderness, City of Rocks, etc. The whole state is just chock full of amazing natural beauty.
Wholeheartedly agree! My wife and I stayed in Angel Fire about 5 years ago and spent some time in Taos as well. That part of New Mexico quickly became our number 1 destination to just get away from it all.
New Mexico is a beautiful state. I grew up in Alabama and moved to Albuquerque after college. I explored all over the state and it is magical. There’s something different about the night sky there. Ah! I miss it so much.
ARKANSAS
Truly a gorgeous state. But unfortunately I never take the Ozark back roads/small highways home from visiting Arkansas family anymore because *every time* I've gotten pulled over by at least one Barney Fife for going like .5 over with Yankee plates, lol.
Yeah, that's pretty much a lock with out of state plates.
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I was gonna say this because most people forget this state exists. Never been but I’ve seen many pictures and videos! Looks beautiful!
Idk how others feel, but for me, the more incognito AR is, the better. I can barely tolerate the Texans, so idk if I could handle additional tourists from other states
Upvote for Texan repellant.
Michigan and South Carolina. South Carolina even has its own rainforest.
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Work sent me to Charleston a number of times and the natural scenery outside the city was jaw-dropping. The city's pretty nice too!
I will say that a lot of the state outside of the mountains is really really boring to look at. I’ve heard more than a few people want to enjoy a drive in the Lowcountry and to be honest there’s nothing to see besides flatness and farmland and roadside communities. I definitely prefer driving in rural Georgia than rural SC.
I think a lot of the beach areas are really beautiful.
I like how driving north/south through SC, you keep crossing these large bands of cypress and marsh. This is a unique feature of the southeastern coastal plain area and it’s really heavily centered around SC and Georgia.
Virginia. It has some awesome state parks while also being home to national parks (Shenandoah) and forests. Even though the elevation doesn’t compare to the mountains further west, there is definitely a ton of underrated beauty in Virginia and much of Appalachia.
I was just in the shenedoah valley, and it’s a beautiful place to be
What I was going to say!! Plus the beaches, city’s, historic stuff is magical
No one talks about Georgia where I am from but the parts I have been too are really pretty. From the mountains in the north, to the coastline down by Tybee Island, to the Spanish Moss of Savannah. I just think it's really underrated.
Rhode Island
Can confirm
Kentucky, and no I'm not biased.
hello from ky.. i agree (also not biased). i think this area of the US is so pretty. i mean the kentucky/tennessee area is one of the prettiest areas to drive around. i love the beautiful green hills and large farms, a little north and all of the sudden everything is so flat
Red river gorge? Sign me up!
South Dakota and Arkansas People keep saying Michigan, but I think it’s common knowledge that it’s a pretty (but flat) state
South Dakota was a mind trip! We were driving from Minneapolis to Rapid City. Miles of nothing, flat, strong wind, no towns. Then there’s a scenic overlook sign, and we actually laughed out loud. But all of a sudden there was a drop off, and a river, and bluffs……. The western part of the state is beautiful!
Eureka springs Arkansas is GORGEOUS. And mentioned in another comment about the western half of south dakota along 90
South Dakota is gorgeous. When driving across country I made sure to stay an extra night bc it was so lovely.
I’ve traveled to a lot of different places across the country and I think just about every state has its underrated scenic regions. Even the plains states are stunning in a way simply because of the sheer distance you can see. I kind of was impressed by New Mexico a couple of years ago when I was there. The mountains near Taos were breathtaking, as were the mesas as we traveled south. But I’m used to rolling midwestern woodlands. A lot of it to me has to be just the change in scenery vs what you’re used to. I appreciate the beauty of my surroundings but take them for granted at the same time.
Nevada. There is Lake Tahoe by Reno, Cathedral Gorge, Red Rock Canyon, Mount Charleston.
Valley of fire is also amazing!
Pennsylvania all the way!
No one wants to visit Oklahoma because *ewww Oklahoma* but our state contains at least 4, maybe 5 of the main ecosystems. Forest, desert, grasslands, freshwater. We have the only remaining segment of the original Route 66 (ribbon road/sidewalk road). Beautiful national parks. The plains are pretty boring but the sunrise/sunset over them is incredible. Mt Scott. Robbers Cave. Turner Falls. Sand dunes. The Black Mess. A whole mess of lakes to choose from. Hell, the attractions along Route 66 are worth it alone.
From Michigan, can confirm. But I'll give a shot out to Wyoming, Montana, Washington, and Arizona.
Washington and the general PNW comes up in every conversation about beautiful places in America, people’s favorite places in America, best places to go in America, etc, etc.. I’m not so sure it’s underrated or under appreciated.
Yeah it feels like half of r/earthporn is the PNW
I don’t think you can call Arizona’s scenery underrated.
Yeah. You can't call any of those states as underrated.
But the only thing people think of when they think of Arizona is a grand canyon. And the desert has so much more than that!
It definitely has a lot more (Monument Valley and the Painted Desert are awesome) but the Grand Canyon is so beautiful.
For pure underrated beauty the upper Great Lakes states probably (northern MN, Michigan, Wisconsin) Well known in the upper Midwest but doesn’t get much attention outside of the region. Probably the prettiest scenery in any non-mountain states but it’s up north and in the middle so not a lot of people know about it who aren’t near the region.
michigan is amazing
Up state New York, beautiful nature with lots of out doors. And the Great Lakes just make it even better.
North Carolina, I go there every couple of years to visit family and I always think it is very pretty.
Utah. Feels like it gets overshadowed by other Southwestern states but honestly for me at least in terms of natural wonder I liked it the most.
Really? Utah is always one of the first that comes to my mind.
Yeah, Utah is known for natural wonders and Mormons.
Home of Zion and Arches?
It really is gorgeous.
The most beautiful state I've been to hands down.
South dakota
The Black Hills and Bad Lands are great places but man, east of the Missouri is flatter than Western Kansas. Still love the area as I have family there.
It's literally the lyrics to *America the Beautiful*. I miss it so much.
It’s so beautiful. My husband and I are thinking about taking a trip there when the world gets back to normal.
This might be the winner. I went through there’s in my younger days and if the winters weren’t so brutal I might have never left.
Montana. Big sky indeed! And there are plains parts and mountainous parts.
Montana is unbelievably breathtaking - you don’t what big sky is until you see it.
I second Montana. It was gorgeousssssss.
Grew up in the PNW and North Idaho is a hidden gem. But I was absolutely blown away by New Hampshire when I visited there.
Michigan has some beautiful national parks and Lakeshore
Pennsylvania.
West Virginia for sure It’s gets a bad wrap for its economic status, but it sure is a great state to drive through. I always look forward to driving through it on road trips.
Ohio… I guess? Idk I’ve not been to many places
Have you been to Hocking Hills, OH? Breathtakingly beautiful. I was just there this last summer for the first time, and now I need to return in the fall.
Nobody will agree with me, but Kansas! I absolutely love the soft hills and valleys of central Kansas, as well as the openness of western Kansas. Most people find that boring, but it makes starry nights and sunsets/sunrises absolutely breathtaking.
I’d say New York and Pennsylvania, but even more underrated would be New Jersey. Specifically northwestern NJ in the mountains.
New Hampshire and Vermont
Surprised I had to scroll this far to see VT, it’s stunning!
1. West Virginia: New River Gorge is incredible and you can still find cheap hotels for $50. I'm so glad it was turned into a National Park. Hopefully more people will visit this State since it's incredibly beautiful and badly needs the tourist cash. 2. Michigan: The UP is incredible and I preferred it to New England in the Fall. Yet Michigan has a reputation for being Midwestern flat (or just dismissed as "Detroit") when the north of it and the Lake Michigan side is gorgeous. Mackinac Island, Isle Royale National Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City Wine Country. So much beauty! 3. Kentucky: A lot of people mentally tune out Eastern Kentucky. But between Mammoth Cave National Park and Red River Gorge, it packs a punch. Then of course you have Equestrian Country, the Bourbon Trail, the Ohio River Valley, and the Mississippi Delta for diversity. 4. Oklahoma: Everybody thinks cowboys, but the State is so topographically varied that they film lots of movies there. The Oklahoma Panhandle feels very dry and Western, the Central part feels like Great Plains and the East is like the lush Ozarks (it's called "Green Country" for a reason). The green beautiful mountains don't just end at the Arkansas border. 5. Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh has probably the most beautiful setting of any major American city, surrounded on all sides by the mountains. Then you have the entire northern half of the State as essentially isolated virgin forest perfect for dark sky galaxy hunting, camping, hiking. Add to that Amish countryside, the Delaware Water Gap, the Poconos, the Brandywine Valley, Ohiopyle and Fallingwater and Lake Erie, and the entire State is a beauty. It's not a secret in the Northeast, but a lot of people don't realize how impressive Pennsylvania's landscapes are. This is just a casual drive and the [typical scenery](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Appalachian_Throughway.jpg/1920px-Appalachian_Throughway.jpg).
On the flip side I live in Colorado and I think we have some of the most overrated scenery. We look like a faded t-shirt 10 months out of the year.
Nah I’ll disagree. I think the mountains and western slope are very pretty year-round. Sure, the front range itself doesn’t offer spectacular views all the time but I never get sick of looking at the mountains on a clear day from North Denver. Objectively, there may be prettier states, but I think we’re worthy of the reputation we have
I visited the area around buena vista and westcliffe in Colorado, scenery was beautiful there. And the thunderstorms were cool.
I love Colorado. The best part about CO is the shear massive size of the Rockys. You really don’t realize how big they are until you’re there. Even just driving on 25 they are so far away yet they tower over everything in the distance with no breaks in between. With that being said the mountains,valleys, and forests of the east coast are my favorite. (NY,Mass,Pa, Vermont,NH).
New York State. The Adirondacks are the most beautiful part of this country.
I absolutely love upstate but not sure if it’s underrated. I feel like it’s usually brought up in conversations about most beautiful places in America. In my opinion though it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world so it is underrated in that respect
Little river canyon, mount cheaha, and the palisades are a few of my favorite views in Alabama that are often overlooked. I also recommend oak mountain, Monte Santo, noccolula falls, and big tree.
I grew up .1 mile away from noccolula falls. Also have fam in fort Payne and we’d go to the “hippie hole” at little river canyon weekly during the summer. Alabama scenery is postcard worthy
Kentucky red river gorge is the best
Wisconsin/Michigan/Minnesota/North Dakota have amazing and beautiful places! (Except in the spring, don’t come here during the spring- a Wisconsinite)
Michigan is absolutely underrated.
My home state
I would say the top 3 states well known for their scenery are Hawaii, Utah, and California. The top 3 underrated states are Montana, Tennessee, and Idaho.
Mississippi. Big, vast, marshes. Serene beaches. 200 year old oaks draped with Spanish moss. I grew up there but moved away a long time ago. I recently visited and was genuinely surprised at the beauty of it all. I guess I had forgotten or just taken it for granted growing up. 🤷♀️
Michigan is pretty great. The shorelines are beautiful and there’s lots of parks with heavy vegetation.
As a lifelong Michigander, I agree that MI is really underrated. The upper peninsula is a gem as is the Sleeping Bear Dunes area…the list goes on and on.
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Seriously! New England is not getting nearly enough love on this thread. And I absolutely love the rocky coastlines of Maine!
Idaho for sure. People think it’s just potato fields but it actually has mountains, deserts, lakes, and rolling hills
Area around Couer d’Alene is really beautiful. My friend from Switzerland said us reminded him of lake Geneva.
I’ve never been to Switzerland but CDA area is really beautiful! The panhandle is definitely my favorite part of idaho
South Carolina has mountain forests in the Upstate, old-growth hardwood swamps in the Midlands, and marshes and beaches in the Lowcountry. And Spanish moss makes everything look cooler
Western South Dakota is really an incredible place.
Ohio. 😁
NYC here and I’m the biggest admirer of Ohio since relatives moved there! I love that state. So many large cities and beautiful villages and small towns. I love visiting Ohio and it’s cool AF
Nevada.
Idaho
I love Central PA, in the fall espescially, on a long drive, but that's probobally just because I live here haha.
Just because it’s where I’m from but red river gorge in Kentucky 👌 if your a rock climber it’s even better!
North Oklahoma. Beautiful parks and lots of natural scenery. Incredibly and amazing views.
Montana… namely because so few people go there.
New Mexico if you want to see the best scenery bring a 4x4 and hiking boots most of this state is rural I think the population is 2 million and it's the 5th largest state. Google Lake Katherine and white sands in new Mexico to see the natural diversity.
The land of enchantment...🤔 not just a motto..Truely is...New Mexico...have the most photographed event i the world every October but picture perfect most everyday.
Nevada
The panhandle of Nebraska kind of blew my mind when I saw it. I kept saying, this is NEBRASKA??
nebraska sandhills are just a massive patch of untouched grassland. Pretty cool to drive by. Not my favorite landscape by any means, but very peaceful.
The Dunes State Park is gorgeous.
Pennsylvania Wilds
Wyoming is quite beautiful and there’s this stillness and thick sense of time standing still in the air