We asked our Facebook and Twitter followers to vote for the most beautiful locations in the USA. Now the results are in. This gallery showcases the top ten most beautiful places in America as voted by our readers.
10. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
America’s oldest national park has been voted the tenth most beautiful place in the USA thanks to its diverse landscapes and gorgeous seasonal colours. You’ll find everything from bright blue and yellow geysers to lush green alpine meadows here. Early summer is one of the best times to visit, when the wildflowers burst into bloom and the park’s gangly bighorn lambs take their first steps.
9. Montana
In ninth place on our list of the most beautiful places in the USA is Montana. Known to many as “Big Sky Country”, this state is packed with glorious vistas, from the snow-capped Rocky Mountains to desolate high prairie, but remains relatively untouched by tourism.
8. Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada
On the border of California and Neada, two-million-year-old Lake Tahoe is picture perfect. In summer you can laze on its sunny beaches, circle it on bike trails and take to the water on boating trips while winter offers skiing and hiking beneath snow-topped granite peaks.
7. Alaska
This state has captured the hearts of many of our readers and it comes seventh place on this list. There’s no wonder why; Alaska has a lot to boast about. Expect to find 12ft-tall bears, majestic moose, remote glaciers, deserted coastlines and soaring mountains.
6. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Bryce Canyon‘s striking landscape isn’t actually a canyon but a collection of naturally formed stone pinnacles caused by frost weathering and stream erosion. For one of the most mesmerising views, head to southern Bryce Point – dawn or dusk is the best time to capture the hoodoos (top-heavy formations) at their brightest.
5. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
In fifth place is the mountainous Grand Teton National Park, named for the Teton Range that runs through its centre. Teeming with wildlife and dotted with beautiful lakes, it’s a worthy contender for one of the most beautiful places in the USA.
4. Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah
One of the most famous landscapes in the country, Monument Valley has been voted the fourth most beautiful place in the USA by our readers. Here you’ll find all the classic vistas you’d expect from the Wild West – it’s simply unlike anywhere else.
3. The Grand Canyon, Arizona
With nearly five million visitors a year, The Grand Canyon was bound to sit highly in this list. It’s one of the most famous landmarks in the USA and is just as impressive from every angle: you can hike through it, take a helicopter ride over it, or even white-water raft along the canyon floor.
2. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
All 53 square kilometres of Crater Lake in Oregon are breathtaking. Sitting inside the hollow of Mount Mazama, formed by an explosion over 7000 years ago, the blue waters of this caldera lake offer stunning reflections of the often snow-topped cliffs that surround it. You can even scuba dive into the near-2000ft-deep crater.
1. Yosemite National Park, California
We reckon this is one of the world’s most dramatic geological spectacles – and so do you. It’s no surprise that Yosemite has topped this list. Its rock formations have been the subject of many a photograph and have astounded travellers for centuries.
