I've been to all 50 states. Here are the 10 best states to visit if you love the outdoors.

July 2024 · 8 minute read
2023-05-18T12:20:00Z

The United States is beautiful from sea to shining sea, but the great outdoors is greater in some states than others.

As a travel writer who's visited all 50 states, I've floated in a hot air balloon above the Nevada desert, lived aboard a sailboat for two weeks off the Maine coast, and off-roaded in an ATV through the Hawaiian rainforest. So, as you can imagine, I have my top recommendations for fans of the outdoors who want to travel to a state with lots of opportunities to immerse themselves in nature and venture into the wild. 

Here are the 10 best states to visit if you love the outdoors.

The romance of Montana, and the American West in general, is never-ending.

I've spent time at Lone Mountain Ranch in Montana. Courtesy of Katherine Parker-Maygar

The leaf-peeping in Big Sky Country is spectacular, but it's the true wildness of Montana's nature that blows me away. 

The buttes, prairies, and alpine ridges are home to grizzly bears, wolves, lynx, and bighorn sheep. I remember staying up nearly the entire night while camping with my family at Glacier National Park, as we'd been warned a mountain lion was nearby. The lion never materialized, but even in my fear, I recognized the thrill of a potential brush with danger.

Montana is known as Big Sky Country because of its lack of tall buildings — it's hard to keep perspective beneath the obstructing shade of a city skyline. 

Alaska's untouched wilderness is an opportunity to venture into the wild.

I've been to Alaska during the summer and spent time casting lines. Courtesy of Katherine Parker-Maygar

Alaska is known as the Last Frontier, and it's nothing short of paradise for lovers of the outdoors. A rugged, occasionally inhospitable, and supremely vast paradise.

I first visited Alaska as an infant alongside my parents in Denali National Park and, more recently, on a fishing trip at Waterfall Resort along the Inside Passage. Though I don't remember the former, the isolation and majesty of the latter will stay with me forever. 

Alaska's also home to the last great wilderness of the US — parts of the state remain unexplored to this day. And, though I encourage travelers to set out on an Alaskan adventure, I suggest being adequately prepared. "Into the Wild" should serve less as an inspiration and more as a cautionary tale.

Maine is a true Vacationland for lovers of New England's nature.

Boating in Portland in the fall was incredible. Courtesy of Katherine Parker-Maygar

Maine's legendary beauty has inspired American artists and writers for centuries — from Winslow Homer, who painted the Prouts Neck Cliff Walk, to Edward Hopper, who created many artworks during his summers in Cape Elizabeth. 

I relate most to the famous quote, "I'd rather feel bad in Maine than feel good anywhere else." Personally, I have felt bad in Maine on a two-week Outward Bound sailing course off Hurricane Island, where I slept on a pulling boat and endured a three-day solo in which I subsisted off an apple, bagel, and handful of granola. 

I remember my teen angst, longing for real food, and desire to be less cold and wet. But I equally remember feeling invigorated, alive to my surroundings, and inspired by the beauty of New England's coast.

I keep returning year after year, longing to return — even briefly — to the state's slogan, "The way life should be.'"

Arizona's magnificent nature radiates a healing and spiritual energy.

I've been on a restorative retreat in Sedona. Courtesy of Katherine Parker-Maygar

Arizona is famous for its otherworldly nature, from the Grand Canyon to the Petrified Forest, so perhaps it will be no surprise to learn the landscape's even said to have healing properties.

Sedona is home to a Spiritual Vortex, a confluence of energy said to be radiating from the land that is said to have healing properties. 

I went on one retreat to Sedona and I left feeling recharged, relaxed, and rejuvenated. Maybe it's something in the air, or perhaps the beauty of the earth. Regardless, if you're interested in the many healing powers of the great outdoors you may as well pay a visit. 

The islands of Hawaii are paradise.

I've woken up early to see the sunrise over Sweetheart Rock in Lanai. Courtesy of Katherine Parker-Maygar

Whether you're exploring the national parks or setting out on a whale-watching expedition, you're unlikely to be disappointed by your natural surroundings in Hawaii.

I've zip-lined, hang-glided, surfed, rode horses, sailed, snorkeled, and hiked across all six Hawaiian islands.

And although it's impossible to pick one favorite outdoor adventure, my off-road adventure with Kauai ATVs truly felt like a one-of-a-kind immersion into the rolling hills and rainforests of this Polynesian paradise.

Expect your clothes to get so muddy they will be unwearable for the rest of the trip, but it will all be worth seeing the otherworldly landscape that doubled as a filming location for "Jurassic Park."

Michigan is a mecca for Great Lakes and the great outdoors.

The Sleeping Bear Dunes took my breath away. Courtesy of Katherine Parker-Maygar

A trip to Michigan is memorable, whether you're looking at the beauty of the sunset reflecting on the waters of Glen Lake or the moon-like enormity of Sleeping Bear Dunes, where you can use binoculars to spot the Milky Way.

I was a naive East Coaster when I went on a jet ski to explore Little Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan. My friend riding behind me was an unlucky passenger on my voyage to nowhere. She was also enthusiastic about cruising towards the horizon, confident that we wouldn't get lost.

An hour later we were low on fuel and proven wrong. We miraculously navigated our way safely back to the harbor by calculating our direction by the path of the setting sun.

Sometimes you needn't venture all the way to Alaska to be surrounded by the unknown — another reason not to underestimate the allure of travel in the Midwest.

California dreaming consists of ancient forests and Pacific Coast sunsets.

I've had glorious afternoons skiing in California. Courtesy of Katherine Parker-Maygar

The Golden State is home to such a wide diversity of terrain it's nearly impossible to select one region.

Lake Tahoe is beloved by skiers and boaters alike, the Redwoods is a bucket-list destination for tree-huggers, and the towering monoliths of Yosemite have inspired — and petrified — climbers since time immemorial (or at least since the park was established in 1890).

As much as I admire those inland destinations, I love going along the coast — driving along Highway 1, hiking in Carmel or Big Sur, or sunbathing in San Diego or Santa Monica. I always await that magic hour before sunset when the sky puts on a vivid display of pastel and fiery hues.

The cattle outnumber the people in Wyoming.

I loved exploring Grand Teton National Park. Courtesy of Katherine Parker-Maygar

As the least-populated state in the nation, Wyoming is perfect for lovers of solitude and those who hope to immerse themselves in nature. (Or, on the flip side, challenge themselves on the slopes by conquering the notoriously steep and jagged terrain of  Jackson Hole.)

Although the Cowboy State is famous for its national parks like Yellowstone and Grand Teton, I've experienced the most heavenly outdoor adventures in Bridger-Teton National Forest. 

Whether snowmobiling the forest's vast back-country via Turpin Meadow Ranch, fly-fishing on the Snake River, or drifting down-current in an idling canoe, it's here that I've felt most thoroughly detached from reality or daily life.

Florida's eternal sunshine is a haven for snowbirds of all species.

I loved the sunset views from Marco Island. Courtesy of Katherine Parker-Maygar

Whether it be the Gulf Coast or the Atlantic, Florida is a reliable annual pilgrimage for travelers weary of the snowfall and eager for some sunshine.

The fall and winter in Florida also appeal to bird-watchers with the migrating warblers, cranes, and robins. Many of these avians can be found in the Everglades, one of the world's largest wetlands. 

And it's not just the birds that light up the sky — on a recent Everglades road trip, I beheld one of the most spectacular sunsets I've seen. If it's only the sunsets you're after, you can head further south to the Florida Keys any time of year.

Nevada is the perfect place to find yourself in nature

I went parasailing in Lake Tahoe. Courtesy of Katherine Parker-Maygar

Nevada is home to many empty trails and endless skies, including those in the Great Basin Desert, the largest desert in the US.

If you think the sunrise over the Atlantic is magic to behold, you'll be amazed by how the rising sunlight is further amplified by the reflecting sands of the desert.

Other destinations include Black Rock Desert, home to the famous Burning Man, and Death Valley, where I was once stranded with my family in a broken-down car and no air-conditioning.

I still have only positive things to say about the entire experience — the splendor of the Southwest is simply undeniable — even in the hottest conditions.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufony0wMCtnKxlkprAtXnOrqudp5%2BnwG6yzqtkraqZpXqnvs6mZLCqmamys3nBnpynZaSkeqK4y2ZpaWpjYoI%3D