We can all most likely agree that North Carolina is one of the most naturally beautiful places in the country. Here we are lucky enough to have both the beach and the mountains, with many lakes, forests, and other natural wonders in between. But it’s not just us. The United States is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. And thanks to its massive size, and expansive landscape. Some people of course fall in love with the hustle and bustle of the cities. But many others prefer to immerse themselves in the natural wonders. And with such a diverse landscape, each state has its own natural beauty. But there are some states that just got dealt an even better card when it comes to nature.
With this in mind, our friends at Booking.com analyzed each state to reveal which has the most natural beauty. To do this they looked at the number of volcanoes, mountains, shorelines, national parks, state parks, inland water, and waterfalls each state has to offer. While these things aren’t all of what can make a place like North Carolina naturally beautiful, they are a way to quantify it. And NC did make the top 10! There are some gorgeous places included on this list. Do you agree with it? Keep reading to see the top 10 naturally beautiful states.
10. Utah
View of Delicate Arch sandstone rock formation at Arches National Park, near Moab, Utah, 1960s.
Miles of Shoreline: 0
Number of State Parks: 47
Number of Volcanos: 7
Number of Waterfalls: 99
Number of Mountains 5,000 Ft Or Taller: 8
Number of National Parks: 5
Areas of Inland Water (Sq Miles): 2,727
9. Maine
Portland, Maine, USA coastal townscape on Portland Harbor.
Miles of Shoreline: 43,478
Number of State Parks: 40
Number of Volcanos: 0
Number of Waterfalls: 485
Number of Mountains 5,000 Ft Or Taller: 0
Number of National Parks: 1
Areas of Inland Water (Sq Miles): 4,537
8. Virginia
Blackwater Falls State Park
Miles of Shoreline: 3,315
Number of State Parks: 45
Number of Volcanos: 3
Number of Waterfalls: 186
Number of Mountains 5,000 Ft Or Taller: 0
Number of National Parks: 1
Areas of Inland Water (Sq Miles): 3,285
7. North Carolina
The Mile-High Swinging Bridge in fog, at Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina.
Miles of Shoreline: 3,375
Number of State Parks: 36
Number of Volcanos: 0
Number of Waterfalls: 885
Number of Mountains 5,000 Ft Or Taller: 1
Number of National Parks: 1
Areas of Inland Water (Sq Miles): 5,201
6 (TIE). New Jersey
Golden sunrise over the beach at Pearl Sreet in Beach Haven, NJ on Long Beach Island
Miles of Shoreline: 1,792
Number of State Parks: 32
Number of Volcanos: 1
Number of Waterfalls: 67
Number of Mountains 5,000 Ft Or Taller: 0
Number of National Parks: 0
Areas of Inland Water (Sq Miles): 1,368
6 (TIE). Alaska
DENALI NATIONAL PARK, AK – SEPTEMBER 1: A view of Denali, formerly known as Mt. McKinley, on September 1, 2015 in Denali National Park, Alaska.
Miles of Shoreline: 33,904
Number of State Parks: 124
Number of Volcanos: 101
Number of Waterfalls: 336
Number of Mountains 5,000 Ft Or Taller: 65
Number of National Parks: 8
Areas of Inland Water (Sq Miles): 94,743
5. Oregon
Miles of Shoreline: 1,410
Number of State Parks: 198
Number of Volcanos: 42
Number of Waterfalls: 1,616
Number of Mountains 5,000 Ft Or Taller: 4
Number of National Parks: 1
Areas of Inland Water (Sq Miles): 2,391
4. New Hampshire
NORTH CONWAY, NH – OCTOBER 17: Trees sport colorful leaves as a river flows past October 17, 2005 near North Conway, New Hampshire. The fall foliage season has gotten off to a slow start with the trees being still green in many spots and in others the leaves have been removed from the trees by more than a week of rain and wind.
Miles of Shoreline: 135
Number of State Parks: 55
Number of Volcanos: 2
Number of Waterfalls: 361
Number of Mountains 5,000 Ft Or Taller: 1
Number of National Parks: 0
Areas of Inland Water (Sq Miles): 397
3. California
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 11: A view of Yosemite Falls on June 11, 2020.
Miles of Shoreline: 3,427
Number of State Parks: 282
Number of Volcanos: 28
Number of Waterfalls: 1,056
Number of Mountains 5,000 Ft Or Taller: 9
Number of National Parks: 9
Areas of Inland Water (Sq Miles): 7,916
2. Washington
Mount Rainier with little snow in summer and the Port of Tacoma.
Miles of Shoreline: 3,026
Number of State Parks: 144
Number of Volcanos: 19
Number of Waterfalls: 3,132
Number of Mountains 5,000 Ft Or Taller: 7
Number of National Parks: 3
Areas of Inland Water (Sq Miles): 4,842
1. Hawaii
Beautiful rainbow over the Hawaii skyline
Miles of Shoreline: 1,052
Number of State Parks: 60
Number of Volcanos: 25
Number of Waterfalls: 543
Number of Mountains 5,000 Ft Or Taller: 5
Number of National Parks: 2
Areas of Inland Water (Sq Miles): 4,509
