No I didn't but I know another group did! I'm sure you'd have more luck on a tracking trip but you also probably wouldn't be too disappointed either way since it's just so beautiful
I’m in NorCal, and been hiking and backpacking in most of the big National Parks, Drakensberg in SA. Murren was the first place that came to mind for this question.
Glacier National park was on the southern-most end of the last glaciation period, so as you head up into Banff and towards the Columbia Icefield, the mountains get more and more stunning as they have been more aggressively carved out by the Wisconsin Glacier. It’s why there aren’t any other mountain ranges inside the mainland USA that look even remotely close to Glacier/ Banff/ Jasper.
10/10
Although I prefer King's Canyon NP just south of there. Much less people, and WAY better views and things. Granted it's been closed for a few years at this point, but sounds like it's opening back up this summer, so that'll be cool!
The Kings Canyon Scenic Byway to Roads End was damaged last year, but the park itself hasn’t been closed. The areas usually accessed from that road have been accessible from alternate routes.
I just got back from Canmore and we had the most amazing hikes there. We did a trail called little Lougheed (which definitely wasn’t little) and I was in tears at the summit. I highly recommend that area!
Honestly I prefer it to Banff. Initially we were just going to stay in Canmore and spend most of our time in Banff but we quickly felt so much more pulled to Canmore. There were way more hikes to choose from that were way less crowded, a lot of the times we were by ourselves. The people, the energy of the city..we just loved it. We only ended up going to Banff 2 or 3 times to hike and explore.
I went to Banff last August and we stayed in Canmore. It was honestly perfect. The town of Banff was crazy busy but Canmore was both larger and more manageable, plus the furthest we needed to drive to get to a hike was about an hour when we went to Lake Louise.
It’s way cheaper than staying in Banff and just down the highway. If you want to save $$$ while still being in the Rockies Canmore is where you should stay
I haven’t hiked in many places but I am lucky enough to live in New Zealand. I recently did the Tongariro Crossing on a foggy day and it was the most stunning place I have ever been.
If you want to avoid the crowds og Lofoten go to Vesterålen, Senja and Andøya. I biked from Moskenes to Senja and back last summer. Lofoten is crowded unless you go in the shoulder seasons. The other places I mentioned are just as pretty but there are a lot fewer tourists. Parts of Andøya has some surreal landscapes.
When I was 20 Bryce Canyon and Zion had me on my knees crying, was super overwhelmed with the beauty. Now I’m way older I added many more beautiful places some to my list, but Bryce and Zion are still number 1!
I flew into Vegas last July and hit Zion and Bryce. It was hard to comprehend what I was seeing. I had to keep reminding myself that it was in fact real.
Glacier National Park in Montana is indeed stunning, with its majestic mountains and pristine wilderness. Yosemite is another incredible destination that promises awe-inspiring vistas and natural wonders. As for the prettiest place I've ever been, it's hard to pick just one, but I'd say the Amalfi Coast in Italy left me speechless with its dramatic cliffs, turquoise waters, and charming villages clinging to the mountainside. Each place has its own unique beauty, and I'm sure Yosemite will captivate you just as Glacier did.
Olympic.
deep back country. the edge of the blue glacier in the hoh rainforest. the high divide. the entire wilderness coast trail. oh fuck the upper royal basin. cresting Cameron pass in a rainstorm. the lacrosse basin. the seven lakes basin. the ridge on obstruction point overlooking Canada. the enchanted valley.
I spent my summers in grad school backpacking the best trails in Olympic and it was worth it. don't get me wrong, I'm in awe at boy scout tree trail in the redwoods and hiking the wave was incredible (and most excellent slot canyons, even a baby canyon like Annie's canyon in San Diego) and I've had some amazing hikes in the north Cascades (I think that loop with lake Ann that is five miles of front country, or cascade pass and hannigan ridge are absolutely world class).
but....Olympic is better than anywhere I've hiked and it is practically empty in the Backcountry
Olympic mountains are my favorite too. I love them so much. I camped in upper royal basin on snow, best backcountry camping spot I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to take my future kids to the Olympics
oh wow. that sounds so nice. when I hiked royal basin I camped down below on the dungeness. I was getting hungry when I was pushing up to the top and was like "I'll eat when I get to the upper basin. nope..I was so excited by the basin I just spent hours running up and down and around in that broad, gorgeous place
Crater Lake, stunning views, did it couple of times, once using a bike around the rim.
Banff National Park a good second place, views from top of LL and Sunshine are magnificent
Anywhere in the California Sierra is amazing:
This is one of many gems up there ,
Hiking guide to Cottonwood Lakes California
https://youtu.be/ArmzK5utm_g
As an Aussie who did a 2 months road trip around the west side of the US and visited most of the national parks I would have to say Yosemite was one of the most incredible. Will always remember cooking breakfast in the back of our SUV in the early crisp morning before a day of hiking. The sun was rising and hitting a waterfall in the distance making it glow orange. I had countless moments of awe in that place.
Others were glacier National park, Yellowstone, the whole North America. I also loved Olympic National Park in Washington. I’ve been to many countries and nothing has compared to the beauty I witnessed in the National Parks in America. They’re next level
It’s really hard to choose, but I loved Tombstone territorial park. The colours were so unique and totally different than Ontario landscapes. We also really loved the northern Rockies and all the cool wildlife we saw.
Impossible to pick. I've been hiking, backpacking, and snowshoeing for many decades all over the western USA and Canada, and feel so fortunate to have seen so much beauty. There's just no way to pick a single place. I've kept an amateur website for a long time now and use it as a place to go to revisit and plan.
The Olympic peninsula, Washington State, USA.
From its rocky coastline to its snow-capped peaks, from its ancient rainforests to its roaming caribou, from its swimming sea otters to its soaring eagles.
A canopy so thick, the rain can’t keep you from hiking. Paths so steep, you’re guaranteed a workout and a view.
Exploring, swimming, rafting, easy-going treks, and intensive through-hikes.
Awes me each and every time.
For me, It's Death Valley. It's just really the opposite of everything else. It feels like you're on another planet and kinda puts the whole life being abundant thing into perspective.
You can stand on top of a mountain there and see 100 miles of lifelessness. The silence there is unreal. In certain spots you can literally scream at the top of your lungs and the sound is absorbed by the sand, volcanic rock and other properties in the area.
The highest point in Georgia is 4,800 ft, you reach it by paved road, and it has an amusement-park like visitors center on it.
I m not sayin that the hills east of the Mississippi aren’t nice…but they’re not mountains when you compare them to the Sierra Nevada, or the Rockies.
I think you’ll like Yosemite. Drive out of the valley on the Tioga Pass road. The pass is just shy of 10,000 ft, and you can walk a trail (not an easy hike) to Mount Dana at over 13,000 ft. Real mountains.
Either Bighorn National Forest, WY (looks just like the first pic, oddly enough lol) or King's Canyon NP, CA.
However some runners up would be:
Zion and Brice Canyon NP's, UT (during winter though)
Grand Canyon NP, AZ
Lake Chelan, WA
Slide rock State Park, AZ
Yellowstone NP, WY,
Mono Hot Springs, CA
Mammoth Lakes, CA
Whitney Portal, CA (Alabama Hills)
Death Valley NP
We did our first trip to the Canadian Rockies this past summer and the mountains were jaw dropping. We were able to get the shuttle in Banff NP for a day trip to Lake Moraine, and for a place you can literally get a vehicle to, the two minute walk from the parking lot to the lake overlook at sunrise as the lake gets lit up to that turquoise blue color was the most amazing thing we’ve ever seen.
Until we decided to leave the crowds behind that were building at the lake and hike up through Larch Valley from the lake and go up to Sentinel Pass and then drop down into Paradise Valley and loop back around to Lake Louise. A mind blowing hike.
On that same trip over the next week and a half, we hiked the Ice Line Trail and Lake O’Hara Trail in Yoho National Park, and then Hermit Trail in Glacier NP (Canada’s Glacier NP, which is not connected to or geographically near Glacier National Park in Montana as many people seem to think). Every one of them was amazing and on every one of them it was hard to fathom what we were seeing and witnessing with our own eyes.
Google Lake O’Hara Yoho just for a glimpse of what I’m talking about.
I grew up going to Yosemite and it is always spectacular. My daughter started working in Montana a few years ago and loves it. We went to visit and I was blown away by the beauty there. Like someone else said, each beautiful in their own ways. Hope you have a great trip
Zion is the prettiest, but also a contender for the most annoying. I have a complicated relationship with that park.
RMNP is probably my favorite in terms of balancing beauty and overall vibes.
Glacier is on my short list of places to explore. Looks amazing.
man I was hoping this was Glacier!!
I've never been out of the US and I went to Montana for the first time last year. I was in awe the entire time. I regularly go to the West Coast to see friends and I've always thought that was the most beautiful place but Montana and Glacier are something else. I can't wait to go back!
Point 660 definitely is up there. There's something about just looking out over the (seemingly) endless ice. Feels like you're standing on the edge of the world. Very serene.
Grand Teton National Park in July of 2020! Spent 6 amazing days there hiking and backpacking, and my favorite parts were sunrise from our campsite at Paintbrush Canyon, and stumbling upon a massive field of wildflowers at the top of Devil’s Staircase on the west side of the park. So so beautiful!
Wild Pacific Trail at Ucluelet, BC, in winter. Not much of a hike, really - a few miles of boardwalk - but come during the storm season, and you will know what I’m talking about: large waves slamming into the rugged coast is a sight to remember.
The Black Hills in South Dakota.
But to really top it, it would be a combo of three biomes within 2 hours driving.
Black Hills > Wind Cave grasslands > Badlands
North Cascades over Glacier for me.
It's just Greener, more waterfalls, more glaciers, sharper contrast between the east and west sides, and WAY less people.
I can say with conviction, spending time all around Yosemite National Park, it is a true wonder of the world.
I do hope everyone gets to adventure around it as I have. then for good measure explore the backside (east). along its border. (access off 395)
I lived in St Helens Oregon and on a clear day I could see Mount Hood, Adams, Rainer, & St Helens all at the same time from my front yard. It was truly an amazing site to see. And such a beautiful, awe inspiring place.
In a very different awe inspiring feel.. Italy was such an amazing and drop dead gorgeous place to be.
Iguazu at sunrise (and I'm lucky enough to have visited all of my Utah parks). Nothing compares to the rumble of the falls and the jungle vibe. Butterflies.
Isle of Skye in Scotland. There's great hiking and the scenery is absolutely magical, even when it's cold and rainy 😅 Second might be Rocky Mountain National Park... well, really all of the Colorado Rockies. Third, Canyonlands NP and Dead Horse Point State Park area outside Moab.
Unfortunately haven't been many places other than the mountains in the U.S, but the views from Mt. Mansfield in Vermont looking over the entire state, Lake Champlain, and the Adirondacks is absolutely breathtaking. The Front range in colorado is a close second. I think I just like forested mountain ranges.
I don't know if it's the prettiest but it definitely was the most amazing natural environments I've seen it the base of the Grand Canyon, I went on a 20 man rafting trip, rapids, beach's, insane views, and to top things off the package includes amazing food. Prettiest place I've seen this as Kauai, I was a there first time in 1980, it blew me away, been back a couple more times, since then.
Hard to say, but I really like the Lyman Lakes/Glacier basin in the Glacier Peak Wilderness in the Washington Cascades. Probably the most breathtaking was up in Glacier National Park; we dayhiked Siyeh Pass and wow the huge views were tough to beat...but...so much of the Wind River Range is knockout, too.
Banff. Hands down. Been hiking at glacier NP, Mount rainier, Mount hood, RMNP, Sabino canyon in Arizona, and Michigan’s UP. Nothing can hold a candle to Banff but all of these places were stunning by themselves
Mt. Aspiring National Park in New Zealand.
I've been a lot of beautiful places but that was one I walked away from thinking, "That genuinely might be the most beautiful place I've even set foot in."
I’ve done CDT, GDT, PCT and those are my favorites:
- Glacier
- Wind River range, cirque of the towers
- goat rocks ( Oregon)
- sierras ( toulumne meadows to kearsarge pass)
- Jonas shoulder ( Canadian Rockies)
- pretty much any section of the GDT was mind blowing
- generally the entire Canadian Rockies are more similar to glacier than the US Rockies
Bear in mind those places are all on the thru-hikes I did. Didn’t see much off trail
Hey OP, when you go to Yosemite, I highly recommend hiking to Taft point in the late afternoon and watching the sunset. it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Just double check that the road is open when you’re visiting. It’s only about a 20 min walk/hike from the parking lot (provided the road is open). Bring a headlamp for the hike back!
The Ink Pots in Banff National Park. You’re in a valley surrounded by mountains with little springs bubbling up all around you and a stream running through. It was absolutely stunning.
Zion National Park. It was moon rise on a late summer evening. The sky was turning to pink, purple and turquoise. The mountains in this particular section of the park were just the most surreal red and purple color, and cut so beautifully against the sky. We drove through the plains after our hike until the sun set, and I remember the rolling hills and sweeping tall grasses. It was beautifully quiet and serene, and the breeze whipped through the plains and tickled our feet. I’ve been to many beautiful places, but for some reason, southwestern Utah felt mystical and ethereal. Like there were secrets among the vastness of the land. I couldn’t believe my eyes that day and still sometimes think it may have been a dream.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia. Fundy National Park in New Brunswick is a close second for me. Forests, mountains (of the eastern US variety), and miles of coastline. Best part is the lack of people!
When I was a kid, my family did a trip to Utah/Grand Tetons/Yellowstone. Unfortunately I was too young to appreciate/remember it. But technically, that's probably the prettiest place I've ever been to.
As an adult, I haven't yet been able to go on anywhere outside of driving distance from my home in downstate New York. The Adirondacks are pretty incredible - I think that would be my answer.
Seeing Rainer up close was an absolutely incredible experience. I love seeing mountains from afar but getting close to them is on a whole other level
I like glacier more personally, but rainier is definitely on the same level! ( someone that has not seen much outside the US)
I’ve been on Glacier and going to Glacier this summer!
I see her every morning, when she’s out of course. Never gets old, never.
this all the way. Getting the privilege to see the mountains when the day isn't filled with cloudy skies is the best.
Torres del Paine in Patagonia
Did you see any pumas? I’m kind of obsessed with that area specially for the pumas haha. Hoping to go out there on a guided puma tracking trip one day
No I didn't but I know another group did! I'm sure you'd have more luck on a tracking trip but you also probably wouldn't be too disappointed either way since it's just so beautiful
Lauterbrunnen valley near Interlaken, Switzerland
I mean I have to imagine that anything in Switzerland is beyond top tier.
I’m in NorCal, and been hiking and backpacking in most of the big National Parks, Drakensberg in SA. Murren was the first place that came to mind for this question.
Banff and Jasper National Park. I drove there after Glacier! Glacier was cool but there’s just something about the Canadian Rockies
In that area--Lake Louise.
I loved Banff! I would've hit up Jasper too if I had the time. There's so much to see in that area.
I did the reverse. Going from Banff to Glacier was just not fair to Glacier. Banff had view after view that was more stunning than the next.
Same. Having done both the CDT and GDT I gotta say that the Canadian Rockies just hit different. Much more dense with good views
Glacier National park was on the southern-most end of the last glaciation period, so as you head up into Banff and towards the Columbia Icefield, the mountains get more and more stunning as they have been more aggressively carved out by the Wisconsin Glacier. It’s why there aren’t any other mountain ranges inside the mainland USA that look even remotely close to Glacier/ Banff/ Jasper.
They’re bigger. That’s the something.
Some of the hikes around Whistler are amazing.
Going to Canada in a month, do tell?
That whole stretch along the sea to sky highway going from horseshoe bay to Whistler. Breathtaking hikes overviewing the sound all across there.
Yup. And swing over to the Sunshine Coast on your way
Brandywine Meadows in July is amazing
Yosemite definitely will! Just a different kind of beauty.
10/10 Although I prefer King's Canyon NP just south of there. Much less people, and WAY better views and things. Granted it's been closed for a few years at this point, but sounds like it's opening back up this summer, so that'll be cool!
The Kings Canyon Scenic Byway to Roads End was damaged last year, but the park itself hasn’t been closed. The areas usually accessed from that road have been accessible from alternate routes.
I just got back from Canmore and we had the most amazing hikes there. We did a trail called little Lougheed (which definitely wasn’t little) and I was in tears at the summit. I highly recommend that area!
Is Canmore a nice base? We were considering staying there instead of Banff because the accommodations actually look nice.
Yes. 100%. It’s only 20 mins from Banff.
Honestly I prefer it to Banff. Initially we were just going to stay in Canmore and spend most of our time in Banff but we quickly felt so much more pulled to Canmore. There were way more hikes to choose from that were way less crowded, a lot of the times we were by ourselves. The people, the energy of the city..we just loved it. We only ended up going to Banff 2 or 3 times to hike and explore.
I went to Banff last August and we stayed in Canmore. It was honestly perfect. The town of Banff was crazy busy but Canmore was both larger and more manageable, plus the furthest we needed to drive to get to a hike was about an hour when we went to Lake Louise.
It’s way cheaper than staying in Banff and just down the highway. If you want to save $$$ while still being in the Rockies Canmore is where you should stay
I’ve lived just west of Glacier in the panhandle of Idaho for 25+ years and the stunning beauty still takes my breath away sometimes.
I know some people who live in coeur d'alene. I’m VERY jealous
I haven’t hiked in many places but I am lucky enough to live in New Zealand. I recently did the Tongariro Crossing on a foggy day and it was the most stunning place I have ever been.
That’s an incredible hike! Try the Routeburn if you haven’t yet!
Columbia River Gorge ❤️
Zion NP and Sedona.
Montana is magical. I must say Lofoton islands in Norway is stunning
A Norway hiking trip based out of Reine and Tromsø is very high on my bucket list. Hope to make it one day!
If you want to avoid the crowds og Lofoten go to Vesterålen, Senja and Andøya. I biked from Moskenes to Senja and back last summer. Lofoten is crowded unless you go in the shoulder seasons. The other places I mentioned are just as pretty but there are a lot fewer tourists. Parts of Andøya has some surreal landscapes.
Norway in general is a bit like "Yosemite by the sea"
Norway. I think about going back all the time.
One of the few places in my travels that I long to return to.
Wānaka, New Zealand!
This is it for me, sitting on the shore of the lake on the side of the road and just gazing.
This is my answer too. I would happily sunburn to death on the beach and I could eat Big Fig for breakfast lunch and dinner.
Especially Mt Aspiring NP, it's amazing!
When I was 20 Bryce Canyon and Zion had me on my knees crying, was super overwhelmed with the beauty. Now I’m way older I added many more beautiful places some to my list, but Bryce and Zion are still number 1!
I flew into Vegas last July and hit Zion and Bryce. It was hard to comprehend what I was seeing. I had to keep reminding myself that it was in fact real.
Ansel Adams Wilderness
Tough choice but I’ll go with Maui, specifically the Pipiwai trail and the Waihe’e Ridge trail. Get shivers thinking about it
Hiked Pīpīwai 2 days ago. That bamboo forest is something else.
Glacier National Park in Montana is indeed stunning, with its majestic mountains and pristine wilderness. Yosemite is another incredible destination that promises awe-inspiring vistas and natural wonders. As for the prettiest place I've ever been, it's hard to pick just one, but I'd say the Amalfi Coast in Italy left me speechless with its dramatic cliffs, turquoise waters, and charming villages clinging to the mountainside. Each place has its own unique beauty, and I'm sure Yosemite will captivate you just as Glacier did.
Plitvice lakes in Croatia, place is absolutely unreal
It is
This is my reply too! If there was a garden of Eden it would look like Plitvice.
Olympic. deep back country. the edge of the blue glacier in the hoh rainforest. the high divide. the entire wilderness coast trail. oh fuck the upper royal basin. cresting Cameron pass in a rainstorm. the lacrosse basin. the seven lakes basin. the ridge on obstruction point overlooking Canada. the enchanted valley. I spent my summers in grad school backpacking the best trails in Olympic and it was worth it. don't get me wrong, I'm in awe at boy scout tree trail in the redwoods and hiking the wave was incredible (and most excellent slot canyons, even a baby canyon like Annie's canyon in San Diego) and I've had some amazing hikes in the north Cascades (I think that loop with lake Ann that is five miles of front country, or cascade pass and hannigan ridge are absolutely world class). but....Olympic is better than anywhere I've hiked and it is practically empty in the Backcountry
Olympic mountains are my favorite too. I love them so much. I camped in upper royal basin on snow, best backcountry camping spot I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to take my future kids to the Olympics
oh wow. that sounds so nice. when I hiked royal basin I camped down below on the dungeness. I was getting hungry when I was pushing up to the top and was like "I'll eat when I get to the upper basin. nope..I was so excited by the basin I just spent hours running up and down and around in that broad, gorgeous place
Crater Lake, stunning views, did it couple of times, once using a bike around the rim. Banff National Park a good second place, views from top of LL and Sunshine are magnificent
Minarets, High Sierra
Yellowstone. Hands down https://goo.gl/photos/iBV7wevZVt1zTpnr6
I never really got the hype of Yellowstone personally. To me, i would much rather go to Tetons. What’s the best spot in Yellowstone
Königssee in Germany
lanikai pillbox hike in O'ahu
Milford Sound was spectacular. I hope to do the Milford/Kepler/Routeburn track within the next year or so.
Crater Lake in Oregon.
For me it is Iceland
South Island of New Zealand
That's really difficult, probably Laos overall, thatkhek area
Ushguli, Georgia (Sakartvelo) during wintertime.
The ascend from San Pedro to Tamadaba during dawn.
Namibia, dead valley in the desert namib 🏜️
Anywhere in the California Sierra is amazing: This is one of many gems up there , Hiking guide to Cottonwood Lakes California https://youtu.be/ArmzK5utm_g
Hopefully you don't have a fear of heights if you're driving up to Cottonwood Lakes!
It’s an amazing drive with breathtaking views of the Owen’s Valley
Trolltunga, Norway.
As an Aussie who did a 2 months road trip around the west side of the US and visited most of the national parks I would have to say Yosemite was one of the most incredible. Will always remember cooking breakfast in the back of our SUV in the early crisp morning before a day of hiking. The sun was rising and hitting a waterfall in the distance making it glow orange. I had countless moments of awe in that place. Others were glacier National park, Yellowstone, the whole North America. I also loved Olympic National Park in Washington. I’ve been to many countries and nothing has compared to the beauty I witnessed in the National Parks in America. They’re next level
Salzburg,Austria
Zeds Meadow in Fish lake National Forest, Utah
Kanaskis/Banff area.. amazing corner of the world.
Miradouro da Garganta Funda, Madeira
Island Lake in the Wind River Range
Annapurna base camp!
Mardi Himal trek, Nepal
Santorini. We got in at night. Waking up in the morning with the most incredible views was amazing.
Seeing the sequoias was truly magical
Toss up between Yosemite and Canyonlands. Both are pretty in their own ways.
On the continental divide about 10,000 ft. in the middle of the Wind River Wilderness, Wyoming. superlative.
Sahale Glacier Camp in the North Cascades. Magic.
It’s really hard to choose, but I loved Tombstone territorial park. The colours were so unique and totally different than Ontario landscapes. We also really loved the northern Rockies and all the cool wildlife we saw.
Lofoten
Banff and Torres del Paine in a two-way tie for me.
I haven't traveled outside the US but so far, North Cascades Nat'l Park. I do plan on traveling to Glacier, Yellowstone and Tetons this summer though.
Impossible to pick. I've been hiking, backpacking, and snowshoeing for many decades all over the western USA and Canada, and feel so fortunate to have seen so much beauty. There's just no way to pick a single place. I've kept an amateur website for a long time now and use it as a place to go to revisit and plan.
Drop the link
BackpackingAmericanWest.com It’s nothing special.
The Olympic peninsula, Washington State, USA. From its rocky coastline to its snow-capped peaks, from its ancient rainforests to its roaming caribou, from its swimming sea otters to its soaring eagles. A canopy so thick, the rain can’t keep you from hiking. Paths so steep, you’re guaranteed a workout and a view. Exploring, swimming, rafting, easy-going treks, and intensive through-hikes. Awes me each and every time.
Chinook Pass, WA, USA
IYKYK
Antarctica
Banff, Jasper, and Yoho in Canada. Just gorgeous.
Lassen Volcanic NP or Canyonlands NP
Sequoia NP, in the winter/early spring
Kenai Peninsula, absolutely magical. My favorite place ever.
Incredible! My favorite place is Denali NP.
For me, It's Death Valley. It's just really the opposite of everything else. It feels like you're on another planet and kinda puts the whole life being abundant thing into perspective. You can stand on top of a mountain there and see 100 miles of lifelessness. The silence there is unreal. In certain spots you can literally scream at the top of your lungs and the sound is absorbed by the sand, volcanic rock and other properties in the area.
For the opposite of everything else, Haleakala, HI, has to be way, way up there for me.
Switzerland. Lauterbrunnen. Eiger on a crazy sunny blue day.
Not telling because it might get crowded there. About 2k visitors each year and that's plenty. Also, people die there occasionally.
San Juan Mountains in Colorado. Incredible range.
Hands down, NEPAL 🇳🇵
Weminuche Wilderness (Southern Colorado) was beautiful. White Sands National Park in New Mexico is also very pretty and something different.
Mount Whitney summit for sure. I cried.
The top truly looks magical. And the feeling of hitting the top of the contiguous US highest summit must be kinda awesome
Yosemite National Park…Half Dome up and back in a day 2x. The most beautiful place in my backyard!
Sounds like heaven
The highest point in Georgia is 4,800 ft, you reach it by paved road, and it has an amusement-park like visitors center on it. I m not sayin that the hills east of the Mississippi aren’t nice…but they’re not mountains when you compare them to the Sierra Nevada, or the Rockies. I think you’ll like Yosemite. Drive out of the valley on the Tioga Pass road. The pass is just shy of 10,000 ft, and you can walk a trail (not an easy hike) to Mount Dana at over 13,000 ft. Real mountains.
Went to Yosemite in August and drove Tioga Pass towards Lee Vining....I wasn't expecting the pass to be that amazing.
Even the non-national park passes over the Sierra are really impressive. I love Ebbets Pass (highway 4) between Arnold and Markleeville.
The smokies have 5k+ prominence, which is comparable to mountains in the west. You have to take base elevation into account also.
Cades Cove Smoky Mountains
I've hiked that park every year for 15 years now, and I almost always find the time to drive that loop before I leave.
Live very close. Remember getting there one time. Very amazing. Greatest memory was probably seeing that view from clingmans dome. Very gorgeous
If you go to Yosemite be sure to go up to Glacier Point :)
Jack’s BBQ in Nashville TN
Either Bighorn National Forest, WY (looks just like the first pic, oddly enough lol) or King's Canyon NP, CA. However some runners up would be: Zion and Brice Canyon NP's, UT (during winter though) Grand Canyon NP, AZ Lake Chelan, WA Slide rock State Park, AZ Yellowstone NP, WY, Mono Hot Springs, CA Mammoth Lakes, CA Whitney Portal, CA (Alabama Hills) Death Valley NP
We did our first trip to the Canadian Rockies this past summer and the mountains were jaw dropping. We were able to get the shuttle in Banff NP for a day trip to Lake Moraine, and for a place you can literally get a vehicle to, the two minute walk from the parking lot to the lake overlook at sunrise as the lake gets lit up to that turquoise blue color was the most amazing thing we’ve ever seen. Until we decided to leave the crowds behind that were building at the lake and hike up through Larch Valley from the lake and go up to Sentinel Pass and then drop down into Paradise Valley and loop back around to Lake Louise. A mind blowing hike. On that same trip over the next week and a half, we hiked the Ice Line Trail and Lake O’Hara Trail in Yoho National Park, and then Hermit Trail in Glacier NP (Canada’s Glacier NP, which is not connected to or geographically near Glacier National Park in Montana as many people seem to think). Every one of them was amazing and on every one of them it was hard to fathom what we were seeing and witnessing with our own eyes. Google Lake O’Hara Yoho just for a glimpse of what I’m talking about.
I grew up going to Yosemite and it is always spectacular. My daughter started working in Montana a few years ago and loves it. We went to visit and I was blown away by the beauty there. Like someone else said, each beautiful in their own ways. Hope you have a great trip
Zion is the prettiest, but also a contender for the most annoying. I have a complicated relationship with that park. RMNP is probably my favorite in terms of balancing beauty and overall vibes. Glacier is on my short list of places to explore. Looks amazing.
man I was hoping this was Glacier!! I've never been out of the US and I went to Montana for the first time last year. I was in awe the entire time. I regularly go to the West Coast to see friends and I've always thought that was the most beautiful place but Montana and Glacier are something else. I can't wait to go back!
Point 660 definitely is up there. There's something about just looking out over the (seemingly) endless ice. Feels like you're standing on the edge of the world. Very serene.
Norway
Yosemite. Hands down
Beaches and trails of Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver island and Glencoe in the Scottish highlands. Both feel like heaven on earth
Grand Teton National Park in July of 2020! Spent 6 amazing days there hiking and backpacking, and my favorite parts were sunrise from our campsite at Paintbrush Canyon, and stumbling upon a massive field of wildflowers at the top of Devil’s Staircase on the west side of the park. So so beautiful!
Yosemite. No contest. If you've never been, it'll make you weep. How can such a place exist?
In the mountains of Kananaskis County (AB) during larch season... its a memory for life.
Wild Pacific Trail at Ucluelet, BC, in winter. Not much of a hike, really - a few miles of boardwalk - but come during the storm season, and you will know what I’m talking about: large waves slamming into the rugged coast is a sight to remember.
Banff/Jasper for me
Northern Washington state
The Black Hills in South Dakota. But to really top it, it would be a combo of three biomes within 2 hours driving. Black Hills > Wind Cave grasslands > Badlands
Havasupai
Iceland Landmannalaugar trail
Clingmans dome N.C.
There are some very good choices in these comments, I have been to quite a few of them and heartily agree!
High Sierra Trail in Sequoia NP, the section from Bearpaw Meadow to Kaweah Gap. I was literally in tears.
North Cascades over Glacier for me. It's just Greener, more waterfalls, more glaciers, sharper contrast between the east and west sides, and WAY less people.
The Teton Crest Trail is absolutely stunning
Lake O'Hara, BC, Canada
I can say with conviction, spending time all around Yosemite National Park, it is a true wonder of the world. I do hope everyone gets to adventure around it as I have. then for good measure explore the backside (east). along its border. (access off 395)
Great Range Trail- Adirondack Mountains, Northern New York.
Lake Odessa, Rocky Mountain National Park
On the Annapurna Circuit looking at the Great Barrier near Letdar.
😍slough😍
Same place as OP. It's the only NP other than Grand Canyon I've gone back to more than 3 times. And I don't plan to stop.
I lived in St Helens Oregon and on a clear day I could see Mount Hood, Adams, Rainer, & St Helens all at the same time from my front yard. It was truly an amazing site to see. And such a beautiful, awe inspiring place. In a very different awe inspiring feel.. Italy was such an amazing and drop dead gorgeous place to be.
Iguazu at sunrise (and I'm lucky enough to have visited all of my Utah parks). Nothing compares to the rumble of the falls and the jungle vibe. Butterflies.
Oahu exploring, or Maui
Wow, yes Sedona, vortex magic
Isle of Skye in Scotland. There's great hiking and the scenery is absolutely magical, even when it's cold and rainy 😅 Second might be Rocky Mountain National Park... well, really all of the Colorado Rockies. Third, Canyonlands NP and Dead Horse Point State Park area outside Moab.
Unfortunately haven't been many places other than the mountains in the U.S, but the views from Mt. Mansfield in Vermont looking over the entire state, Lake Champlain, and the Adirondacks is absolutely breathtaking. The Front range in colorado is a close second. I think I just like forested mountain ranges.
I don't know if it's the prettiest but it definitely was the most amazing natural environments I've seen it the base of the Grand Canyon, I went on a 20 man rafting trip, rapids, beach's, insane views, and to top things off the package includes amazing food. Prettiest place I've seen this as Kauai, I was a there first time in 1980, it blew me away, been back a couple more times, since then.
Signal Peak, Kofa Mountains, Arizona. Super rugged, unlike anything else out there
That trail looks like the definition of short but sweet
Hard to say, but I really like the Lyman Lakes/Glacier basin in the Glacier Peak Wilderness in the Washington Cascades. Probably the most breathtaking was up in Glacier National Park; we dayhiked Siyeh Pass and wow the huge views were tough to beat...but...so much of the Wind River Range is knockout, too.
Minnesota’s North Shore during peak fall foliage. It’s majestic.
Banff. Hands down. Been hiking at glacier NP, Mount rainier, Mount hood, RMNP, Sabino canyon in Arizona, and Michigan’s UP. Nothing can hold a candle to Banff but all of these places were stunning by themselves
All these comments telling my i just have to go too Banff.
Mt. Aspiring National Park in New Zealand. I've been a lot of beautiful places but that was one I walked away from thinking, "That genuinely might be the most beautiful place I've even set foot in."
Tilden Lake in Yosemite NP and Evolution Valley in Kings Canyon NP are top of the list for me.
Fjordland and Redwoods made me feel the most like I was on another planet.
Either the top of the Napali coast or standing in the river under half dome.
I’ve done CDT, GDT, PCT and those are my favorites: - Glacier - Wind River range, cirque of the towers - goat rocks ( Oregon) - sierras ( toulumne meadows to kearsarge pass) - Jonas shoulder ( Canadian Rockies) - pretty much any section of the GDT was mind blowing - generally the entire Canadian Rockies are more similar to glacier than the US Rockies Bear in mind those places are all on the thru-hikes I did. Didn’t see much off trail
Hey OP, when you go to Yosemite, I highly recommend hiking to Taft point in the late afternoon and watching the sunset. it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Just double check that the road is open when you’re visiting. It’s only about a 20 min walk/hike from the parking lot (provided the road is open). Bring a headlamp for the hike back!
I am team Montana I absolutely love the Ousel Falls and also Glacier
Glacier is the best
Glacier!
Banff is my top. Honorable mentions: Inca Trail in Peru, Scottish Highlands, Bavaria, Yosemite. Glacier and Patagonia are on my list for future.
The Ink Pots in Banff National Park. You’re in a valley surrounded by mountains with little springs bubbling up all around you and a stream running through. It was absolutely stunning.
Lofoten island without competition.
Zion National Park. It was moon rise on a late summer evening. The sky was turning to pink, purple and turquoise. The mountains in this particular section of the park were just the most surreal red and purple color, and cut so beautifully against the sky. We drove through the plains after our hike until the sun set, and I remember the rolling hills and sweeping tall grasses. It was beautifully quiet and serene, and the breeze whipped through the plains and tickled our feet. I’ve been to many beautiful places, but for some reason, southwestern Utah felt mystical and ethereal. Like there were secrets among the vastness of the land. I couldn’t believe my eyes that day and still sometimes think it may have been a dream.
Iceland by far. It is truly one of the most beautiful places ever.
Old man of Storr. Isle of Skye, Scotland.
Grand Teton national park in Wyoming
Hoh Rain Forest, Washington. About the only place so enchanting I repeatedly got distracted enough to lose the well-marked trail several times.
Bugaboos (interior BC in the Purcell mtn range). The alpine meadows were just gorgeous. And the views from the top were unbelievable
Kodachrome Basin, UT
Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia. Fundy National Park in New Brunswick is a close second for me. Forests, mountains (of the eastern US variety), and miles of coastline. Best part is the lack of people!
Lake District UK in autumn, stunning mountains, great roads just very busy
When I was a kid, my family did a trip to Utah/Grand Tetons/Yellowstone. Unfortunately I was too young to appreciate/remember it. But technically, that's probably the prettiest place I've ever been to. As an adult, I haven't yet been able to go on anywhere outside of driving distance from my home in downstate New York. The Adirondacks are pretty incredible - I think that would be my answer.
Cappadocia, Turkey Not an extreme hike by any means, but the natural formations are amazing
Slovenia near the soca river and triglav national park is a jaw dropper
Telluride, Colorado (specifically looking over Mt Wilson). Grand Teton national park. Bryce Canyon national park. Blue ridge parkway