Geography king, you make by far the most interesting, specific, and unique geography videos I’ve seen on the internet. Thank you so much

You are kind of like the KZfaq version of Lonely Planet for US road trips. I really like this sort of content where I can learn where to travel next.

I'm from Georgia. Many are surprised that North Georgia has many beautiful waterfalls and Tallulah Gorge is impressive to see.

I spent one year in the Adirondack Park, in 1981-82. I was only in a 2-county area, but what an amazing place. There is also the Catskill Park, which is a fraction of the size, but still beautiful with plenty of places to hike. I have been there a couple of times. I believe your ranking of New York State is correct. It's amazing that the state that contains New York City also contains so much wilderness and natural beauty.

As a Connecticut resident living in the Northwest, it's almost all trees, except for a few large towns. White Memorial in Litchfield is the largest conservation area in the state with woods, fields, swamps, rivers. And Mt. Greylock St. Park in NW Mass is an especially beautiful area. The Appalachian Trail goes through it

Thanks for rating Maine #1. I live in the north woods area that you described and wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

The line of states from North Dakota to Texas feel more west than east to me.

It blows my mind how you make so many videos about geography and related topics and yet how they are all each very interesting and worth watching

I figured Maine would be #1, so I am not surprised. I am also not surprised at #2. I saw the eclipse in northern Maine earlier this month; this is definitely a state I need to visit more often!

Thank you for rating New Jersey higher than I expected. I am still wounded from its low ranking in the state video so this helped ease that pain. :)

I'm partway into a mission to run in every town in Maine, so I've seen a lot of it. It's certainly wild, especially up north. There's more potential soltitude here than anywhere else in the east, between the north woods and the islands.

I know you were highlighting wilderness, but northwest NJ and the Great Swamp in NJ can often find one alone, if not as much as in the pine barrens. Just no one’s left thinking it’s all the Parkway and the Turnpike. Canoeing on the Delaware can be a real challenge in the Spring.

Anytime you make a list ranking something, you’ll get those who disagree. Thank you for the videos. There are so many many wonderful things to see and explore outdoors in this country. I love finding these spots when I’m blessed enough to travel.

Really nice video. As usual!

Every time I fly over New Jersey I'm amazed at the size of the wooded area there.

Great video. I enjoyed that. Thank you.

I really look forward to your videos. You do a great job. They are always interesting.

The prettiest place in Oklahoma wasn’t even mentioned- the Wichita Mountains in SW Oklahoma!

I grew up in Maryland in the 1960's. At the time, the state marketed itself as "America in Miniature." Although I haven't heard that phrase in decades, it still embodies what the state has to offer. Your video did a nice job of capturing the state's essence.

Another great production ❤❤

There's a 3rd unit of Theodore Roosevelt NP. Where the original ranch used to be. I got to touch an oak tree that was there on his property. Which was cool since he also helped to plant an oak tree in my neighborhood in Worcester, MA...

Moved to Maine two years ago and I couldn't agree more!

I appreciate you sharing this. Currently travel working with my wife out in California enjoying a lot of the national parks in the west. We’re suppose to go back to our home area in NY/NJ this year which bums me out a little but seeing this reminded me how versatile upstate NY is, been to the Catskills and Adirondacks a number of times, always love scenery (especially the fall). And Maine ain’t so far either!

Thanks! Great video.

Another interesting video. It’s pretty cool to see a list from this point of view

Appreciate the suggestions for nature east of Colorado.

Great video! A few of the states I disagreed with though. -Connecticut: Nothing crazy but better than most of the Great Plains. -Mississippi: The have some cool swamps there, not to mention Red Bluff. -Massachusetts: It’s not just the Berkshires, they have some amazing coastline making them a diverse state for natural beauty. Would have about 15 spots higher. -New Hampshire: Honestly, their mountains are just as good as Maine’s. Would also have about 15 spots higher. I agree with your takes on Oklahoma and Georgia. Love your channel!

I have spent so much time in Virginia, Kentucky, and Georgia and they are all so very beautiful but there is just no conceivable way those states are more beautiful than Michigan and Minnesota. The Northwoods and Great Lakes are beyond belief. With that said, great video 👍

Love this! More of this! More niche specific videos!

great video!

Well done! I’d also add that Maryland, Delaware, NJ, and Florida are paradise for birders, especially in the spring. It wouldn’t shake up your rankings, but certainly one of my favorite hobbies in those areas. Also, winter sports in New Hampshire might shoot it up the rankings a few notches for me.

I grew up inthe middle of Hoosier National Forest. I was a root digger for 20+ years so I seen much of the wooded areas .. Thank you for the video, Kyle

Not originally from Alabama but moved here a few years ago. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the nature.

Lovely, thank you.

This is my kind of video. Also good list generally

Kyle, I knew your #1 was gonna be your #1. As a lifelong resident of #1, I wholeheartedly agree. Love it when you share your videos about #1. Sometimes I wonder if you'd like to live here.

I mostly agree. 👍 nice work

Nebraska was ranked above Kansas and Iowa. Thank you! Yes, there is a lot of pride in this Nebraska woman. Even cooler is all of the options in my new retired to state of Arkansas. I'm just learning how beautiful it is.

New Hampshire at 20 is incomprehensible.

Great video I grew up in New York, and people would assume I lived in a concrete jungle all the while I would be thinking of the times I spent hiking and hunting in the Adirondacks. Perhaps you could do a video about Adirondack State Park after all it is one of the first Forever Wild Forest Preserves in the nation, and at 6 million acres, it is the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States. Also, have you ever been to Two Ocean Pass a mountain pass in the Teton Wilderness, which is part of Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest. The pass is notable for Parting of the Waters, where one stream, North Two Ocean Creek, splits into two distributaries, Pacific Creek and Atlantic Creek, at Parting of the Waters National Natural Landmark. These two creeks ultimately flow into their respective oceans. Atlantic Creek water eventually flows into the Yellowstone River and empties into the Gulf of Mexico via the Missouri River and Mississippi River. Pacific Creek water eventually flows into the Snake River and empties into the Pacific via the Columbia River. The only waterway in the country which flows both east and west of the Continental Divide. 44 02' 31"N 110 10' 17"W

Excellent!

NY also has pitch pine barrens and hundreds of miles of seashore on Long Island!

One thing you don’t ever seem to touch on is Lake Superior. I think that is probably the most powerful outdoor feature for Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Michigan has 6 National Park/Wilderness Areas in the Superior Region alone. I would argue that Michigan and Kentucky could swap places. Mainly because Michigan has a great rock climbing and ice climbing scene. It also has a pretty big whitewater rafting scene that shouldn’t be overlooked. We also have a very nice surfing culture in Lake Superior that Kentucky can’t offer. If you combine what with the miles of beaches and sea kayaking opportunities of Grand Island National Recreation Area, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and the inland wilderness canoeing opportunities and I think Michigan has some extra Mojo you might not have had the opportunity to experience. I own an adventure center in the Upper Peninsula and I’d love to take you out on some whitewater rafting adventures or rock climbing adventures if you were up for it!

I remember once in Mississippi a guy haughtily said "you must feel weird without all that concrete." I grew up in a park larger than New Hampshire.

I would personally rank Pennsylvania higher but besides that, great list Kyle!

YES...MAINE!!! Can you tell I live here? LOL My family loves Maine, for many, many reasons. Tons of rivers, lakes, hiking and biking trails, and our coast has some incredible beaches (yes it's true) and rugged shoreline too. It's home to LL Bean, the original outdoor store, what else need be said. We love vacationers, so come on up and enjoy my state, great breweries and restaurants, and 4 season outdoor activities!

That picture of Georgia looks like a painting wow!

I'm so glad you ranked Kentucky so high! We also have the beautiful bluegrass area in the central part of the state. Plus, many, many arches-we have the highest concentration of arches in the eastern U.S.

Great video. Having been to 49 states, I too reject the idea that "only the West is beautiful," believing that natural beauty can be found anywhere. There are parts of Nebraska and South Dakota that look nearly indistinguishable from California, except that nobody else is around, giving it a certain mystique.

Very interesting rankings! Fun fact, some of the states you rated the lowest actually have some of the highest proportions of conservation land in the country! Delaware is 15th, Rhode Island 11th, Massachusetts 6th, and New Jersey 2nd. Massachusetts (my home state) is pretty amazing because there is so much protected land in even the fairly urban parts of the state. Almost every town has a town-owned conservation area with a couple acres of maintained walking trails through forested land. There certainly are not the large swaths of national forest land other states have, but beautiful natural areas in some form are generally very accessible!

Super happy to see Maine, where I live, at the top of the list. It’s mind-blowingly beautiful here, amd more water than I’ve ever seen in my life. Especially since I’m a native Texan!

My home commonwealth of Kentucky is very diverse for outdoor activities. Rock climbing, hiking in many state parks, fishing, boating, hunting, and something very few states have in caving or spelunking. Definitely top 10 overall.

Appreciate the Jersey placement. The northwest “mountains” are deceptively beautiful and there’s nothing quite like the Pinelands in the country. Little state but packs a lot of punch when you look around.

One thing you forgot to mention about Michigan is that we have some decent skiing in the winter!

Having moved to Tucson from Overland Park, thank you for not ranking Kansas last. To brag, I did pedict ME & NY #'s 1 & 2. Of course, so did half the viewers.

Eastern Arkansas, most of which was converted into farmland, holds some very beautiful upland and bottomland remnants, too. I've assisted in botanical surveys in the region so I got to see the deeper areas of these remnants situated on Crowley's Ridge, the Bayou De View, and the locally famous Sunken Lands and others. If you are willing to brave the unfathomable amounts of mosquitoes, wading through water and risk a snake bite, you will be rewarded a glimpse into parts of this state's primordial past. Especially in areas where the loggers from generations ago didn't get to.

Great video! I think that this was a fairly fair set of rankings - although I would have liked to have seen proximity to skiing (downhill and cross country) be a criterion in the overall rankings. This could have helped boost VT, NH, MN, MI, among others. 🙏

I'm glad you ranked my state so highly. The Buffalo River is truly special. The only downside is that too many people are aware of it now.

It’s amazing how unmentioned NY can go as far as nature spot. The Adirondacks might as well be western New England, but with even fewer people and even more picturesque peaks. The southern tier holds beautiful lush hills. The finger lakes are a joy of their own, and Letchworth state park (Grand canyon of the east) is consistently rated one of the nation’s best state parks, a reputation fairly earned IMO. The thousand islands are a great spot. More than anywhere else, who could forget Niagara Falls. Seriously though it’s a huge state and has almost every temperate biome you could possibly want. Also an underrated state for winter sports!

I lived in NC and now in Maine. Certainly can agree with their rankings! 😊

We were just by the Buffalo river in Arkansas. We went there to see the eclipse and it was a gorgeous natural place to view it, especially with all the hills

Nice video as always. While one can quibble about the rankings which makes for great discussion, I did want to point out one thing about Iowa. Don't forgot the Loess Hills in the western part of the state along the Missouri River. The area is great for hiking, camping and some water activities. But most significant, this is only one of two places in the world where this type of landform exists. Indeed northeast Iowa is the nicest part of the state (including Mississippi River and backwaters), but the Loess Hills is worth a quick mention.

Love your videos!

How can NH only be ranked number 20! 😫

Wicked good list, bub.

Great video! I live so close to Lake Vesuvius in Ohio. Its looks so much like thats where that picture is from! I love it there!

I'm going to do something I don't often do; I'm going to disagree vigorously (although still respectfully) with the Geography King. I know that some state had to be last, and I also acknowledge that I'm biased, but I find Delaware exceptional (certainly more so than Kansas or Indiana or North Carolina). Trap Pond (which I think was featured in another GK video), Cape Henlopen, Bombay Hook, and the little towns in rural Kent and Sussex counties--they're unique and I love them all. Even in Wilmington, which isn't the world's most exciting city, there's the Christina River, Brandywine Park, and the Coffin Gardens, all hidden gems. Granted, I have spent a lot of time in the state, and there's a lot of subjectivity to this kind of thing.

The BWCA in Mn is my fav vacation spot. As a local is so easy to access and so beautiful!

The four of us in Maryland - America in miniature, after all - would like to have a word with you over Old Bay beers. Fun list Kyle, thank you!

Shenandoah National Park is worth a mention in Virginia. Some of the best views in the Valley & Ridge Region. Thanks for the video

GREAT video. The only reason I'd give Georgia and North Carolina a nod over New York and Maine: It's more doable year round. But it's hard to argue with the beauty of Maine.

The Hudson River Valley is one of my favorite areas of NY. I’m sorry I never got to visit Maine. I‘ve only been as far north as Massachusetts.

Kyle I respect your opinions a ton, but I think you're off with Massachusetts. I understand New England is the part of the country you've spent the least amount of time in, and I think it shows here. Massachusetts has some fantastic shoreline with dunes, rocky cliffs, marshes, etc, plus dozens of incredible islands. Add to that the many beautiful lakes, and the water recreation here is pretty competitive with other states. And while the Berkshires can't compete with the broader Appalachian range, they're expansive and gorgeous. I moved here a few years ago from the western US, and I've been blown away at the hiking, biking, and paddling. Overall, I can't see how states like Kansas, Iowa, New Jersey, or Illinois rank above it. Great video overall though, I enjoyed learning about a few new places

Mr. King, have you been to Palo Duro Canyon in Texas? Was so impressed and never expected it from that area

Ohio has Salt Fork State Park, which has some pretty scenery, and a history of Bigfoot sightings.

Did a backcountry camp and hike in north unit of Theodore Roosevelt Park and it was one of my favorite experiences in my life

Great video! It doesn’t surprise that Maine is number one. New York at number two was surprising, but not from my experience. The Adirondacks are among the least populous areas in the East, and the state has such a wide variety of natural landscapes. Going back to Maine, the coast of Maine is truly one of the most beautiful, yet manageable areas in the US.

No way id have Illinois, KS, or Indiana above Massachusetts even if its crowded the coasts and mountains alone make up for it and have much more to see

Hey Geography King. I've been watching your videos for a while and I am in the middle of moving from Ogallala Nebraska to Chattanooga. If I remember correctly you live in Chattanooga and I was hoping for some pointers on some cool stuff to do and see near there. Thanks!

Could you add small and humble titles to the lower right of the photographs you display, stating the exact location? Thanks for all you do.

While i disagree with the ranking of many of these, I think you do a good job justify each state's spot. This is obviously very subjective, and I tend to value certain things differently. Regardless, I think you do a great job of highlighting the fact that the eastern half of the US has immense outdoor experiences that are probably unknown to folks who don't live in these areas.

Most people think DE doesn't have much nature or wilderness, but the northern boundaries of the state bordering MD & PA have some genuinely beautiful wilderness/mountain biking trails that connect large portions of the northern county together and with the surrounding states. White Clay Creek seemed boring to me for a while but after spending more time there, there's a lot more to it than it seems. Bald Eagles, vibrant mossy patches, some cool swamps and vernal pools full of amphibians, paw paw trees with sweet rare fruit you can pick off the tree, etc. And the coastal plain region near Bombay Hook is pretty cool. DE has a pretty clear transition between the northern and southern biomes and it's cool to be on the border of Appalachian type scenery (albeit flatter) you'd expect in NY/PA and transition to coastal plain that looks more like VA/NC. I understand it's not a grandiose beauty, but i've been to most of the states and didn't appreciate how beautiful DE can really be until spending time away and returning.

Lived in Maine and NC briefly...both are incredibly beautiful.

I would have moved Vermont and new Hampshire farther down the list, while Nebraska and Kansas up the list. But you can find beauty in all the states. Ive kayaked trussum pond in Delaware. The most scenic waterway in the state, for example

Great way to communicate a fact of New England life, that the region essentially functions as one big state with the southern three for development and very little nature and the others staying rural. So you can live in one and still have the benefits of the other pretty close by.

My top choices are based on where I live and what states are nearby. That puts Alabama on top and Georgia at two. Of the other states, North Carolina is next, followed by Tennessee and Arkansas, South Carolina, Missouri, and Florida. The rest are in a general bottom since I have either never been there yet or haven't seen much of them.

I love by monthly walks at Congaree NP! Definitely a gem in the Midlands of SC with some massive loblolly pines 😮

Just curious, what regions of Louisiana have you been to? Roughly about half of the state is the classic cypress swamps, marshes, and bottomland hardwood forest, but the other half is pineywoods and frequently has rolling hills. I think you'd be surprised by what you see in the Kisatchie national forest. There's areas with exposed sandstone and very thin soil, so when you combine the sort of vegetation that grows there with the surprisingly steep, rocky hills it's extremely beautiful and reminds me of a lot of areas out west.The Tunica Hills is another really interesting area where there's really deep deposits of loess, which is a very fine wind-blown silt. It's very erodible so you end up with deep ravines and steep slopes. It also has the perfect amount of drainage and supports some really beautiful large hardwood trees.

12:29 Ouachita Mountains are in the southwestern quadrant of Arkansas; the ones in the northwest are the Boston Mountains. The dividing line is the Arkansas River valley.

Happy for Maine! Glad Arkansas was ranked high as well, underrated beautiful state

Don’t forget Reelfoot Lake in north west Tennessee, we have our own swamps too. Plus middle Tennessee has some great rivers for paddling too & some awesome waterfalls. Some man made lakes are also pretty nice & have secluded areas.

Wow my home state of Indiana ranked way higher than I expected. The Midwest definitely has its own beauty if you take the time to appreciate it

Kentucky ranking higher than Michigan is insane. Love your videos!

We Kentuckians do love our beautiful state! I'm gonna throw in the Palisades of the Kentucky River from Frankfort to Lawrenceburg. An entrenched meander on the Cincinnati Geological Arch. Thanks for the love!

In most of these states, the nature is so good that to see any of them ranked so high seems disrespectful, but it just goes to show how special our country is. In my personal opinion, North Carolina belongs at the top of this list, not just because it has the best of the Appalachian mountains, but it also has some beautiful nature near the coast in its poccasin swamps and pine forests. I am from North Carolina and I haven't been to Maine, so I may be biased.

Delaware is underrated. The North is similar to Philly, but South of that is Slower Lower. Its similar to the South, a lot of agriculture, swamp and beach, and good food. Nice little state

Include Hawaii in the western ranking! I wish you had included D.C. (and maybe the Caribbean territories as well). Great video!

I think touching on the national seashore/cape and islands/general coastal areas of Massachusetts would bump it at least couple spots. Pretty good reserve areas and conservation groups continue to buy up more

I would argue NY is the most beautiful in the East. The Adirondacks are absolutely incredible. Katahdin is unbelievable, but is only 1 mountain. The ADK high peaks are some of the most dramatic views anywhere in the US, plus youve got the fingerlakes, niagara, and the beaches of long island. New hampshire definitely needs to be in the top 5, and is wayyy more beautiful than anything in Pennsylvania

I'm fairly well travelled. I've spent time in most of the State's on the list and currently live in Western, NY where I grew up near the PA line. Pretty fair list and I 100% agree with the top 3. Along with Main, I do think there are a few places in NC that are comparable to the West, when I was at Linville Gorge in NC, I felt like I was in the Rockies! If you dropped somebody there who didn't know any better, even a well traveled person like me, I don't think they would have any idea that they were in the Eastern US! Some of the vistas in NC like Broken Glass and Max Patch are borderline comparable to western views as well. I don't necessarily disagree with it's spot on the list in comparison to the other states, however in terms of your narrative I think you were a little bit unfair to Mississippi. Mississippi does have a nice coastline with some low key beaches and very nice wetlands for paddling, swamps, nice hiking trials, a lot of species diversity, and even a couple of gorges/gullies (like Red Bluff)! There is some true protected wilderness inside the Mississippi Delta region of the state. The forests inside the Mississippi Delta are some of the most unique in the country and it's home to some of the largest tracts of old growth forest in the South. I guess my point is that Mississippi is a state that's worth visiting/exploring for it's nature if your ever in that area. Another interesting fact is that the State of Alabama is actually by far the most biologically diverse state in county. The Mobile delta is very rich in species diversity (and wilderness wetland areas), while you have some subtropic islands off the Alabama coast which are home to some of the southern-most species of the US and the foothills to the Appalachian Mountains in Northern Alabama which are home to most of the Northern Species of North America. Anyway, great video. I certainly agree with the top 3. Some of the State Parks here in West/Central NY like Letchworth, Niagara Falls and Watkins Glen could 100% pass as National Parks (in addition the the Adirondacks and Catskills)! Not much in terms of "wildness" but there are even some cool protected nature spots on Long Island! Unfortunately I haven't spent much time in Main, but from everything I have heard it 100% deserves the #1 spot!