The 6 Most Beautiful Spots in the Western United States

Having lived most of my life in the East of the United States, outdoor spots in the West always seem to put me at awe of their beauty. I enjoy traveling and nature photography, so I've come across many different pictures as I've been planning my own future travels.

I saved six of the most beautiful places in the West, in my opinion, and now I want to share them with you. Let's see if you can make it the whole way through this without hopping in your car to go see one of these places in person.

Sedona, Arizona

When I first saw the picture to the right, I just sat and stared at it for a while. I then made it my desktop background; which it still is to this day.

Sedona is known for it's orange and red sandstone formations whose colors pop out the most at sunrise or sunset.

There's a lot to see here in terms of nature and there's a pretty big arts community.

A few of the places in Sedona that sparked my interest are Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock and The Chapel of the Holy Cross. There are plenty of different places for you to explore though!

-- Sedona's Official Website --

How do you get here?

>>Click HERE for Directions<<

This will show you how to get to Sedona and you can even enter your address to get directions.

You'll feel like you're looking at another planet if you stare at the picture to the right too long. The sky and the reflection in the water are so surreal!

Kings Canyon National Park is filled with so many outdoor adventures and the landscape is really diverse. There's giant trees, canyons, mountains, caves and waterfalls.

There's a handful of spots I aim to check out, like: the Redwood Mountain Grove, Grizzly Falls, the General Grant Tree and of course Dusy Basin.

But believe me, there's plenty more to do here!

-- Kings Canyon's Official Website --

How do you get here?

>>Click HERE for Directions<<

This will show you how to get to Kings Canyon National Park and you can even enter your address to get directions.

Crater Lake National Park houses a 6-mile-wide caldera (crater), which is what they call Crater Lake.

It formed when Mt. Mazama, now a collapsed volcano, exploded.

There's an island in the middle of the lake called Wizard Island (pictured on the right).

This island is the cider cone of the volcano, which formed after later eruptions.

You can actually hike down to the shore, take a boat to Wizard Island and then hike to the top of it to take in great views! When is the last time you stood on the cider cone of a volcano in the middle of a lake?

-- Crater Lake's Official Website --

How do you get here?

>>Click HERE for Directions<<

This will show you how to get to Crater Lake National Park and you can even enter your address to get directions.

This place is so beautiful that I chose two specific spots here to include in the list. Most people might be too distracted by Yellowstone to head this way, but don't make that mistake!

Snake River Overlook

The first spot is the Snake River Overlook which can be found on Highway 191. The view of the river is incredible with the Teton Mountain Range in the background! It's interesting to see the landscape change as it gets farther from a source of water.

How do you get here?

>>Click HERE for Directions<<

The link above will show you how to get to the Snake River Overlook.

Oxbow Bend

The second spot is Oxbow Bend. Now I know these places are only 18 minutes apart and both of them deal with views of the Snake River, but this is my list! You'll thank me when you can go see 2 of the most beautiful spots in the West in one trip.

There's a bit more plant life to be seen here but the Tetons, once again, try their best to steal the limelight from the Snake River.

How do you get here?

>>Click HERE for Directions<<

The link above will show you how to get to Oxbow Bend.  Aim for the Green Arrow on the map.

A couple other points of interest in the area are Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point.

-- Grand Teton's Official Website --

The last spot I chose is Cathedral Gorge State Park in Nevada.

The oddly unique grooves and formations in the clay, caused by erosion, give such an unworldly feeling.

If you showed me the picture to the right and told me it was from another planet, I'd believe you!

There are overlooks, trails and you can even camp or picnic here anytime of the year.

-- Cathedral Gorge's Official Website --

How do you get here?

>>Click HERE for Directions<<

This will show you how to get to Cathedral Gorge Park and you can even enter your address to get directions.

You made it the whole way down here without heading out the door to one of these spots?

Great job!

Now guess what you have to do?

Plan on getting off your butt and going to see one of these spots in person so you can tell me about your adventure!

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but you can never capture all the beauty that your eye can bring in from a single glimpse at a place like any of the above.

Let me know which spot you think is the most beautiful, in the poll on the right.