America the beautiful: Here are 15 places in the U.S. that people say are the prettiest
We ranked the top 15. Which place came out on top?

Crater Lake, the redwoods and Na Pali coast.
The one thing that all Americans and folks worldwide can agree on is that the United States is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. When tourists trek across the states, they are always blown away by how vast the country is and the number of different climates and bioregions encompassing all 50 states.
There are the deserts of the southwest, the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii, the tundra of Alaska and the grasslands of the midwest. Not to mention the beautiful coasts of California and the picturesque bays of New England.
America has many wonders, but which place is the most beautiful? A Redditor named DriedKitten posed the question to the AskReddit subforum and received over 1,100 replies.
To rank the responses on the Reddit post, we looked at the number of upvotes each suggestion received and then ranked them. It’s not the most scientific way of doing things, but it gives us a pretty good idea about the places in America that people think are most beautiful.
Here are the top 15 most beautiful places in America ranked.
1. Glacier National Park (523)
"That whole place is surreal. Going to the Sun Road is a national treasure." — Andrunlc.
"The vistas of this road, on a motorcycle, were beyond breathtaking to experience. Would 100% do it again. Being on a bike allowed for stops at the waterfalls where there was no room for vehicles to pull over, and the views from the tunnels under the road were supernatural." — Tastygrrrl
2. Grand Tetons (Wyoming)
"My vote would be for the Tetons. Holy sh**. The way they just rise up right in front of you when you exit the airport even." — Bqzs
"Also early in the morning during the winter when the sun is reflecting off the snow along the side of the mountains. I think it's called alpenglow." — Fred Foreskin
3. Crater Lake (Oregon)
"On a clear, sunny day, there is no more beautiful place on earth than Crater Lake. Stunning blue water. Mountains all around." — Commercial-Lawyer1629
"It's a shade of blue I haven't seen before or since. Can't be captured in photographs. Something about it being incredibly clear and deep." — Cutely Aware
4. Na Pali Coast (Kauai)
"Ludicrous I had to scroll this far to find Na Pali coast. I’ve been to around forty states - there is a LOT of incredibly scenic stuff in the US, but Na Pali is next level." — BD401
"THIS. Kauai is absolutely beautiful. Taking a helicopter ride over the island is also an amazing sight. You see all the beautiful waterfalls that are a days hike away." — PamelaThornton13
5. Redwoods (California)
"Drive up 101, and then detour towards Petrolia. There is absolutely nothing like it. Roll down your windows and drive 35mph. Smell the old growth. Stop at the pull out. Take a small hike. It’s worth it." — Altril2010
6. Big Sur (California)
"Heaven on Earth, in my opinion." — DriedKitten
"I felt like I was in some computer generated fantasy when I was there. It was just so beautiful and perfect." — [Deleted]
7. Sequoia National Park (California)
"Paradise Valley in Sequoia NP is a favorite place of mine." — Driedkitten
8. Mount Rainier (Washington)
"It is so odd and elusive. You come around a corner and BAM, there it is. But from a block away, you wouldn't know it was there. It takes my breath away. Sitting on the Canyon Road East overpass on 512, you get a great view. I never want the light to change." — Botryoid2000
Mt. Rainier photographed from Spanaway, Washington.
9. Yosemite National Park (California)
"Did a hike in Yosemite on January 1 last year. A spectacular way to start the year. I had seen photos of it, seen it in movies, and watched countless videos on YouTube about it, but -nothing- prepares you for the sight of El Cap as you turn that corner. I was very nearly moved to tears." — ThrustersToFull
"It's surreal in person, isn't it? Just majestic." — SocalRDB
10. New England
"I think it depends on what you like. In my opinion, I like the New England states because I’ve seen pictures of the autumn that they have there. It’s the perfect place for Halloween. I love everything related to horror. And Maine is the state where lots of horror stories from Stephen King books take place." — Midnight_Wolf89
11. Glacier Bay (Alaska)
"Took a week-long camping trip there one year for the Perseids meteor shower. It's unreal." — badatboujie
12. Pictured Rocks (Michigan)
"Unexpectedly incredibly breathtakingly beautiful." — Immoveablebeast
"Yes! Highly recommend renting a pontoon boat for the day!" — idekmanijustworkhere
13. Badlands (South Dakota)
"There’s never anyone there, and you can hike pretty much the whole place. It’s so peaceful." — Mayo_Man
A brown rocky mountain under white clouds.
via Sonja/Pexels
14. Lake Tahoe (Nevada)
"Gorgeous." — Driedkitten
South Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
via Manu/Pexels
15. Utah's National Parks
"Zion would be my pick for OP's question." — ljg1986
"Utah is so beautiful that they even have the most beautiful license plates. And I say this sitting in coastal California." — Adin-CA
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."