Want to see something incredible? Then, it’s time to get out and look at nature’s bounty – especially those found in California and Nevada.
To help travelers discover the most picturesque landscapes in the U.S., experts at Storyboards, a photo printing company specializing in assisting people in creating unique wall art, analyzed Instagram hashtag data to determine which landscapes could be considered the most “picturesque.” Lake Tahoe, which straddles the Sierra Mountains between California and Nevada, ranked No. 1, according to the survey.
The findings explain that “Among the most picturesque landscapes in the United States, the top spot is Lake Tahoe with 2,986,225 Instagram hashtags.” The team notes that such a high rate of mentions could be due to the lake’s clear water and the “many outdoor activities” that visitors can take part in, including hiking, fishing, and plenty of skiing in winter.
Lake Michigan, one of North America’s Great Lakes, was a close second with 2,788,904 mentions on the social media platform. “At 307 miles long and 118 miles wide, Lake Michigan is the third largest lake in the United States and the fifth largest in the world, and it is rich in natural habitat,” the team said. (Spoiler alert: Four Great Lakes appear in the top 10.)
In third place was Clearwater Beach, Florida, a stunning sugar-sand beach lapped by turquoise waters, with 1,298,877 mentions on Instagram. Lake Superior, also one of the Great Lakes and the largest freshwater lake in the world, was mentioned with 1,157,663 tags, ranking fourth. Like Lake Tahoe, the team believes its popularity is due to its “obvious” water. Lake Ontario, with more than 1 million mentions, was among the top five.
Other water-filled areas, including Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Lake Norman, North Carolina, Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes, and Lake Powell in Arizona and Utah, were in sixth to ninth place.
Yes; however, one place that had nothing to do with water made the top 10, and that was the Mojave Desert, with 429,066 mentions. The team said the desert may have earned so much praise thanks to its unique habitat, which includes “towering terraces, dunes, and Joshua trees.”
“The Top 10 landscapes are located in multiple states, including Florida, Hawaii, and North Carolina, showing that Americans are spoilt for choice when it comes to enjoying stunning scenery,” Storyboard co-founder Gavin Glick shared in a statement obtained by Travel + Leisure. “However, it is interesting to note that seven of the top 10 landscapes are lakes, suggesting Americans prefer this type of landscape.”
