EDITOR’S NOTE: Ashland graduate Adam “Doc” Fox is the marketing director at Source Media Properties. He also moonlights as a mountain climber who has been to the highest point of every state in the lower 48. In addition, he’s taken extensive backpacking and hiking trips. He and ol Johnny Cash have “been everywhere, man.”
The Top 10 awe-inspiring states in the lower 48
There’s so much absolute natural wonder in the United States with 63 national parks, 9,817 state parks and 193 million acres of national forest land.
You can hike on volcanoes, snorkel the clearest water, meander the deepest river canyons in North America or reach heights more than 14,000 feet while hiking with your kids.
While you’re exploring, as this summer’s World Cup showed, Americans will welcome you and showcase unique cultures and traditions around their cities.
Although there are endless options for a fantastic expedition, not all states rank the same in terms of overall splendor. That’s not to diminish any one state, it’s just that The Hulk was the toughest until he ran into Thanos.
Factors being considered: magnificent nature with freedom to roam 40 percent, climate 25 percent, people 20 percent and cities 15 percent.
Sorry if the state you love didn’t get named; there are so many categories and factors, like food, that matter so much more to other people. And the U.S. is so massive that you truly can find glory and happiness just about anywhere.
Well, except Mississippi, don’t go there. — Adam Fox
Honorable Mention
North Carolina — It’s where they filmed the greatest movie ever made, “The Last of the Mohicans.” So many enticing coastal cities, from Emerald Isle to the whole Outer Banks. Plus the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Asheville area is exploding. It’s unfortunate, however, that they constantly try to steal inventing flight from Ohio.
Speaking of Ohio — for real, honorable mention as an amazing Midwest state. Great Lakes access, big rivers, foothills of Appalachia and sweet people.
Lastly, Arizona, which has the epitome of Western-genre at Tombstone and the incomparable Grand Canyon, but it’s just too hot to survive.
#10 Nevada
Wild mustangs — picture cream ale bodies running towards a setting sun with unkempt free-flowing manes flapping in the wind. They gallop on mountainsides and survive in the endless desert prairie. Those horses encompass the freedom and vast landscape of Nevada.
Mustang unicorns prance beside Area 51 and the landscape is hard to survive. No need to colonize Mars; we can do that in Nevada.
Vegas, baby! There’s just something so magical about a place based in debauchery, where the slogan is pretty much do whatever you want here, just don’t tell anyone about it when you leave.
#9 New York
The Adirondacks are the best mountainous area this side of the Mississippi. Ask editor Carl Hunnell about learning survival the hard way there, while he was on a canoe expedition slash climbing up Mt. Marcy, which is the state’s highest peak.
Oh and there’s this city called New Amsterdam, that is, without a doubt, question or debate, America’s greatest metropolis with a population of over 8.5 million.
Letchworth State Park has a better waterfall experience than Niagara Falls, but both are in New York. Skiing is mid, but it exists. You can hike to the Eternal Flame Falls and there are two Great Lakes in Erie and Ontario.
#8 Florida
How about 1,350 miles of coastline? OK, what does that number mean? It’s the same distance if you were to drive from north central Ohio to Miami! The entire road trip would be water-shouldered.
Plus there’s “Florida Man,” Art Deco, and beaches where you can happen upon megalodon teeth.
Disney and Universal Studios, the band Hot Water Music, biker rallies, alligators, crocodiles and the Everglades are just some of the highlights. Almost everyone reading this has been to Florida on vacation or has a neighbor that has.
#7 Utah
When you think about legendary hiking trails in the U.S., the John Muir Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide and the Appalachian Trail come to mind. All those are amazing and deserving of the love.
What if I told you the best 100 miles of hiking, without worrying about grizzly bears, insane bugs, people or permits, is the Uinta Highline Trail? Contemplate cruising at 10,000 feet with valley and mountain views rarely seen by most people in the United States.
“The Greatest Snow on Earth” tagline may be true, but either way, there are many epic park options to ski and snowboard in, like Snowbird.
On the culture side, there’s the Sundance Film Festival and a unified call for preservation throughout the state.
Some people say that Zion National Park place is pretty mesmerizing, but I dunno, never been. The “Mighty Five” national parks they have means you simply can’t get enough glorious nature.
#6 Montana
This state goes hard. The frontier people that settled had to endure one of the most brutal and magnificent landscapes in America.
The granite mountains will hit you with 60 degrees in the morning and five hours later, two feet of snow.
The “Garden City” of Missoula has three rivers, five valleys, a unique arts scene and a progressive culture that blends perfectly with the tough cowboy attitude of the state.
Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park has waterfalls exploding out of distant mountain peaks, and it’s the most magnificent route I’ve ever taken in a car.
#5 Michigan
Before everyone starts crying about this, let me just say that Michigan has more coastline than Florida. That’s right, the Great mutha******* Lakes! A.P. style strongly discourages blocking out words where the reader can clearly decipher that meaning, but I’ll let you bet the judge if that qualifier is warranted here.
The Great Lakes hold “six quadrillion gallons of water” according to the Michigan Sea Grant, which is 20 percent of all of Earth’s freshwater and makes up 90 percent of all of America’s, so like, no big deal. Altogether, the Great Lakes have 11,000 miles of salt-free, shark-free coast, and Michigan touches four out of five of them.
Yes, Michigan has the dumbest, most-corrupt college football program ever, but sports are not a factor in this list.
At 500 feet above sea level, and not tied to ocean tides and flooding, Michigan will be the place to escape to as the weather continues to reach new extremes on both ends.
Almost a separate state, the Upper Peninsula will astound you with Pictured Rocks, forests and the Lake Superior coastline that is like looking out into an inland sea or ocean.
If you like to ski, Mount Bohemia gets crazy ‘durr from Superior and has near-vertical drops.
#4 Wyoming
The Wind River Range is America’s greatest mountain subrange. That’s a hell of a claim, I know, but I’ve climbed most of them. Never will you see mountain brutality and beauty that close up like you do in “The Winds.”
The routes and trails have all the different “class” climbs you need, along with Wyoming’s tallest mountain in Gannett Peak. There are grizzly bears, but that small death-threat is outweighed by turquoise rivers and gray granite mountain walls that cradle alpine lakes.
People from around the world go to Wyoming to ski Jackson Hole, gaze at the Tetons, traverse Yellowstone, which eats up the entire northwest section of this state in a delicious blend of picturesque scenery and stunning wildlife. A new feature has emerged here this summer, watching old men get flung in the air by bison at Yellowstone.
#3 Colorado
The true home of the Rocky Mountains has 58 peaks that are over 14,000 feet. Many of them are simple hikes to the top, good for varying ages and skill levels. Or you can just drink your morning coffee in Estes Park and gaze at the wonder of it all.
At Pike’s Peak, the Ivy League range, Rocky Mountain National Park, “Little Switzerland” that is around Telluride — you can find the perfect mountain meadow, with purple and yellow flowers, pretty much everywhere you go in the state.
Those high peak areas become ski resorts in the winter, such as “a little place called Asssspen.” Steamboat Springs has champagne powder if you like to sled on fields of cotton balls.
#2 Washington
Years ago, I left a rain forest along the Pacific Ocean with the world’s largest spruce tree that’s over 1,000 years old, located in Olympic National Park, and drove towards a Cascade volcano called Mount Rainier. That’s how quickly the endless, gorgeous terrain of Washington can change.
North Cascades National Park has pristine alpine lakes, the light blues encircled by snowfields and dark spires.
Seattle has produced some of the best rock ‘n’ roll music ever created on planet Earth. They even invented their own genre in grunge. I’d take Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains in a music fight against any other city’s top three.
#1 California
The place that most encompasses the “SoCal beach vibe totally epic broh surf’s up” is Pacific Beach in San Diego.
The coolest beach, where you can both catch a wave and a hit of meth in the same sesh, is Ocean Beach — which is also in San Diego.
Tijuana, the greatest border city in the world, is like 15 minutes away. The home of Ron Burgundy only makes up 8 percent of the state’s population and we haven’t even talked about the other parts yet.
There’s “The OC,” the art influence of Laguna Beach, muscle men of Venice Beach, the free climbs of Yosemite, the stars of Hollywood.
More on the nature side, there’s Joshua Tree and the whole Sierra Range. Mount Whitney is the tallest peak in the lower 48 and the crown of the Sierras.
Contrasting that is the United States’ lowest point, Death Valley, which is right next door.
Lake Tahoe exists for both snow and water skiing.
If you like trees, ya know, the things that provide us oxygen — the tallest tree in the world, Hyperion, stands over 380 feet tall and is located near Redwood National Forest. At one time you could drive a car through the trunk of a tree in Sequoia National Forest.
There are 840 miles of ocean coastline and the mighty waves of the Pacific Ocean create the swells surfers crave. From Mavericks to Cortez, nothing will kill you faster than the surf spots of California.
Don’t forget about Point Break and always remember Los Angeles is where John Connor defeated the Terminators.
The 100 million acres of California boasts the U.S.’s biggest economy at $4.3 trillion, and depending on the metric, is around the fifth-largest economy compared to any other country in the world!
