Map: The Best States for Nature Enthusiasts

Sometimes the best way to recharge is to get into nature. Escaping the chaos of daily life—even just for a little while—can do wonders for your mind and mood. If you are someone who feels most at home under open skies or among tall trees, consider planning a visit to one of the best states for outdoors lovers, as shown in the map below.

1. The Best States for Heading Outdoors

To determine which places are ideal for outdoorsy folks, the charity-rating site SmileHub compared all 50 states across 18 metrics covering three main categories: environmental quality, outdoor activity access, and economic impact and job opportunities. Factors such as air pollution levels and dark sky areas per capita were weighted and graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 indicating the most desirable circumstances for outdoor enthusiasts. After determining each state’s final score by averaging all the weighted metrics, SmileHub created the map below.

The Best States for Heading Outdoors

Many of the best areas for enjoying nature are in the northern part of the United States, with Montana earning the highest score of 63.24. The Big Sky State has the most outdoor gear stores per capita in the nation and the country’s third-highest outdoor recreation economic impact score.

Alaska comes in second place by a small margin, scoring 63.06 out of 100. The northernmost state has the most national parks per capita, which earns it a high spot on this list.

Rounding out the top three states in the ranking is Colorado with 61.96. It ranks second in the economic and job opportunities category and boasts the nation’s third-highest number of outdoor gear stores per capita.

If you are looking for something to do once you have reached your destination, consider checking out one of the top 10 hiking trails in the United States. 

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