These Are the Most Picturesque Places in the U.S., According to Instagram

Want to stare at something truly beautiful? Then, it’s time to head outside and take a good gander at Mother Nature’s offerings — specifically, those found in California and Nevada. 

To help travelers discover the most picturesque landscapes in America, the experts at Storyboards, a photo printing company specializing in helping people create unique wall art, analyzed Instagram hashtag data to determine which landscapes could be considered the most “picturesque.” According to the findings, Lake Tahoe, which straddles the Sierra Mountains between California and Nevada, came in at No. 1. 

“Placing first on the list of the most picturesque landscapes in America is Lake Tahoe, with 2,986,225 Instagram hashtags,” the findings explained. This extremely high number of mentions, the team noted, may be due to the lake’s wildly clear waters, along with the “many outdoor activities to partake in” for guests, including everything from hiking and fishing to plenty of skiing in the winter. 

Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes in North America, came in at a close second, with 2,788,904 hashtag mentions on the social media platform. “With a length of 307 miles and a width of 118 miles, Lake Michigan is the third biggest lake in America and the fifth largest in the world — not to mention, it’s home to an abundance of natural habitats,” the team said. (Spoiler: Four of the five Great Lakes make an appearance in the top 10.)

In third is Florida's Clearwater Beach — a stunning sugar-sand beach lapped with turquoise waters that boasts 1,298,877 Instagram hashtag mentions. Lake Superior, also one of the five Great Lakes and the largest freshwater lake in the world, came in at number four with 1,157,663 hashtag mentions. The team believes that, like Lake Tahoe, its popularity is due to its “incredibly clear” water. And rounding out the top five is Lake Ontario, with just over 1 million hashtag mentions. 

Sixth through ninth place went to other water-filled areas, including Honolulu's Waikiki Beach; North Carolina's Lake Norman; Lake Huron, another one of the five Great Lakes; and Lake Powell, which sits in both Arizona and Utah.

There was; however, one non-water-centric spot to crack the top 10, and that’s the Mojave Desert, with 429,066 hashtag mentions. The desert, the team stated, likely wins so much praise thanks to its unique habitat, which includes “towering mesas, sand dunes, and Joshua Trees.”  

“With the top 10 landscapes being located in various states, including Florida, Hawaii, and North Carolina, it shows that Americans are spoilt for choice when it comes to stunning scenery,” Gavin Glick, the co-founder of Storyboards, shared in a statement obtained by Travel + Leisure. “However, it’s interesting to see that seven of the top 10 landscapes are all lakes, suggesting that Americans favor this type of landscape over any other.”