Idaho Is Home To Two of the Most Beautiful Places in the Nation

🗺️ Conde Nast Traveler recently updated their annual list of most beautiful places in America

🗺️ Two Idaho landscapes made the list of 50

🗺️ Landscapes in Utah and Washington State were also well represented

Stunning sunsets, unique landscapes, sparkling lakes. We may be a little biased, but we feel like Idaho’s the most beautiful state in the country and other Idahoans agree. That’s why it’s incredibly cool to see some of the things that make the Gem State so pretty get attention from major travel publications! 

READ MORE: You've Never Heard of This Remarkable Secret Idaho Location 

Conde Nast Traveler recently released their updated list of “The 50 Most Beautiful Places in America.” Unlike similar lists, they didn’t just pick a single location in each of America’s 50 States. They simply picked 50 locations, regardless of where they were, that would leave you with unforgettable memories and some breathtaking photos for your Instagram feed! 

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We could think of quite a few different Idaho landscapes that belong on that list: the turquoise hued water of Bear Lake, the crystal clear waters of Redfish Lake and the other worldly walls of Black Magic Canyon could all be contenders. However they’re NOT the Idaho landmarks you’ll find on this list but two others made the list! 

Conde Nast Traveler Names “The Palouse” One of America’s Most Beautiful Places

The list didn’t assign the 50 places an official rank, but the Palouse was the first Idaho landscape we came across. It’s truly a photographer or drone pilot’s dream to capture and you won’t find anything else quite like anywhere else in the country. 

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In a 2006 episode of Outdoor Idaho, Idaho Public Television explained that the stunning, rolling, colorful hillside wasn’t carved by creeks and rivers. Its unique appearance can be traced back to volcanoes, glaciers and wind. Millions of years ago, one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history caused basalt flows to fill in a canyon in the region. 

Seven Wonders of Washington State went on to explain that glaciers that were part of the ice ages that followed started to grind up the rock below them. Eventually that material ended up in a glacial lake. As the ice age ended, massive floods washed the silt left behind all over the region. When the floods were gone, extremely strong winds caused enormous dust storms carrying the silt through the air. When it eventually settled, it piled up like sand dunes and created the colorful 400,000 square mile region that covers part of Idaho and Washington State. 

It’s a pretty perfect place for wheat, barley, pea and lentil farmers not just because of the climate, but also because of the soil itself. The soil retains water and doesn’t need to be irrigated. 

Shoshone Falls Enters Conde Nast Traveler’s “50 Most Beautiful Places in America List”

There are some really spectacular places to visit in Southern Idaho, like Blue Heart Springs for example. But the shining jewel of that part of the Gem State? It is and always will be the “Niagara of the West,” aka Shoshone Falls. 

Conde Nast tells their readers to aim for a visit for the spring or summer when the falls are at their highest.  We agree…but we also think you should keep an eye out for the announcement of “Shoshone Falls After Dark 2025.” Typically, the event takes place in May and it's the only time that the falls are lit up with colors like the famous falls that they got their nickname from!

Other Note-Worthy Places to Visit in Our Region According to Conde Nast Traveler

Some other areas in our region made the list, too! They suggest checking at the Bonneville Salt Flats at the Utah-Nevada border. In choosing the landscape for the list, Conde Nast said:

The chalk-white landscape stretches so far out in all directions that you can actually spy the curvature of the earth, and aside from the dry heat, walking across the salty crust feels a bit like touching frost-covered grass first thing in the morning.”

They also didn’t have a problem playing favorites with Utah’s National Parks. They think Bryce Canyon National Park deserves the title because of its” layered red and orange hoodoos and lookout points positioned perfectly for sunrises and sunsets.”

In Washington, the lavender fields of the Sequim-Dungeness Valley got a shoutout and comparison to fields you’d see in France. 

They also insist on a visit to Hoh Rain Forest in Washington’s Olympic National Park and not just to see one of America’s only rainforests but to enjoy the serenity, too. Experts say that it’s one of the quietest spots you’ll find in the lower 48.