Montana

Montana earns its Big Sky nickname honestly, with a horizon that feels wider here than almost anywhere else in the country.

Glacier National Park, in the northwest, has glacier-carved valleys and the Going-to-the-Sun Road, one of the most dramatic drives in America. Bozeman and Missoula are the state's two real cities, both built around universities and easy access to fly fishing and hiking. Cattle ranching still shapes much of the state's economy and identity outside the parks.

Light pollution is low enough here that stargazing alone is worth the trip.