For landscape photographers like my self, the United States offers perhaps the most diverse set of geography, topography, and climates to experience and capture through the lens. The surreal landscapes across the country make for some of the most spellbinding subjects for landscape photography if you just know where to find and how to capture them.

This in no way means that you cannot photograph spectacular landscape images without leaving your locality. But if you’re looking for something “extra” and iconic, the following 4 destinations might be just what you need to push your landscape photography game a notch higher.

Let’s see which places make our list of dream landscapes you can capture.

Yosemite National Park

If you’re located in or close to San Francisco and/or San Jose, Yosemite National Park is a must-visit place to hone your landscape photography skills. This place can easily be your favorite place as a landscape photographer. Why? It’s because it has a collection of some of the most beautiful natural landscapes across the country – all in one place!

Go out and capture the beauty of Yosemite Falls (highest waterfall in the United States), the grandeur of El Captain – a granite monolith standing 3,000 feet tall, the magic of the Half Dome, or one of the countless scenic overviews of the park that can be captured from different vantage points. There is absolutely no shortage of compelling subjects when you’re shooting at the Yosemite National Park.

Yellowstone National Park

Located mostly in Wyoming and extending into Idaho and Montana, this nature’s wonderland needs no introduction. Spread across more than 3,400 square miles, this national park is home to glaciers and mountain ranges, lakes and hot springs, natural geysers and plenty of wildlife.

Whether you’re out to get the perfect shot of the Old Faithful or one of the hundreds of lakes found in the region – there is an extensive range of landscapes that can make into your portfolio as some of your best captures. Also, don’t be surprised if you run into a grizzly bear, an elk, or a grey wolf while taking shots – you’re basically in their territory at the Yellowstone National Park.

Sedona   

Almost everybody heads over to Grand Canyon. Don’t take us wrong, it’s a spectacular place to capture a host of stunning natural landscape images. However, if you’re looking for something similar, yet slightly different, you need to visit Sedona in Arizona. This small town is located about two hours drive to the south of the Grand Canyon’s southern rim.

Why is Sedona on our list? It’s because you can find a beautiful view of red rocks in almost every direction you look at. There are forest roads and trails that you can take to venture out into the wild and capture some scenic shots of the surroundings. If you don’t think you’re the hiking type, just rent a 4-wheel drive and explore away. While in Sedona, do visit the Red Red State Park and Jerome – Arizona’s famous ghost town for most amazing scenes to photograph.

Acadia National Park

Here’s another interesting place on our list. The Acadia National Park in Maine and a few surrounding islands. This is a place where you can capture the land and the sea together, along with other popular locations like the Bass Harbor Lighthouse that the place has to offer.

There are lakes and mountains too, that offer plenty of opportunities for aspiring landscape photographers like you. The Park Loop Road that takes you through the mountains and the forest with scenic views of the coast is open from April to November – that’s when you can make the most of this place.

There you have it, some of the most beautiful places in the US and arguably the world. All you need to do is get your camera gear in order and head over to one of these places to capture your best landscape shots ever!