There is an area of West Texas that was called the "most beautiful place in Texas," but it was not in Big Bend National Park.

According to the Midland Reporter-Telegram, the magazine "Travel and Leisure" listed "the most beautiful place" in all 50 states, so where was it in West Texas? The Guadalupe Mountains.

The magazine reports that the Guadalupe Mountains are the "exposed tips" of the most preserved ancient reefs on Earth known as Captain Reef.

Located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park which is located in the Chihuahuan Desert this area has nature walks and you can enjoy the sights from "The Top of Texas" as Guadalupe Peak is known.

So what about neighboring states to Texas?

In New Mexico, it was the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness which was called "a sci-fi, fantasy-like display of pinnacles, spires, and other weirdly wonderful bodies of weathered rock." It is located just south of Farmington in NW New Mexico.

In Oklahoma, it was the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, it was described in the magazine as "the largest sweep of tallgrass prairie in the country and worldwide."

In Louisiana, it was the Wild Azalea Trail which has "Peaceful scenery of pine trees, clear creeks, rolling hills, and wild horses."

In Arkansas, it was the Ozark National Forest which provides things to do for all seasons. It also has the Blanchard Springs Cavern which has an underground river. Hikers and rock climbers especially love Whitaker Point and Sam's Throne according to the magazine.

So now you have some destinations to include on your travel bucket list.

 

RANKED: Here are the most popular national parks

To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020. Keep reading to discover the 50 most popular national parks in the United States, in reverse order from #50 to #1. And be sure to check with individuals parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

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