Every State's Best Place to Take Selfies and Group Photos

In today's social media-driven world, it's all about finding those great photo spots when you're traveling. The United States is filled with beautiful scenery just waiting to be photographed. Whether you're with friends and family or by yourself, here's where to go for the most photogenic spots in the United States.

For the best selfie and group photo in Alabama, travelers should head to the state's highest point at Cheaha Mountain in Cheaha State Park. Alabama's oldest continuously operating state park and Tripadvisor Traveler's Choice Award winner offers extraordinary views, perhaps none better than that from the breathtaking Bald Rock Overlook.

Alaska isn't short on nature or wildlife to enhance your vacay selfie but perhaps no backdrop is as breathtaking as North America's tallest peak in the 20,310-foot Denali. Head to Denali National Park & Preserve and climb aboard a guided bus tour to reach the Stony Hill Overlook, one of the best places to capture a lasting memory.

Head to the town of Page in northern Arizona just a few miles from the Utah border to discover the awe-inspiring Horseshoe Bend, a uniquely-shaped incised meander of the Colorado River. Visitors should pack a selfie stick and expect to pay $10 per vehicle and plenty of crowds at sunset when photo-ops are at their best. However, once parked, it's just a brief 0.7-mile hike to the lookout point 1,000 feet above the river.

Easily one of the prettiest places in Arkansas, Hawksbill Crag, also known as Whitaker Point, is located in the Ozark National Forest in the northwestern part of the state. Despite the epic viewpoint, you don't need to be an experienced hiker to reach this picturesque spot. However, you may want to plan your visit for the spring or fall season if you really want your photos to pop.

Travelers certainly can't go wrong snapping a shot at the Santa Monica Pier, Yosemite or the Golden Gate Bridge but no setting in California is as iconic as the Hollywood sign. To capture the perfect pic, you'll want to target spots like Griffith Park and Lake Hollywood Park where you can hike or walk to your ideal background.

You can't go wrong with a fresh air selfie among the Rocky Mountains but Denver Union Station is perhaps the most recognizable landmark in Colorado and an easy find for tourists making their way through the heart of the Mile High City. Plus, Denver's Living Room puts visitors right next door to some of the city's best bars, restaurants and shops.

For the best selfie or group photo background in the Nutmeg State, head to the village of Mystic where you'll find the largest maritime museum in the U.S. in Mystic Seaport. This destination's historic ships, buildings and stunning seafaring replicas combined with the shimmering Mystic River make for an uber-charming experience and even better pictures.

Delaware's Cape Henlopen State Park is the best place in the state to strike a pose as visitors will have several background options including the Point Overlook where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, historic Fort Miles and the fishing pier. Boasting miles of spectacular coastline, Cape Henlopen offers plenty to do in between taking pictures, including swimming, fishing, kayaking, paddle-boarding and hiking and biking trails.

Epic photo seekers have plenty of options when it comes to capturing their next favorite shot in the Sunshine State, including sites like the Ernest Hemingway House in Key West and the iconic Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom but Miami's Wynwood neighborhood is perhaps the most memorable as its home to some of the most colorful street murals anywhere in the world.

Atlanta is a city ripe with glorious selfie and group photo ops. Parks like Piedmont and Centennial Olympic will certainly set you and your camera up for success but the largest aquarium in the U.S. and the third-largest in the world offers some truly extraordinary backgrounds. The Georgia Aquarium is one of the few places on the planet where you can view whale sharks-the largest known extant fish species-up close but visitors can pose with hundreds of different species.

This Makapu'u Point Lighthouse Trail, located near Hanauma Bay, captures the essence of Hawaii. The paved two-mile hike is easily accessible. Head out around dawn for the most jaw-dropping photos and in the winter months, you could even capture a whale photobombing your photo.

Redfish Lake is the largest lake in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. There are campgrounds, fishing, boat rentals, lodging and more. Head out onto the lake in a paddle boat to capture your group with the Sawtooth Mountains in the background. The area is known for its stunning sunsets.

Grant Park in Downtown Chicago is ideal for group photos and selfies. Known as "Chicago's Front Yard," the park is located on the shores of Lake Michigan and hosts many significant events in the city, such as music festivals and cultural celebrations. Capture the iconic Buckingham Fountain in your pics.

Take the group to Bloomington, Indiana, and visit Indiana University in the fall to capture the beautiful Sample Gates during one of the most colorful seasons. The tended gardens are meticulously maintained and lead to a forested part of the campus through a series of pedestrian trails.

Des Moines is the perfect place for taking selfies in Iowa. The city is home to its own selfie museum called Selfie WRLD IOWA at the Merle Hall Mall. It is Iowa's first Instagram pop-up museum. Visitors will find interactive galleries and installations ideal for posing for pictures.

To take a great selfie, head to downtown Wichita to the Keeper of the Plains. This steel sculpture overlooks the confluence of two rivers and represents the history of the region. The evening is the best time to visit for a photo when the statue is lit and the sun is setting in the distance.

Visit Chained Rock in Pine Mountain State Resort Park. The rock looms over the town of Pineville and is chained to the mountain. Folklore says that the rock was harnessed to prevent it from falling on the town below. The hike to the outcropping is just .3 miles and provides visitors with an iconic photo opportunity as well as views of the Cumberland Mountains.

Louisiana is certainly filled with a plethora of great photo spots throughout the state. Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Shreveport have their highlights, but it's New Orleans that delivers the best places for travel photography. From the famous French Quarter and bustling Bourbon Street with those gorgeous balconies to the river cruise ships by the water, New Orleans is loaded with places to take memorable pictures.

Grab the iconic shot of Maine at the Portland Head Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth. Perched the craggy shores of the 90-acre Fort Williams Park, the lighthouse first shone in January of 1791. The lighthouse is especially pretty at sunset.

Capturing the sunrise over the Chesapeake Bay will provide a colorful backdrop for groups or selfies. The 200 mile-long stretch of water is the United State's largest estuary with forests lining a shoreline that is home to blue crabs, finfish, water birds and more.

For a great group photo, pick any spot on Cape Cod. The Massachusetts seashore is a dream photo opportunity and the backgrounds range from the blue waters to the colorful lighthouses to the tan sand dunes. For a selfie, you can't beat the historical significance of the Freedom Trail or even Harvard Square.

Selfie? Take a ride to the Upper Peninsula and Mackinaw City, hit the beach along the lake on the south side, and get the magnificent Mackinaw Bridge in your background. At dusk, when the sun is setting and the bridge lights come on, it is truly spectacular. With a bunch of friends, nothing screams 'group photo' more than a brisk fall day watching football at the nation's largest college stadium, the 110,000-seat Michigan Stadium.

A selfie would be pretty easy at one of the most scenic spots in the state, if not the country. Minnehaha Falls, just minutes from downtown Minneapolis, is gorgeous. There are actually two great spots - one is on a staircase so close to the falls you can almost feel the mist. The other is on an upper viewing that gives you a more panoramic shot. Group shot? Get together at First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis, the club made famous as the place where Prince got is start in the music business.

For a selfie that expresses beauty and solitude, wander around the University of Southern Mississippi's All-American Rose Garden. There are more than 600 rose bushes in the Garden to choose from. For groups, any visit to Mississippi must include Oxford. Talk about Southern charm. A picture with friends and family in front of the courthouse is a must.

Take a selfie, take a group shot, take a picture of just the two of you, whatever. The storied Gateway Arch in St. Louis is not only wonderfully historic but picturesque after renovations of the grounds surrounding the Arch. And it's significant - the monument represents the symbolic middle of the country and remains the "Gateway to the West."

Large cliffs, beautiful waterfalls and a pristine lake dominate the Avalanche Lake area. It's a perfect spot for some solitude and to take a selfie. For groups, head to the town of Darby to visit the Chief Joseph Ranch, the filming location for one of the hottest shows on television, Yellowstone.

When you think of Nebraska, you probably think of flat plains where you can see for miles and miles. It's an unbelievable landscape you just aren't going to see a lot of elsewhere and a classic photo op. Think Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, the Nebraska National Forest or Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Now, if you and your posse want something really offbeat for a group photo, head to Carhenge in Alliance, Neb. It's exactly what it sounds like - old abandoned cars set up to look like Stone Henge.

Now, every state has its beautiful spots. Lake Tahoe is spectacular, the Hoover Dam is an architectural wonder. But the spot to take a photo in the state of Nevada - selfie or otherwise - is the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign on the outskirts of Vegas. To say it's iconic would be an understatement.

Ever want to take a photo with up to five states in the background? Head to Mount Washington where you can look out on New Hampshire itself and see parts of New York, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont. For the selfie crowd, few spots in the state can match the sun setting over the New Castle Lighthouse.

Even before the state legalized gambling and casinos, Atlantic City was a famous vacation spot. Largely that was due to its iconic wooden boardwalk that features everything from games to rides to foods we probably shouldn't eat but will. If romance and a slower pace is more your thing, head south of Atlantic City to Cape May for an idyllic step back in time.

New Mexico Albuquerque's International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, held annually in early October, provides a matchless backdrop for group shots or individual photos. The spectacle supplies a singular setting, with hundreds of vibrant, multicolored balloons that visually "pop" against the bright and often cloudless azure sky, with the majestic Sandia Mountains in the distance.

New York state offers innumerable photo ops, with many of the most emblematic settings obviously being concentrated in New York City. For beautiful and instantly recognizable backdrops, you can't beat NYC's 840-acre Central Park. Take advantage of the tree-lined paths, lakeside trails, picturesque bridges and ideally placed park benches or head to the iconic Bethesda Terrace for a photo in front of the world-famous fountain.

The historic Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina not only has a fascinating story attached to it, but it's also the most grandiose and architecturally impressive backdrop you're going to find in the state. The 250-room, French Renaissance-style castle is actually America's Largest Home, surrounded by 8,000 acres of gorgeous gardens and stunning nature trails.

Who doesn't love a good roadside attraction? Whether you're passing through on your own or with friends and family, the Enchanted Highway in North Dakota is a great spot for photos. This collection of the world's largest scrap metal sculptures spans a 32-mile highway stretch. Plus the name itself of Enchanted Highway gives travelers a fun story to tell from their road trip.

Like nothing else you'll find in the state, Loveland Castle & Museum (officially, Château Laroche) is situated on the banks of the Little Miami River near Loveland, Ohio. It's a full-scale replica of a Medieval European castle, which was designed and built by one man alone-Harry D. Andrews-who started its construction in the 1920s and continued for over 50 years.

The Wheeler Ferris Wheel at Wheeler District is a 100-foot-high historic Ferris wheel that was relocated from its original home at Los Angeles' Santa Monica Pier to this riverfront plaza location in downtown Oklahoma City. Get your group together in front of the giant "OKC" sign that sits nearby to create an instant photo-op with the Ferris wheel framed perfectly in the background.

Oregon's most glorious spot for selfies and group shots is best experienced in spring or summer. At the International Rose Test Garden in Portland's Washington Park, you'll find yourself surrounded by more than 10,000 individual rose bushes, representing over 610 different rose varieties, in bloom, from late May through October.

Pennsylvania is full of iconic spots that offer excellent photo ops, but there's one that's a clear standout: The Rocky Statue and Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Originally created for a scene in Rocky III, but, after filming wrapped, this larger-than-life bronze statue became a real-life monument and one of the city's most famous pieces of public art. Today, you'll usually find a steady stream of people queued up to take their photo with the "Italian Stallion".

Dating back to 1890, Castle Hill Lighthouse on Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay has become a symbol for the city of Newport, and its stark beauty provides the perfect photo-op setting. The lighthouse is actually owned by the nearby Castle Hill Inn, another historic coastal property that evokes the grandeur of a bygone era and is equally, if not even more, photogenic.

If you're in South Carolina, don't miss the opportunity to take a selfie or group shot in front of the famous Pineapple Fountain, a symbol of Southern hospitality, located at the Joe Riley Waterfront Park in the heart of downtown Charleston. Surrounded by greenery, and overlooking the Charleston Harbor and Cooper River, this massive, multi-layered fountain is an ideal spot for getting striking photos, especially at sunset.

Active groups of friends or family members will love coming to Mount Rushmore National Memorial as part of a road trip or just a standalone trip. The iconic backdrop of the carved presidents makes photos the best souvenir from your trip! Plus, located within driving distance include tons of hiking trails, waterfalls, historic sites and towns, caves and even wineries.

There are quite a few ways to access gorgeous views of the Smoky Mountains and the surrounding forested areas in Tennessee, which make for incredible backdrops for group photos and selfies. A perfect option for active groups or those wanting to get out into nature, the Smoky Mountains are sure to be a memorable experience. One fun way to get that sweeping vista in the background is over a long bridge at the Gatlinburg SkyLift Park, where North America's longest pedestrian cable bridge is located. Plus, there's a restaurant and bar to enjoy after you conquer your fear of heights and snap some photos!

While there is no limit to the many incredible places in Texas that are perfect for selfies and group photos, there's one that's extra special, just because it's not well known: Padre Island National Seashore. An undeveloped barrier island, this natural beauty has some of the best beach areas in the state, and the views of the Gulf of Mexico offer perfect photo opportunities, whether that be by yourself, with a group or just taking photos of the wildlife that call it home!

Big Cottonwood Canyon is located near Salt Lake City and is popular among locals for photo shoots, from engagement photos and family photos to graduation photos and more. From scenic fields of golden grasses to moody pine forests and misty mountain ranges, this dramatic landscape offers some of the best photo opportunities for those wanting to change the aesthetic of their Instagram account or just take some awesome photos with beautiful natural backgrounds.

For active nature-lovers, leaf-peepers and history lovers, check out Green Mountain National Forest. Offering some of Vermont's best and brightest fall foliage, the forest boasts a whopping 800,000 acres (both federally and privately owned) and over 2,000 historic and archaeological sites, so there is plenty to keep you and your friends or family posing against a forest backdrop, a stunning sunset vista or even a long-forgotten boundary wall, meeting house or other remnants of the region's once-bustling past.

So many states overflow with beautiful photo opportunities, and it's the same in Virginia. But one Victorian-era park that wows all visitors is Maymont Park. Located in Richmond, the historic 100-acre park and estate includes wildlife habitats, a breathtaking Japanese garden, an arboretum and even the historic and lavish Maymont Manor. The beautiful manicured gardens, fountains and arboretum make it a beautiful place for romantic photos, family photos or personal selfies to spruce up your Instagram account.

Washington state is filled with gorgeous views, from mountain peaks to forests to waterfalls to beaches and more. But one place that's sure to be on everyone's Washington bucket list is Pike Place Market. From the fresh food to the goodies you can buy and eat right there, this historic Seattle icon offers plenty of opportunities to snag a perfect photo or two. The neon signs outside and the fun inside atmosphere provide selfie-takers and groups some wonderful photos they'll love to share.

Stunning natural landscapes and feats of industrial engineering combine in West Virginia to provide an awesome place for some great selfies and group photos: New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. Whether you and your travel group will be hiking, fishing, whitewater rafting or doing some other fun outdoor activity, make sure to stop and take some photos with the New River Gorge Bridge, a beautiful 3,030-foot long steel arch bridge, in the background.

While Wisconsin offers incredible opportunities for photos in fields, forests, along lakeshores and more, Milwaukee's lakefront offers unparalleled beauty. A first trip to the Milwaukee Art Museum isn't complete without a walk along the nearby lakeshore and some photos with the uniquely designed museum in the background, with the Quadracci Pavilion's Burke Brise Soleil unfolded like two pairs of outstretched wings in the background. Whether you and your photo friends choose to pose in front of Lake Michigan or the art museum, you're sure to get some inspiring pics.

How does one choose just one spot that's best for taking selfies when so many places in Wyoming are perfect for them? If you're interested in taking selfies or group photos with a diverse array of stunning natural landscapes as backdrops, then Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park are for you. Between viewing wildlife and soaking in the scenery you can't find anywhere else in the world, make sure to find time to snap a few photos with or without yourself in them - they're sure to be some of the best souvenirs from these parks!