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Locustep

State ranking · Updated October 2026

Best States for Outdoor Access (2026)

Ranked by Locustep’s natural-environment score, a directional read on access to nature and outdoor recreation given each state’s terrain and climate.

Alaska, Hawaii and Montana tie for #1 (10/10). 6 states tie for last (5/10).

This is a Locustep score from 1 to 10: a directional composite for sorting states, not a single published statistic.

Rank	State	Locustep score
1	Alaska	10/10
1	Hawaii	10/10
1	Montana	10/10
4	California	9/10
4	Colorado	9/10
4	Idaho	9/10
4	Oregon	9/10
4	Utah	9/10
4	Wyoming	9/10
10	Arizona	8/10
10	Maine	8/10
10	Vermont	8/10
10	Washington	8/10
14	Florida	7/10
14	Massachusetts	7/10
14	Michigan	7/10
14	Minnesota	7/10
14	Nevada	7/10
14	New Hampshire	7/10
14	New Mexico	7/10
14	North Carolina	7/10
14	South Carolina	7/10
14	South Dakota	7/10
14	Tennessee	7/10
14	Texas	7/10
14	West Virginia	7/10
14	Wisconsin	7/10
28	Alabama	6/10
28	Arkansas	6/10
28	Connecticut	6/10
28	Georgia	6/10
28	Illinois	6/10
28	Iowa	6/10
28	Kansas	6/10
28	Kentucky	6/10
28	Louisiana	6/10
28	Maryland	6/10
28	Missouri	6/10
28	Nebraska	6/10
28	New York	6/10
28	North Dakota	6/10
28	Oklahoma	6/10
28	Pennsylvania	6/10
28	Virginia	6/10
45	Delaware	5/10
45	Indiana	5/10
45	Mississippi	5/10
45	New Jersey	5/10
45	Ohio	5/10
45	Rhode Island	5/10

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