While some might envision the Midwest as flat farmland, cornfields, and the like, this region of the country boasts a lot more than you probably think. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), it technically includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Ohio, but most consider South Dakota to be midwestern too. While some have more to offer visitors than others, these are our top picks for the must-visit Midwest states.
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Michigan
Michigan is home to vibrant cities, beautiful beaches, and gorgeous lake shorelines with many opportunities to get out on the water. One of our favorite spots is the Upper Peninsula, which features 300 miles of unspoiled forest, red sandstone formations, and cascading waterfalls. Hikers can explore 19 miles of scenic trails in the Harlow Lake Recreational Area, with plenty of breathtaking lake views to enjoy along the way. The region is filled with untouched wilderness and abundant wildlife. If you visit during the fall, you’ll witness a stunning kaleidoscope of color across the northernmost point of the state, with vibrant hues of golds, oranges, and reds.
Minnesota
If you purchase one of the Minneapolis houses for sale, you’ll have easy access to a wide array of city attractions, including the nearby Mall of America, the continent’s largest shopping and entertainment complex. It hosts over 520 retail stores and restaurants, the country’s largest indoor theme park, FlyOver America, Nickelodeon Universe, an aquarium, and much more.
Wilderness lovers will find their own paradise in the North Shore, with spectacular Lake Superior frontage that includes a rugged coastline with seven state parks, rushing rivers, forests, magnificent waterfalls, and bluffs. Begin in the city of Duluth. Following North Shore Scenic Drive, you’ll meet up with multiple beaches along the lake’s shoreline, bordered on the other side by the Sawtooth Mountains with brilliant foliage blanketing the landscape in autumn.
Ohio
Ohio also has some great cities with museums and a wide range of attractions, from Cleveland to Columbus, but it’s also home to fantastic Hocking Hills State Park. Just an hour’s drive from Columbus and you can witness remarkable rock formations carved over the millennia by waterfalls that plunge over the cliffs and crags. The scenery is stunning and can be enjoyed by hiking the trails that lead to Ash Cave and Old Man’s Cave, as well as kayaking, ziplining, climbing, and rappelling.
South Dakota
South Dakota isn’t all flat landscape either – in its western region, the Black Hills are absolutely spectacular. The forest is so dense, it almost looks black, hence its name. There are so many attractions here you’ll have to come back again and again, but some of the most popular are iconic Mount Rushmore with the 60-foot faces of four American presidents: Abe Lincoln, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and Thomas Jefferson, all carved right into its granite face. Nearby in Custer State Park, there are miles and miles of trails to hike, sparkling lakes for swimming, and abundant wildlife from wild burros to bison. You can ride the 1880 Train between Hill City and Keystone, watch Old West shootouts in Deadwood, go underground at Jewel Cave National Monument, and much more.