Most consistently scenic state borders

[jaehak]

What would it be?

Colorado and Utah are definitely 2 of the most scenic states and share a long border, but there are definitely a lot of "meh"  crossings between them. Which state border is constantly the most scenic? I'd imagine it would actually be somewhere east given the shorter borders.

Guesses off the top of my head - VA /WV?  TN/NC?

[Max Rockatansky]

California and Nevada have some pretty spectacular mountain scenery.  The Mojave Desert, White Mountains, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Mountains are all highly scenic.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MN/WI is probably an underrated one in this question, though some of the northern county-maintained crossings might detract in some minds.

[ozarkman417]

MN/WI is probably an underrated one in this question, though some of the northern county-maintained crossings might detract in some minds.

This can be extended southward to include IA/WI. Highways like IA 26 & 35 in the Mississippi River valley make the border area's good views accessible.

[webny99]

Obligatory NY/VT shout out.

[SkyPesos]

IL/MI border. Lots of lake water to enjoy on both sides, (and potential Chicago skyline views on good weather days) 

[Road Hog]

The view is kind of flat though.

[FrCorySticha]

The crossings of the MT/ID border are all mountain passes or valleys, and most of the border is mountainous terrain that is extremely remote and basically inaccessible.

[Rothman]

The crossings of the MT/ID border are all mountain passes or valleys, and most of the border is mountainous terrain that is extremely remote and basically inaccessible.

I-15 is surprisingly scenic.

[Terry Shea]

IL/MI border. Lots of lake water to enjoy on both sides, (and potential Chicago skyline views on good weather days) 

There is no IL/MI border except for the middle of Lake Michigan where no roads go.

[thspfc]

TN/NC

[Rothman]

IL/MI border. Lots of lake water to enjoy on both sides, (and potential Chicago skyline views on good weather days) 

There is no IL/MI border except for the middle of Lake Michigan where no roads go.

That's...the...joke...

[Max Rockatansky]

The view is kind of flat though.

Only because Teddy Roosevelt said it.

[skluth]

MN/WI is probably an underrated one in this question, though some of the northern county-maintained crossings might detract in some minds.

I prefer the WI/MI border, but I'm biased because I grew up in that area. Just lots of lakes and pine-covered hills with a scenic river going into a Great Lake at each end.

[vdeane]

IL/MI border. Lots of lake water to enjoy on both sides, (and potential Chicago skyline views on good weather days) 

Meanwhile, the NY/RI border has lots of ocean water.  I wonder if one could see the Montauk Point Lighthouse from it?

[thspfc]

MN/WI is probably an underrated one in this question, though some of the northern county-maintained crossings might detract in some minds.

I prefer the WI/MI border, but I'm biased because I grew up in that area. Just lots of lakes and pine-covered hills with a scenic river going into a Great Lake at each end.

WI/MI is just a bunch of trees. WI/MN is far more scenic.

[Rothman]

MN/WI is probably an underrated one in this question, though some of the northern county-maintained crossings might detract in some minds.

I prefer the WI/MI border, but I'm biased because I grew up in that area. Just lots of lakes and pine-covered hills with a scenic river going into a Great Lake at each end.

WI/MI is just a bunch of trees. WI/MN is far more scenic.

I haven't really seen MI/WI, having only been as far east as Ashland, but I was struck by the surprising beauty of I-90 at MN/WI even when I was a tween.

[LilianaUwU]

QC/NB's crossings are definitely scenic, with views of the mountains around each one of them.

[US 89]

ID/WY is also pretty decent, despite both states having large areas of boring flat farms and high deserts. All the major crossings either have fairly scenic mountain views or are in a national park.

[skluth]

MN/WI is probably an underrated one in this question, though some of the northern county-maintained crossings might detract in some minds.

I prefer the WI/MI border, but I'm biased because I grew up in that area. Just lots of lakes and pine-covered hills with a scenic river going into a Great Lake at each end.

WI/MI is just a bunch of trees. WI/MN is far more scenic.

You haven't seen the entire border then. I'll take Wisconsin's border with Michigan over its Minnesota border any day. There are beautiful lakes for swimming, fishing, and boating, not to mention Lake Superior and Green Bay. There are two mostly unspoiled rivers, the Montreal and Menomonee; both feature some fantastic waterfalls. There's gorgeous islands such as Washington Island, Rock Island, and the Apostle Islands. And technically, Lake Michigan is much of the border so I can include the entire Lake Michigan shoreline down to Kenosha. I'll take all that over an admitted pretty river valley and not much else.

The southern part of the WI/MN border doesn't look much different from the IA/WI border or the IA/IL border. I'd take Wisconsin's border with IA over its border with MN. All are much superior to the WI/IL border though.

[thspfc]

MN/WI is probably an underrated one in this question, though some of the northern county-maintained crossings might detract in some minds.

I prefer the WI/MI border, but I'm biased because I grew up in that area. Just lots of lakes and pine-covered hills with a scenic river going into a Great Lake at each end.

WI/MI is just a bunch of trees. WI/MN is far more scenic.

You haven't seen the entire border then. I'll take Wisconsin's border with Michigan over its Minnesota border any day. There are beautiful lakes for swimming, fishing, and boating, not to mention Lake Superior and Green Bay. There are two mostly unspoiled rivers, the Montreal and Menomonee; both feature some fantastic waterfalls. There's gorgeous islands such as Washington Island, Rock Island, and the Apostle Islands. And technically, Lake Michigan is much of the border so I can include the entire Lake Michigan shoreline down to Kenosha. I'll take all that over an admitted pretty river valley and not much else.

The southern part of the WI/MN border doesn't look much different from the IA/WI border or the IA/IL border. I'd take Wisconsin's border with IA over its border with MN. All are much superior to the WI/IL border though.

WI/MN has the majority of the WI-35 corridor, which is generally considered to be the most scenic highway end-to-end in Wisconsin. Also, Perrot State Park, Interstate State Park, and the area up near Duluth.

[Dirt Roads]

TN/NC

Beautiful, except for the persistent smoky haze (not quite the same as the atmospheric phenomenon that the mountain chain is named after).  I would suggest that the border between Virginia and West Virginia is even more consistently scenic, except for Bluefield and the Pocahontas coalfields.  And of course, there is Glen Lyn (which is spectacular from a Roadgeek perspective).

[webny99]

WI/MI is just a bunch of trees. WI/MN is far more scenic.

You haven't seen the entire border then. I'll take Wisconsin's border with Michigan over its Minnesota border any day. There are beautiful lakes for swimming, fishing, and boating, not to mention Lake Superior and Green Bay. There are two mostly unspoiled rivers, the Montreal and Menomonee; both feature some fantastic waterfalls. There's gorgeous islands such as Washington Island, Rock Island, and the Apostle Islands. And technically, Lake Michigan is much of the border so I can include the entire Lake Michigan shoreline down to Kenosha. I'll take all that over an admitted pretty river valley and not much else.

The southern part of the WI/MN border doesn't look much different from the IA/WI border or the IA/IL border. I'd take Wisconsin's border with IA over its border with MN. All are much superior to the WI/IL border though.

WI/MN has the majority of the WI-35 corridor, which is generally considered to be the most scenic highway end-to-end in Wisconsin. Also, Perrot State Park, Interstate State Park, and the area up near Duluth.

If I can jump in here...

It kind of depends on how you're defining "state border". If you're defining it as the general area surrounding the state line, I'll take WI/MI. But if you're defining it as the scenery of each individual crossing, I'll take WI/MN (obviously, the presence of a major river vs. a bunch of middle-of-nowhere crossings heavily benefits WI/MN under this definition).

[paulthemapguy]

The crossings of the MT/ID border are all mountain passes or valleys, and most of the border is mountainous terrain that is extremely remote and basically inaccessible.

I was going to suggest Montana/Idaho on the basis that this border is literally cut from the Continental Divide, marking what is roughly the crest of the Rocky Mountains.

[JayhawkCO]

1. MT/ID
2. ID/WY
3. CA/NV
4. OR/WA
5. CO/NM
6. VT/NH
7. MN/WI
8. TN/NC