There are literally thousands of lakes across the United  States. No doubt you are no more than a full tank of gas away from seeing a (ahem) great lake.  Mind you, not all lakes are equal in terms of rugged good looks.  So we thought we would present to you the 12 most beautiful lakes in the United States.  Here they are:

1.  Lake Powell, Arizona, and Utah

Lake Powell straddles the borders of Arizona and Utah.  Humans don’t often accidentally create anything this beautiful.  This reservoir on the mighty Colorado River once stirred up a flood of trouble when the old Glen Canyon was dammed up and the river rose to create this artificial lake.

But today no one can deny the natural allure of this pristine, lengthy lake.  It’s not only the second-largest reservoir in the nation but it comes complete with warm blue water surrounded by crimson sandstone cliffs and over 90 neighboring side canyons.  Veteran visitors say you must visit it at least once in your lifetime.  Don’t miss the sandstone Rainbow Bridge too.  It’s one of the planet’s largest naturally occurring bridges.