10 Best Places to Elope in the US

There are so many incredible places to elope in the US that I feel like this list could go on and on forever! Over the years of being an adventurous elopement photographer, there are some places that never cease to amaze me no matter how many times I’ve been there. With the endless about of hiking trails, mountain passes, and pure beauty of all the locations that made this list of places to elope hold an endless amount of adventure for your elopement. This list isn’t in any particular order either! The first is just as great as the last. It all just depends on the type of scenery and adventure that you’re looking for!

As you make your way through this list be sure to consider what time of year you’re thinking of eloping as each location will look different from summer to winter. Certain locations have mountain road closures during winter while others will remain open. Don’t worry, I’m here to help you with all of that though!

I hope this list helps you to narrow down your options and give you an idea of where you want to elope! As an elopement photographer, I help my couples pick out the perfect spot for them to say their vows and help guide them through planning out their day. If you’re looking for someone to help you choose the perfect hiking trail or adventure activities, create an elopement timeline, and guide you through the whole process while telling the story of your day their documentation then I’d love to chat with you! Make your way through the list, reach out, and let’s chat about the details!!

Without further ado, here are the 10 Best Places to Elope in US!best places to elope in the us

1. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Mount Rainier is definitely one of the best places to elope in the US and for a good reason! This beautiful national park is loaded with epic mountain views, gorgeous lakes, and amazing wildflowers during the end of spring and summer. The peak wildflower season is definitely going to be in July and August!

The volcanic peak can be seen from pretty much anywhere in the park creating beautiful backdrops everywhere you go–as long as the clouds and fog are playing nice! Even during summer snow can be seen on mountain peaks which is pretty dang rad.

There are a vast amount of trails throughout the park which create great opportunities to find peaceful trails and enjoy gorgeous views during your ceremony all to yourself! Pretty much any time during the year to elope in Mount Rainier will be amazing. Of course, during spring and fall you have the highest chance of rain, but with that brings the classic PNW moody skies and vibes! If you love winter then choosing Mount Rainier for your winter elopement will be a great choice. The entrance near Ashford stays open during winter!

2. Glacier National Park, Montana

Glacier National Park is probably one of the most beautiful national parks in the US if not the most beautiful which is why it definitely made its way on this list of the best places to elope in the US. The incredible glacier mountains and ice-blue lakes are simply jaw-dropping. You truly can’t go wrong when choosing to elope here! This national park sits in the northern part of Montana and is about a 3-hour drive from Missoula International Airport or a 1-hour drive from Glacier Park International.

No matter if you want to hike, enjoy easily accessible locations, or go on a rad expedition like a helicopter tour this place has it all. It’s a place that will constantly be calling your name from the moment you see it!

July and August are by far the most popular months to visit as the weather is most ideal during this time and it’s when the Going-the-Sun-Road typically reopens after winter! In September and October, the weather starts to cool down and the weather becomes a bit more fickle and unpredictable, but the crowds die down creating ample opportunity for privacy. I’ve written a complete guide on How to Elope in Glacier National Park so be sure to check it out!bride and groom eloping in one of the best place to elope in the us

3. Oregon Coast, Oregon

Oh man –  This place is a doozy! If you want a mixture of gorgeous beaches, rugged cliffs, and the forest then the Oregon coastline is the place for you. All along the coast, you have incredible views and locations galore. There’s loads of epic beaches like Cannon Beach and Haystack rock and only a short 10-minute drive from there you’ll be at Ecola State Park which is a lushes forest and cliffs overlooking the ocean.

You can head south and you’ll hit Cape Kiwanda which even has sand dunes! You can go north and you’ll be able to hit up craggy cliffs and natural arches. The moss-covered trees and the moody vibe that goes along with the coastline make for a fun adventurous day. The possibility of being able to hit up multiple locations along the coast is totally an asset to this gorgeous location!

4. Wasatch Mountains, Utah

The Wasatch range is just outside Salt Lake City making it a prime location and one of the best places to elope in the US! These mountains are filled with incredible hikes around every turn. There are so many hiking trails that you’re sure to have privacy during your day along with epic views. These mountains are filled with gorgeous lakes and wildflowers galore during the summer! If you want a winter elopement this is a fantastic area to choose since you’re so close to the main city and have easy access to trails and the slopes during winter.

There are really no downsides to eloping in the Wasatch Mountains. The only thing to consider is that this is definitely a location that would require you to hike on your elopement day so if that’s not something you’re looking to do then this probably won’t be the best choice for you. If you are looking to hike then bingo! It’s an amazing choice! Check out more options on places to elope in Utah!

bride and groom share a first kiss during elopement

Best Places to Elope in the US | US Elopement Locations

5. Telluride, Colorado

Telluride is a quaint mountain town that you’re sure to fall in love with the moment you set your eyes on this place. The town is surrounded by stunning mountain peaks and aspen trees creating the ultimate mountain vibe for your elopement day. You have trails that are easily accessible and available throughout the entire year. Of course, when winter rolls around a lot of hiking trails are inaccessible so your options are way limited, but the few that are accessible will create an epic winter wonderland vibe! If you want to go skiing or snowboarding or want to include any kind of winter sport in your elopement then you’ll be golden here.

Telluride is a bit of a drive from Denver. It’s about a 6-hour drive from Denver as it’s up high in the mountains and in the southwest corner of the state. I assure you it’s worth the drive if this is the place of your choosing!

6. Sedona, Arizona

Calling all desert lovers! Sedona is truly an incredible place to elope in the US. There are a handful of well-known hikes like Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, and Devil’s Bridge which bring a lot of hikers and tourists to see the sights but don’t let this deter you from choosing a more popular hike. A simple way to avoid the crowds is by eloping at sunrise or even during winter! However, there are many hikes all throughout Sedona so you’re totally not limited to the handful of well-known hikes. There are many trails all around that will give you the privacy that you’re looking for as well as the views!

As soon as you enter Sedona you’ll be surrounded by all the red rocks. I think you’ll probably have to pick your jaw up off the floor! The canyons, cliffs, and rock formations in Sedona are truly an incredible sight! It’s incredible to see making it the perfect desert lovers backdrop dream.elopement locations in the US

7. Yosemite National Park, California

Let’s be real – Yosemite will never get old! The iconic half dome is truly a sight to see and watching the light pour into the valley and onto half dome at sunrise and sunset is so breathtaking. The towering trees, mountains, and waterfalls create the perfect backdrop for your adventurous elopement day! If you’re eloping with your absolute closest family (under 10 people) you can get married anywhere in the park, but if you have 11 or more people there are certain locations that you’re allowed to hold your ceremony, but they hold no shortage of beauty!

There are so many epic spots to hold your ceremony or to adventure afterward for pictures! A few of the most iconic spots are Glacier Point, Taft Point, Yosemite Falls, and Cathedral Beach. The locations don’t just stop there! If you want optimal privacy definitely choosing to hike on your elopement day is the way to go, but even if you run into people the views are totally worth it!

8. Olympic National Park, Washington

Talk about the park that holds an abundance of views, locations, and types of scenery! The entire Olympic Peninsula is a place I think everyone should visit in their lifetime. From the insane mountain views of Hurricane Ridge to the moss-covered trees in Hoh Rainforest to the rugged cliffs and coastline of Cape Flattery and Ruby Beach, the options are endless. You could spend years here and never fully see every corner of this epic place! There wasn’t even a doubt in my mind to include this on my list of best places to elope in the US. I’ve written a complete guide on having an Olympic National Park Elopement so be sure to dive into it for all the goods about this national park!

If you’re looking for adventure and PNW moody vibes then this place is a perfect choice for you! I promise you that as soon as you see the pristine beauty of this place you’ll fall in love and never want to leave. If you want more options on Places to Elope in the PNW be sure to check out this article!

elopement in one of the best places to elope in the US

9. Kaui, Hawaii

Kaui is the most mountainous island of all the Hawaii islands. The views here are truly jaw-dropping! It’s the perfect place to hike the mountains, walk the beach, or even take a helicopter tour to enjoy the epic views! Different parts of the island tend to have different weather patterns, so here’s a quick rundown. The Northside ends to be more overcast and rainy and holds one of the most well-known beaches Hanalei Bay. The Eastside is a bit sunnier, but still overcast and holds some gorgeous rain forest areas. Then, the Southside is the sunniest and driest part of the island and is home to Waimea Canyon!

If you’re looking for a tropical adventure with beautiful beaches and mountains then Kaui is the place for you. There’s an endless about of adventures to take while you’re here and it will create lasting memories that you’ll never forget!

10. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Last, but not least, I give you Coeur d’Alene, Idaho! You might totally be thinking, ‘Idaho? Really?’. YES REALLY!! It’s 100% an underrated state and you know what that means? Less people, more privacy!! Coeur d’Alene is a gorgeous place to vacation and an even more gorgeous place to elope. You can go boating on the lake, enjoy the Tubbs Hills Nature Trails, or go explore Coeur d’Alene National Forest which is filled with hiking trails, beautiful lakes, and waterfalls!

The views are absolutely gorgeous and the activities that you can include in your elopement day are endless! It’s an amazing quaint town with gorgeous views. If you go once, you’ll be finding yourself back there before you know it! You can also check out all the Best Places Places to Elope in Idaho!

US Elopement Locations

Wow! Are you getting excited now?! All of these places are truly incredible and no matter where you choose to elope in the US I know it’s going to be epic. Elopements are such an incredible and intentional way of getting married. They’re about allowing you to get married EXACTLY how and where you want and enable the focus of your wedding day to remain on the two of you – the ones actually getting married!!

If you’re looking for an adventurous and meaningful elopement experience I’d be so excited to chat with you all about your vision! I’m here to guide you through every single step so that you won’t feel lost or unsure about how to go about everything. I’m here for you!

You can contact me >HERE< – Let’s do this!!

Want more tips on elopement planning?!

How to Elope in Washington State

Rocky Mountain National Park Elopement Guide

How to Avoid Crowds During Your Outdoor Elopement

11 Most Common Questions About Eloping Answered!

10 Best Places to Elope in the US | Courtney Lynn

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Courtney made the process SO easy! She does more than just photograph your day. She cares about you having the BEST elopement experience possible! I'll never be able to thank Courtney enough for making our dream day happen!

Contact me about your Elopement!

You probably have a million thoughts running through your head making you a bit overwhelmed.

How does this work? What can I do during my elopement? How do I choose my location? Is the ceremony legal? Can I elope with family?

One of the reasons you're probably eloping is because you want to have a stress-free day, but with so much uncertainty on how to plan an elopement how is it even possible?!

No need to stress, you're in the right place! This is where I come in and do the heavy lifting for you.

I'm Courtney, and I specialize in documenting adventurous elopements for couples who love the outdoors, but role is so much more than just an elopement photographer.

I'm here to guide you through every single step of planning your elopement and to give you a clear path tossing that stress out the window!

So, if you're ready to have a unique elopement experience that's actually focused on you, then let's friggin' do this!!


You know you want to elope,

and you know you want it to be meaningful and adventurous, but where do you start?!

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Courtney has a very warm and bubbly personality that shows through her work! She made my husband and I feel SO comfortable throughout the whole day.

We were very confused on how to start planning our adventure and she was there to answer a lot of our questions in the beginning and honestly with a very short time frame! We planned and got married in 6 weeks, because we knew we really wanted her there for our day and that is what she had available! It was a challenge well accepted for all three of us.

Our day was perfect. She captured our true essence of love and laughter and each photo shows it. There weren't very many set up photos unless we asked for them. She just gets you in the moment!

You can absolutely tell that Courtney loves what she does and wants your day to be perfect. She listens to you and really tries to understand you as a couple first and then uses that within her photography skills.

If you are looking for an adventure/elopement photographer I would highly suggest Courtney Lynn. We will be looking at and reliving our elopement forever thanks to her amazing photos. You won't be disappointed!

Amber & Ryan

Courtney was so helpful during the whole process! She helped put together a wonderful day!  She really wanted to make sure our wedding was just right for us. She made our elopement perfectly formulated for us, and I can't think of a more beautiful day!

One of our concerns going into an elopement was wanting to have pictures that let us remember the entire day. Courtney was there from start to finish and captured the whole day! Because of her outstanding work, we can share it with our loved ones, and they can experience the event almost as if they were there. We also really appreciated that she captured genuine moments between us instead of making it a photoshoot.

It felt like we were hanging out with a friend, and we think that helped us enjoy our day to the fullest.
If your dream wedding is an adventurous elopement day, I couldn't recommend Courtney more. She went above and beyond and was such a joy to work with throughout this whole experience.

She made us feel at ease and relaxed. Some wedding photographers are all about capturing posed moments that can be really awkward; that's NOT Courtney's style at all. Not only was she down to do whatever we wanted and go on little side adventures, but she made us feel comfortable.

She captured our true personalities and who we are as a couple! When looking at our gallery, our love for each other and our personalities can be seen in each image! She is extremely talented and did a phenomenal job of capturing the beauty of our wedding location. If you hire her, you will not regret it!

Sadye & Matthew

We are SO happy we decided to go with Courtney for our wedding photos! Originally we were supposed to elope in Italy, and she helped a TON with planning things like travel and what our day was going to look like.

Then the pandemic hit and we realized we probably weren't going to be able to go to Italy. So, we decided to change locations to Glacier!

She made it super easy and stress free, and helped plan what our new day in Glacier was going to look like!

Courtney was super easy to spend the entire day with, very friendly and fun to talk to! Even though our day didn't go exactly how we planned due to the weather, we all just went with the flow of it and it still turned out to be an amazing day!

If you're in doubt, just hire her!! You won't regret it one bit and you will get so many incredible photos to look back on your day!!

robbie & Aryton

When my now husband and I started planning our elopement, we were confused to the max. We didn’t know where to start or how to go about planning anything. We knew we wanted to get married in Ireland, but had too many options on exactly where. After doing some research of elopements, I was scrolling on Pinterest and came across some BEAUTIFUL photos taken by Courtney!

Courtney  made the process so easy! She is organized, professional, sweet, and so so funny!! Courtney does more than just photograph your day, she cares about you having the BEST day! She helped us plan EVERYTHING! Even down to the little details, like what type of shoes to wear! She helped us narrow down where, giving us her informative opinions on each of our options! She gave us cool ideas that we could incorporate into our special day. No idea was too big! When the day came, we had the absolute best time exploring and getting married! After we exchanged our vows, we went to celebrate at a local pub (Courtney’s idea ;) ). It was a blast!!

Our elopement was an absolute DREAM COME TRUE! I will never be able to thank Courtney enough for making it happen. So for anyone on the fence, swaying back and forth about whether or not work with Courtney on your big day, SWAY NO MORE! You’ve found your person!! My day couldn’t have been any better and my pictures are beautiful and capture the fun we had!!! I can’t wait to work with her again!

Taylor & andrew

"Planning for our day and the day itself would have been completely different without Courtney. We only knew that we wanted to share our vows in the Tuscan countryside and have beautiful photos, and Courtney planned the perfect agenda for that to happen.

She coordinated our timing around sunset, and not only were the photos breathtaking, but the actual evening was too. I remember looking out over the vineyards as the sun set, the view becoming more and more stunning by the minute. There were no moments that felt forced or posed, every shot was comfortable and fun and full of love.

Courtney is such a sweet, kind, fun person and we truly enjoyed spending the day with her. Courtney helped us to turn our dreams into reality, and we hardly had to do a thing. She allowed us to be in control of our day but gently took all of our wants and needs into consideration while making everything happen. Lastly, our pictures are just magical. Courtney is an incredibly talented photographer, and I feel so lucky that we were able to work with her. I would recommend her over and over again to anyone eloping."

Ellie & Zac

"Let. Me. Tell. You. It's not the technical aspects of photography that are the most difficult. It's the human aspect. Remembering that as a Photographer, you may be behind the lens but you are still a human, in front of other humans, in some of the most raw and intimate of moments.

Courtney balances both of these necessities (but rarities) with poise, great direction, and an overall kind calmness that just makes you breathe a sigh of relief. If you've come across Courtney's page and see what you like already, BOOK HER NOW. Don't spend another second looking for another Photographer that doesn't bring anywhere near the amazing light and spirit that this girl brings right here. Thank you again Courtney for allowing my husband and I to marry each other all over again! The images are stunning and I can't wait to blow them up and hang them in our home."

Shannon & Brandon

"Working with Courtney was an extremely easy experience, seamless, positive and obviously fun. My wife and I went on our honeymoon and wanted to surprise her with a surprise honeymoon adventure session.

Courtney worked with me to make that dream gift for my wife a reality. Meeting and posing for a photographer for the first time can be intimidating, but with Courtney it was anything but that.

Courtney is extremely positive and helpful and made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera. She played some of our favorite songs and before we knew we were just having fun and she was catching them every second. Perhaps the best part of our session was that Courtney knew all the characteristic and peaceful places of where we were, which made our photos even more extraordinary.

She kept the focus on my wife and me. When we shared our images with friends and relatives, everyone complimented on Courtney's aesthetics and the emotion she was able to capture. I can't thank Courtney enough for exceeding all our expectations with this photo shoot!!"

NINA & JASON

"Pick her -- she's the best! Courtney is amazing! Seriously! If you're thinking about eloping you should snatch her up to capture your day. She makes the entire experience fun and relaxed plus the pictures just blew us away. I will never forget our magical time in Venice and I'm obsessed with the gorgeous photos Courtney took of us. She's so so good!"

Jami & Tim

Courtney is not only a talented photographer, but she makes you feel so comfortable even though being in front of the camera can be nerve-wracking! She did such an amazing job with our day and if I had to pick my favorite photo it would take FOREVER, because I love so many! Definitely consider her if you want adventurous and beautiful photos coupled with an amazing experience!

walker & mac
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Don't take it from me,
Take it from my past couples!

You’re in the right place!

I’m here to guide you through EVERY. SINGLE. STEP.

Let’s toss that’s confusion out the window and focus on how you want to get married!

Let me relieve those feelings of being lost, save you time, tell the story of your day and let’s get started creating a day that you’ll never forget!

So, if you know you want to elope,
but feel unsure on where to start, 

contact me & let's get starting creating your dream elopement!

...and you want an amazing storyteller to document your day

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Let's freaking do this!!