Attention, thrill seekers: These are the 5 most fun states in the country

It’s never too early to start planning summer trip(s), but now that it’s mid-spring, the time has officially come to get those seasonal-getaway details in order. Yet, how does a wanderlusting gal pick the exact route for a women’s circle road trip when every state boasts enviable Airbnbs and beautiful waterfalls? Well WalletHub just released its ranking of the most fun states to visit in the country to help steer you in the right, memory-making direction.

The personal-finance platform gauged how “fun” a state is by analyzing 26 key indicators in two categories: nightlife, such as movie costs and the number of performing-arts theaters per capita; and entertainment and recreation, like access to national parks and the number of attractions. Ultimately, California, New York, Nevada, Florida, and Illinois, topped the country’s most fun states list. On the opposite side of the spectrum were Arkansas, Rhode Island, Delaware, Mississippi, and West Virginia.

California, New York, Nevada, Florida, and Illinois placed as the top five most fun states.

The states that WalletHub deemed most thrilling tended toward hosting many restaurant options, movie theaters, performing-arts centers, recreation centers, and fitness spaces. But shockingly, the top five states rank don’t highly for the outdoor-activities measurements: None placed in the top five for access to national parks, and Illinois even made the list of five states with the worst access. Only Florida made the list of states with the most marinas per capita, and only Nevada ranked for highest state and local expenditures on parks and recreation per capita. None of the top five made the list for most skiing facilities per capita.

Although these findings might be a good place to start for planning your super-enjoyable summer vacay, keep in mind that the definition of “fun” is not only subjective but also hard to quantify. And although California ranked highly by WalletHub’s terms, it did place shockingly low on a quality-of-life report. Additionally, states with fewer movie theaters (like Hawaii) might have more to offer in other fun spheres, such as nature-related outdoor activities. Hang ten, anyone?

Some other rankings that you might be interested in are the most and least stressed states in the country as well as the happiest and most unhappy of the 50 states.