Looking for US suggestions for a macro vacation

[themagicdrainpipe]

As the title implies, I'm looking for a state within the U.S. that would be good for macro photography. My biggest want is to add some new jumping spiders to my macro collection. Ohio has quite a few cool ones, but I am looking for something a little bigger than the standard P. audax. I'm also interested in other new arthropods. I've never taken a photo of a scorpion, so that could be cool. Maybe even whip scorpions.

I've tried searching for a locale that would have something close to all this, but unfortunately Trip Advisor doesn't have a biodiversity slider that I can use Thus far I have been considering Olympic National Park, specifically the Quinalt Rain Forest, but also have been looking at some preserves in Nevada as well.

If anyone could point me in the right direction for somewhere they're fond of I would be glad to hear it.
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[Lou Jost]

I used to live in central Texas and there is a very high diversity of jumping spiders and other things (including scorpions) there. Invasive fire ants have had a negative impact since my days there though.
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Lou Jost
www.ecomingafoundation.wordpress.com
www.loujost.com

[zzffnn]

Here is a North American Spiders List (that is not separated by states): https://www.insectidentification.org/spiders.asp

Here is an list by states that include spiders: https://www.insectidentification.org/insects-by-state-listing.asp

For example Arizona has many spiders: https://www.insectidentification.org/insects-by-state.asp?thisState=Arizona

Nothing specific to exact location though.
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Selling my Canon FD 200mm F/2.8 lens

[Lou Jost]

A good general rule is that biodiversity increases with decreasing latitude and increasing precipitation. Florida, for example, would be a really good state to look at.
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Lou Jost
www.ecomingafoundation.wordpress.com
www.loujost.com

[themagicdrainpipe]

[johan]

Maybe check out where thomas shahan lives. He seems to find quite a few salties where he is?
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My extreme-macro.co.uk site, a learning site. Your comments and input there would be gratefully appreciated.

[Ken Ramos]

The last that I know of, less than 50% of species in the Appalachian mountains have been recorded and cataloged. In some places, like when they were searching for Ted the Uni-bomber, they looked into a cave and reported seeing spiders as big as ones hand and rattlesnakes big around as ones arm. I can believe that. Now, we all have diverse sizes of limbs, though body plans remain pretty much the same so you may want to take that with a grain of salt but the Appalachians might be worth looking in too, of which they encompass a small number of states. During my younger days, I spent a lot of time roaming those mountains and the adjoining foothills and I must say, I have seen some strange things in there but I wasn't doing macro back then either and today, I would not venture into those mountains to any extent unarmed!

[themagicdrainpipe]