There is nothing better than being at a place with low light pollution and seeing something like this: http://theartofnight.com/
If you're interested in finding places with low light pollution, check here: https://www.lightpollutionmap.info
If you're interested in finding places with low light pollution, check here: https://www.lightpollutionmap.info
So high mountains in a desert are quite good ... I am a bit spoiled by that ..
As far I understand, you can never see with the naked eyes something similar to a long exposure photo. Sure you can get a better outline of the Milky way but you'll never see something that is the result of collecting photons during minutes or hours.
Usually in the city I can only see like 10 starts, and in a countryside near that city maybe 100, but they are very tiny and sky is black.
In that forest I've seen sky that was mostly stars, some had colors, Milky Way was dim but solid white belt with many stars in it. It was much closer to these long-exposure photos than to a regular night sky with light pollution.
Also, there is nothing between you and it. This is something a picture doesn't fully convey: You are a part of it, in the midst of it, right now -- and every moment of your life, if you could only see it.
It seems trite to say it, these days, but there is a very fundamental component of perspective.