10 great small towns with huge backyards
By Kathy Baruffi for USA TODAY
Get a glimpse of the simpler life — and get in shape at the same time. Small towns can offer big outdoor adventures in the waning days of summer.
Sarah Tuff, co-author of the new
101 Best OutdoorTowns: Unspoiled Places to Visit, Live & Play (Countryman Press, $19.95), shares her picks with
Kathy Baruffi for USA TODAY.
Salida, Colo.
"This is the place for whitewater paddling action," Tuff says. "Downtown Salida even has two of its own 'playholes' in an all-natural, whitewater park on the Arkansas River. Plan a visit around the annual FIBArk (First in Boating on the Arkansas River) Whitewater Festival. Landlubbers can find 15 Fourteeners (mountains more than 14,000 feet high) nearby. One of the sweetest ends to a Salida day? Slices of pizza at Amicas and slumber at the River Run Inn."
877-772-5432; salidachamber.org
Haines, Alaska
"Some 20 million acres of wilderness surround this unhurried town on the longest fjord in the U.S.," Tuff says. "One of the best ways to explore is by kayak: Put in at Bartlett Cove at Glacier Bay National Park. In the fall, you'll want to be at the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve to see the congregation of thousands of bald eagles that feast on spawning salmon. Refuel on halibut fish and chips at the Bamboo Room in Haines."
907-766-2202; haineschamber.org
Livingston, Mont.
"They weren't lying when they named this place Paradise Valley," Tuff says. "Livingston is an Eden along the Yellowstone River, just 52 miles north of Yellowstone National Park. Galleries share space with bars, gear shops and breakfast spots in the historic downtown. Anglers have the Yellowstone or nearby Gallatin and Madison rivers, which teem with thousands of fish per mile. Some 2,000 miles of trails beckon backpackers and bikers to the Gallatin National Forest."
406-222-0850; livingston-chamber.com
Bethel, Maine
"You'd never guess that this picture-perfect town, complete with covered bridges and a village common, is host to one of the most unusual outdoor adventures in the country: the annual North American Wife Carrying Championships that take place at Sunday River Ski Resort every October. It is also home to a prime section of the Androscoggin River, dog sledding and skijoring from the nearby Telemark Inn," Tuff says.
800-442-5826; bethelmaine.com
Hood River, Ore.
Fresh fruit and produce from the Hood River Valley, as well as incredible local brews and regional wines, are as rewarding as the outdoor activities here, Tuff says. Bike trails surround town, and there's rafting and kayaking on the nearby Columbia River's swift tributaries. "Hood River's recreational resources blow away even people who are deathly afraid of kite-boarding and windsurfing. A multitude of instructors make it easier to learn than you think."
800-366-3530; hoodriver.org
Lake Placid, N.Y.
"Though famous for the Olympic Winter Games, this unspoiled town is actually a year-round outdoor haven," Tuff says. "You can't beat the setting on two jewel-like lakes, surrounded by the 6-million-acre Adirondack Park. Hike the summits of the Adirondacks or just paddle on Lake Placid, then sink into a suite at the Mirror Lake Inn and Spa. Go shopping on Main Street, then set out for the swimming hole and sparkling cascades of Rocky Falls."
800-447-5224; lakeplacid.com
Ely, Minn.
"For those who fantasize about paddling a canoe on pristine waters, surrounded by pine trees and listening to the cry of the loon from a lakeside tent, there's simply no better place to make that fantasy come true than Ely," Tuff says. "The town, at the edge of the 1.1-million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area, teems with friendly outfitters who will provide every level of service, from a point in the right direction to a fully guided canoe trip complete with meals." Another highlight: seeing wolves at the International Wolf Center.
800-777-7281; ely.org
Davis, W. Va.
Leaf-peepers can get a jump-start on fall foliage viewing in this Appalachian town where, because of the high elevations, peak foliage season is usually late September. Two local microbreweries and regional vineyards will be represented at Oktoberfest in September, part of the Leaf Peepers Festival Sept. 29-30. Winter's not a bad time to visit, either. "Believe it or not, this town gets 150 inches of snow a year — more than some places in Vermont. That makes for surprisingly good skiing at Canaan Valley and Timberline ski resorts," Tuff says.
800-782-2775; canaanvalley.org
McCall, Idaho
This mountain town is on shimmering Payette Lake. "Summer visitors enjoy water-skiing and wakeboarding, plus rock-climbing routes, mountain-biking trails, fishing holes and the 2.3 million acres of the Payette National Forest," says Tuff. "Two major ski areas — Brundage Mountain Resort and the new Tamarack Resort — are just a few minutes from McCall. A highlight of every year is the Winter Carnival (January-February) for snow-sculpting, tubing races and snowshoe golf."
800-260-5130; mccallchamber.org
Boone, N.C.
"Boone has a built-in air conditioner for the summer months that turn the rest of the South sticky: the Blue Ridge Mountains, which keep temperatures at a lovely 75 degrees in August," Tuff says. "The town, 100 miles north of Asheville, stays hip, thanks to Appalachian State University. Get jazzed at Espresso News before heading into the Pisgah National Forest for hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. Rafters rollick along the Nolichucky and French Broad rivers."
800-852-9506; visitboone nc.com
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