READERS COMMENTS

I just ran across this article and was a surprised by the downtown note at the bottom and the inclusion of Chattanooga there. I moved from Chicago to Chattanooga three years ago and find the rivers, rocks and trails, not to mention the outdoor programs at local schools, to be fantastic! I live downtown where I have a view of Lookout Mountains and its many trails just three of four miles away. I can walk to the Tennessee River to slip in my canoe for a nice paddle. We have the top rated magnet school in the country. Raccoon Mountain has a huge mountain biking trail network... I could go on. Keep us off your top 25 list, but take us off the stay away list. Chattanooga rocks! Now I must stop writing so I can walk around the corner for a locally-brewed beer and some pizza on locally-made organic crust.
Posted: Jan 26, 2010 Jim

Minneapolis listed but NOT Portland(or Bend), Oregon...NOTHING in Utah...only 1 area in CA...what a joke. I've lived in MN/OR/WA and by far OR/WA are much more conducive to raising an 'outdoor kid'. The outdoor culture in these states dwarfs what exists in the Minneapolis(where I'm from) and Duluth. There are few if no (good) backpacking options that I can think of within 6 hours of Minneapolis. Also, can someone speak to East vs West? When I had the choice to move wherever I could with access to deep wilderness being a priority, I moved to the Pacific NW twice and would do it again...
Posted: Jan 18, 2010 Mark S

You need a geographer on the committee! Glens Falls, NY, is a couple of hours north of Albany, and Albany is well north of the Catskills. It is between the Catskills and the Adirondacks only in the way that, Los Angeles, say, is between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. And it is on the east, not west, side of the Adirondacks.
Posted: Sep 14, 2009 Melly

I'm glad you didn't put my city on your list !!! Let's keep MY home town a secret !!

But your top 25 list is like most other top 25 lists. I might quibble as to my personal #1, but it's pretty well up near the top of your list. I might drop off a couple of your lower-placed cities and add a few different cities you've overlooked.

All-in-all, it's not a bad list. Especially since my town isn't listed !!!

Posted: Aug 06, 2009 Hober Mallow

Just looked at www.outdoorkidsfun.com. Old fashioned ways to keep the kids outdoors but as they say ... the old ones are the best!
Posted: Aug 04, 2009 Brian

What area did you include to generate a $495,000 median home price in Jackson, WY? It is much, much higher than that (prior to fall 2008 it was over $1M and it's probably still close to that) and has been for at least 5 years. That being said, it is a great place to raise kids if you can figure out the housing thing.
Posted: Jul 31, 2009 Ingrid

I wouldn't want to raise kids in Boulder and definitely wouldn't let them go to the public schools here. This might be a good location for finding outdoor activities, but the culture and the way people treat each other is pretty bad.
Posted: Jul 19, 2009 Chris

For the question about young kids and altitude, check out Buck Tilton's (AKA BACKPACKER's Medicine Man) response to a similar question, here:
http://www.backpacker.com/community/ask_buck/178

Posted: Jul 14, 2009 JRS

Talking about outdoors for kids. We live in Boulder and have a two year old. We go hiking all the time carrying him in the carrier. Is it safe as far as altitude to do an easy 14'er with him?
Posted: Jul 10, 2009 mikeeee

Loved the stats about Juneau and the Scouts. Scouts are probably some of the biggest fans of BP. A great poll might be to find out how many of BP's readers (and advertizers) either are now or were previously part of a Scouting program. By the way, after hearing about the Juneau stats, my son said, "Hello! Of course, it's Alaska, mountains, snow, rivers...and why don't we live there?!"
Posted: Jul 10, 2009 Steve

Slow economy and high gas prices putting a strain on your summer vacation plans? Grab your backpacks and bring your family to the 3rd Annual Rutland Long Trail Festival! This is not a brew fest, but an all-day celebration of the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail, both of which pass close to our fair city. Come to the Rutland Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 8th, 2009 to enjoy exhibits, outdoor activities, family fun (including an on-site Children’s Camp) and the best of local Vermont music – all for FREE!

The festival’s educational and entertainment schedule is geared for hikers and non-hikers alike, encouraging people of all ages and abilities to come together and enjoy the outdoors. Local musician Phil Henry has brought together a fabulous lineup of home-grown Vermont music, including Jackson Gillman, James Mee, Avi and Celia, PossumHaw, Rebecca Padula, and others. Stories, exhibits and workshops by experienced outdoor adventurers are scheduled all day, to provide the inspiration for your next outdoor adventure.

Many Long- and Appalachian- Trail hikers arrive in Rutland this time of year, making it a strategic location for a “zero day”; a rest day to resupply and catch up with family and friends before tackling New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Backpacker Magazine recently cited Rutland as “the best place to raise children as thru-hikers” – those who travel the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, over two thousand miles that runs between Springer Mountain, Georgia and Mount Katahdin, Maine.

Environmental stewardship, good health, and community service are embedded in the festival’s music and activities, including “HardCore,” a volunteer trail-maintenance workdays Sunday 9th and Monday 10th, in cooperation with the Green Mountain Club and Appalachian Trail Conservancy with new volunteers always welcome.

The festival, and all its activities, are FREE. On-site camping is available Friday evening through Sunday at 6pm for $5 per adult, children under 16 free with their parents.

The Rutland Long Trail Festival is hosted by the Rutland City Parks and Recreation Department and an all-volunteer staff, and is sponsored by Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Rutland Regional Medical Center, the Vermont Country Store, OMYA, Seventh Generation and other local businesses. For information or to volunteer, contact Wayne Krevetski at 802-282-2237 or visit www.longtrailfestivalvt.com

Posted: Jul 10, 2009 Kathleen Krevetski

Seattle Rules. It's the only big city on the list. You've got the best of both worlds. None of the top 25 offer much in the way of culture that Seattle can offer.
Posted: Jul 09, 2009 Adam

Every year people trot out the same old choices for best outdoor places to live. It gets boring.

Here's a place that no one ever looks at but rocks as far as outdoor sports. Palm Springs, CA

We have 1000 miles of hiking within an hour. 350 days of sunshine per year. Joshua Tree is less than one hour away. Bouldering and summer hiking at The Tram. Sure, there's no whitewater rafting here but the ocean is less than two hours away the Colorado River and hour and a half. For those so inclined we even have golf. Sure the summer's hot but there are ways to get away from it and I went hiking the other morning early and it was 70º (that day's high was 108º).

Next time you should try to find some new spots and quit putting out the same list that I've seen 1000 times from different sources.

Posted: Jul 09, 2009 Hike Every Day

Glad you found Bozeman! Lot's of Boulder, CO, transplants here who compare it to the way Boulder used to be before it "got discovered".
Posted: Jul 09, 2009 Ellen

I'm not sure why we're all talking about Boy Scouts so much. It's a good program, from what I can tell. Anyways, I'd just like to comment on the "Top 25" list. Clearly, this list is not based on any "stats" - it's just made-up stuff. And it sucks. Four cities from Colorado, but not a single one from Utah? Huh?
Posted: Jul 09, 2009 MDG

As a Scoutmaster and Venture Crew advisor I would like to clear up a few things for linda. The 12th point of the Scout Law is to be Reverent. This means Reverent to a Supreme Being. The first Boy Scout troop my son was involved with was nearly 80% Muslim and were all vegetarians; made us leaders really scramble for food on campouts.
Currently the leadership in our Council in Iowa is at least 40% female.
Venture Scouts is a realatively new program under the umbrella of the Boy Scouts of America and is designed for boys and girls age 14-21. This program focuses on activities rather than the Scouting skills of the Boy Scout troops.
It is disappointing that you may have had a bad experience with Scouting. Unfortunately there are some adults in Scouting that have give us a bad name. The other 99.9% of us are working hard and volunteering our time and experiences to help boys and girls learn about and enjoy the outdoors. I would encourage you to get involved with a troop or Venture crew; the time spent is worth it!
Posted: Jul 09, 2009 Greg

The Boy Scouts was the main avenue that my son was able to experience the outdoors. He achieved Eagle Scout status at age 15 by rebuilding a deck and replanting a river bank at a public park and kayak put-in. I attribute much of his love of the outdoors with the many hours spent on camp outs and a challenging mountain trek on the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Props to Backpacker to sharing such great information on places that support inculcating a love of the great outdoors in our children!
Posted: Jul 09, 2009 Karen

To Linda, Trevor, and GoAway
I became a Life Scout back in the 1960s. Boy Scout discrimination depends entirely on the people running the program. I had a scoutmaster that had some odd ideas, but kept them to himself. We had at least one kid in the troop that grew up to be gay, and at least two who were non-religious. No discrimination happened in that troop, at least. Same with the Explorer Post in which I was an officer.

Linda--in the case of girls, Girl Scouts and Camp Fire have been around for a long time, and both programs connect with Boy Scouts/Explorer/Venture Scouts in their teens. I understand there are now some Scout programs that have both guy and girl members, but they didn't exist in the 1960s.

Posted: Jul 09, 2009 Pat

Leave your politics and foolish ideas for other sites...
Posted: Jul 09, 2009 GoAwayLinda

You don't really know what you're talking about. The only valid point you make in your argument is the one about gays. Do some research before you open your mouth again and sound like an idiot!
Posted: Jul 09, 2009 Trevor

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