| NATIONAL PARKS QUICKLINKS |
Backpacker Magazine – August 2009
From Boulder to Juneau to Bozeman, see which cities made the cut for the best place to raise an outdoor kid, and why.
| 11. Asheville, NC | |
| Pop: 68,889 Median home: $175,000 Overall score: 61 | |
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One K-8 charter school teaches Outward Bound curriculum |
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Honors include: "Best Places to Live," "Happiest City for Women," & "Beer City USA" |
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Set in the Blue Ridge Mtns., just hours from Great Smokies and a half-million acres of Pisgah National Forest (with its 950 miles of trails, waterfalls, and backcountry camping) |
| 12. Portland, ME | |
| Pop: 62,825 Median home: $192,100 Overall score: 59 | |
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Subsidized youth and community sailing classes in the harbor |
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L.L.Bean flagship store (and discount outlet) only 15 minutes away in Freeport |
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31-mile urban trail network; 3 hours to Acadia National Park and 4 hours to Mt. Katahdin (northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail); best sea kayaking on East Coast |
| 13. Hood River, OR | |
| Pop: 5,831 Median home: $345,000 Overall score: 59 | |
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Local nonprofit offers cheap kids' windsurfing lessons on the Columbia |
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City aquatic center hosts Saturday kayaking practice; 35 outdoor classes at rec center |
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Trails along Columbia Gorge offer America's best waterfall hiking; world-class hiking and mountain biking in Gifford Pinchot NF; 11,239-foot Mt. Hood an hour from town |
| 14. Manchester, NH | |
| Pop: 108,580 Median home: $165,250 Overall score: 58 | |
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10 Scout troops & 4 Venture crews camp at local 3,500-acre reserve |
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#1 small city in the East, says Money; Southwest airlines hub with direct flights to 18 cities |
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1-hour drive to White Mountain National Forest, Atlantic seashore, and Appalachian Trail; a few more hours gets you to Presidentials, Acadia, Baxter State Park, Green Mountains |
| 15. Harrisonburg, VA | |
| Pop: 40,468 Median home: $181,000 Overall score: 56 | |
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Quiet town within an hour of 2 national forests & 1 national park |
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Unemployment is 6.4%–and falling; active student culture with 8 colleges within 50 miles |
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Surrounded by superb kayaking, hiking, fishing, and cycling (try the 32-mile Southern Traverse singletrack); minutes to Shenandoah NP, and a little more to W. Virginia wildlands |

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I'm disappointed nothing in Utah was listed. And not from the "I live there and think its the best" point of view. Within 30 minutes of anywhere in the Salt Lake valley you have access to thousands of miles of hiking, mountain biking, off-roading, hunting, 3 blue ribbon trout streams, 5-6 world class ski resorts. Expand your area to a 4-5 hour drive and you've got Moab, Yellowstone, Zions, Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, Slot Canyons, Desert, Salmon River ID, Wind Rivers, Green River(arguably the best fly fishing river in the world) you name it. SLC SHOULD have been in your top 5.
I'm a high school student living in Upstate New York, near Glens Falls. I found it funny that this town is on the list because I was researching colleges and Burlington, VT and Boulder, CO are big places of interests for me. I think because I live in this type of surrounding that I am more attracted to living around here.
Um, nice list but some of us are not dot-com millionaires.
I live in Wheeling, WV and am very happy to see us on this list! We have 4 children - cost of living here accomodates larger families (jobs don't earn as much, but housing etc is a LOT less than the rest of the country, and jobs aren't extinct) The outdoor space is BEAUTIFUL, although many don't take advantage of it (hence the high #'s of obesity in adults in children) I SEE THE TREND CHANGING! Am involved in community work to get people walking/biking - and there is quite an enthusiastic "movement". Working to connect the last 6 miles of trail to the Allegheny - and we'll have the longest continuous trail in the country. Public schools are ok, and are trying to improve - academics as well as healthy communities. LOTS of great programming for kids through the parks, and opportunities galore for lower income folks. West Virginia University is only an hour away (Pittsburgh too) so healthcare and research are improving, ongoing, and accessible.
Park City is beautiful, but real estate is incredibly expensive and employment is scarce.
We were thrilled to see Durango make the list. It is also a great place for students looking to get a degree in Adventure Education at Fort Lewis College. If you would like to learn more about it visit their website http://explore.fortlewis.edu/adventureed/index.asp
I live in Utah and am very surprised that Utah did not make this list in any way! I also live in Juneau, Ak for the summers and can't say that it is that great. Most of the local people I know from there are not the outdoor type at all!!! The people that do most of the hiking and playing are visitors, except maybe in the winter. It is a town of drugs, drinking and sex!
Utah on the other hand has so much more to offer. Park City is amazing, but even Salt Lake City is a great place to raise on outdoor kid!!!
Matt, that's the median home price not avg income.
Just FYI: the average income in Wheeling is closer to around $30,000. I don't know anyone who lives in Wheeling that earns $80,000 unless they live in 'Wheeling'...areas around Oblebay and Wheeling Jesuit.
I live in Franklin, NC, in Macon county, about an hour west of Asheville and, depending on the route you take, about 45 - 60 minutes from Brevard. The Appalachian Trail runs right through Macon county. (Franklin is one of the first few resupply stops for most north bound AT thru-hikers and a regular "town day" location.) Macon county is loaded with hiking trails, including the AT and the Bartram Trail, and has 10 peaks over 5,000 ft. The Great Smokies are also less than an hour away, entering through Cherokee, NC or Bryson City, NC. There are plenty of camping, fishing and white water activities near by. It is within 45 minutes of the Nantahala river for rafting, an hour from the Chattooga and about two hours from the Occoee. Franklin is located 2-2.5 hours north of Atlanta, and just under an hour to some decent skiing and snowboarding in the winter (Cataloochee in Maggie Valley) (The Boone/Banner Elk ski areas are about 3 hours away) and yet our year round climate is on the mild side. Although we do usually see a little snow in the winter, the coldest temps only last a day or two at a time. Our usual winter highs are in the 40s to low 50s with some days in the upper 60s. Summers typically see highs in the low 80s with a few days creeping up into the 90s. Housing can run the gamut depending on where you look, but most family type housing will run from $175,000 to $250,000 with some lower and some higher. There are theaters, golf courses, great restaurants, a family fun center with games, go-carts, lazer tag and bowling and a brand new fine arts center with weekly events including big name concerts, local theater troup productions and comedy nights. Franklin in also only about 40 minutes from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC.
All in all...a great place to live!
I live in Franklin, NC, in Macon county, about an hour west of Asheville and, depending on the route you take, about 45 - 60 minutes from Brevard. The Appalachian Trail runs right through Macon county. (Franklin is one of the first few resupply stops for most north bound AT thru-hikers and a regular "town day" location.) Macon county is loaded with hiking trails, including the AT and the Bartram Trail, and has 10 peaks over 5,000 ft. The Great Smokies are also less than an hour away, entering through Cherokee, NC or Bryson City, NC. There are plenty of camping, fishing and white water activities near by. It is within 45 minutes of the Nantahala river for rafting, an hour from the Chattooga and about two hours from the Occoee. Franklin is located 2-2.5 hours north of Atlanta, and just under an hour to some decent skiing and snowboarding in the winter (Cataloochee in Maggie Valley) (The Boone/Banner Elk ski areas are about 3 hours away) and yet our year round climate is on the mild side. Although we do usually see a little snow in the winter, the coldest temps only last a day or two at a time. Our usual winter highs are in the 40s to low 50s with some days in the upper 60s. Summers typically see highs in the low 80s with a few days creeping up into the 90s. Housing can run the gamut depending on where you look, but most family type housing will run from $175,000 to $250,000 with some lower and some higher. There are theaters, golf courses, great restaurants, a family fun center with games, go-carts, lazer tag and bowling and a brand new fine arts center with weekly events including big name concerts, local theater troup productions and comedy nights. Franklin in also only about 40 minutes from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC.
All in all...a great place to live!
Asheville is great! I have lived here over 15 yrs. There is so much to do around here. We have Bent Creek, Tsali and DuPont close by for awesome mtn. biking. Nantahala is a little over an hour away. GSM Nat. Park is close enough for a day trip. I was in the park just yesterday with my parents. It was their 55 wedding ann. They wanted to see Catalooche valley. We were on an easy trail just a few hundred yds. up the trail and came face to face with a big bull elk. We moved off the trail for him to pass. It was fantastic! The Green River Gorge is close by as well for some wicked fun kayaking. I recommend it 100%. Not to mention downtown Asheville is a great place to eat and unwind after a long day on the bike. My husband and I usually go to Barley's Tap Room for pizza and beer.
Gotta say that after 33 years in the Pacific Northwest, PARK CITY UTAH IS AN AWESOME PLACE TO RAISE OUTDOOR KIDS. 300 days of sunshine, 4 seasons, only a few hours Yellow Stone, Moab, Bryce Canyon, Zion or a few more hours to great Colorado adventures, Glacier, or The Grand Canyon. Plus top ranked schools in the nation. Kids have access to trying out all the winter olympic sports for free in 4th grade. 5th and 6th graders get a free pass to ski all 13 of Utah's ski resorts! Hundreds of miles of trails right out my door for hiking or biking and we can walk to the ski lift! My kids don't know how good they've got it!
Gotta say that after 33 years in the Pacific Northwest, PARK CITY UTAH IS AN AWESOME PLACE TO RAISE OUTDOOR KIDS. 300 days of sunshine, 4 seasons, only a few hours Yellow Stone, Moab, Bryce Canyon, Zion or a few more hours to great Colorado adventures, Glacier, or The Grand Canyon. Plus top ranked schools in the nation. Kids have access to trying out all the winter olympic sports for free in 4th grade. 5th and 6th graders get a free pass to ski all 13 of Utah's ski resorts! Hundreds of miles of trails right out my door for hiking or biking and we can walk to the ski lift! My kids don't know how good they've got it!
I am from the Jackson area and agree that it would be an excellent place to raise kids. However, the housing pricing is way outdated here as well. Let's keep in mind that the $495,000 price listed would barely get you a 20 year old 1000 sq foot condo. For those of us who want a little more space - we travel the mountain pass into Victor, Idaho. Many of the families enjoying Jackson Hole as their stomping grounds make Victor & Driggs, Idaho their home.
I live in Durango, and the cost of living in Durango is exorbitant! The data listed is outdated. Durango has a current population of 16,000 (with a many out-of-town vistors since it is a resort community), and the median house price today is $439,990. Good luck trying to find a house for less than $350,000. If you do, it will be very small, old and require a lot of repairs. It is a great place to raise outdoor kids if you come here with existing wealth. Durango has few employers, and in this economy the jobs are scarce. The jobs that have recently become available are not paying enough to live here. Do solid research before you make a decision to move to here. Many people move here and find within a year or two that they have to move out, because they can not afford to maintain a good standard of living here for their families. It's a great place to visit and backpack for a week or two but not to live here and try to maintain a good standard of living. As others have said about Juneau, Durango is expensive to fly in and out of and it is so remote that the closest big city is Albuquerque 3 1/2 hours drive away.
I was born & raised in Juneau & still live here. It is a great place live. There are always going to be pros & cons living anywhere. Drugs are everywhere in this world not just Juneau. We have had a awesome SUNNY summer here. The rain is nice & refreshing too. Lots of things to do like fishing, hunting, hiking team sports the list goes on. The lower 48 has nothing on
Alaska.
Yes, Juneau is wet and expensive, but where I lived in downtown Juneau, you could walk from those expensive homes straight to a network of hiking trails, ranging from easy to very difficult. Plus, there's kayaking and fishing in the summer and cross-country and downhill skiing in the winter, all very easy to get to.
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