READERS COMMENTS

People are snobby and pretenious here. Trust me, it is NOT where you want to raise your kids. Check out Asheville, or Flagstaff!
Posted: Aug 06, 2009 John Happers in Boulder, CO

As a resident I was happy to see Glens Falls make the list. Raising our daughter as an "outdoor kid" was the number one consideration in our move. It is a fantastic combination of city conveniences and proximity (8 miles or so) to the 6 million acre Adirondack Park (bigger than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Parks combined). Access to wild places, paddling, hiking, climbing, camping - right out our back door while also maintaining a small carbon footprint (highly walkable)and not contributing to sprawl/fragmentation.

I'm surprised however that the Catskills are emphasized in the article though... it is true that it's nice to be close enough to enjoy cultural and educational resources of NYC, western Mass, Burlington VT, Saratoga, Albany, etc. It seems rather odd to emphasize the Catskills and not the big park at our doorstep, neither of which are nationally designated areas and thus would not count in your ranking criteria as far as I can tell.

Fascinating though and definitely a worthy topic... something very much on the minds of this generation's environmentally aware parents!
Posted: Jul 11, 2009 Kirstin Seleen

You coud not find any thing in Texas?
Posted: Jul 11, 2009 Rodley Langston

How about Los Angeles? Yes, Los Angeles. Where one can: hike/horseback ride in the Hollywood Hills and Griffith Park (I believe the largest urban park in the US); wander the San Gabriel Mts. (skiing, hiking, rock-climbing, etc.); swim/surf/sail/whatever in the Pacific Ocean; rock-climb/hike/camp/etc. two hours away in Joshua Tree Nat'l Park and Tahquitz (where the Yosemite rating system originated); kayak 2.5 hrs away in the Kern River; climb the highest peak in the lower 48 (Whitney) three hours away in the Sierra Nevada...I could go on. Culturally, this is one of the most vibrant cities on the planet. Yes, we’re bankrupt, and the public schools need some help, but we’re working on that. On the other hand, there may be enough of us here already, so I take back what I said. LA is awful. Don’t come. Please.
Posted: Jul 09, 2009 JT Walker

I'd love to see the calculation on Los Alamos, New Mexico. Fantastic proximity to open space and trails. Local National Park, National Preserve, National Forest, National Recreation Area, National Scenic Byway, ski area. One of highest educational attainments in the world. Great and highly rated public school system. Lots of walkers and bicyclists, high altitude aquatic center. High income, low unemployment ... but we are very ripe place for a sports store - we don't have that. see www.lahighaltitudesports.com
Posted: Jul 09, 2009 cubfans

Where is Park City UT? Minutes to 400 miles of hiking and biking trails. 3 world class ski resorts. Best schools in Utah. Tons of kid activities. Kids get bus ride to ski resorts for lessons every Friday at noon. Great outdoor and active teachers. Some of the best national parks in less than 4 hours drive. Backcountry wasatch skiing, hiking and trail running with peaks to 11,000 ft. 35 minutes to a major airport for business and personal travel. Open air music festival. World class film festival.
Posted: Jul 01, 2009 Ramsey Madsen

Where is Park City UT? Minutes to 400 miles of hiking and biking trails. 3 world class ski resorts. Best schools in Utah. Tons of kid activities. Kids get bus ride to ski resorts for lessons every Friday at noon. Great outdoor and active teachers. Some of the best national parks in less than 4 hours drive. Backcountry wasatch skiing, hiking and trail running with peaks to 11,000 ft. 35 minutes to a major airport for business and personal travel. Open air music festival. World class film festival.
Posted: Jul 01, 2009 Ramsey Madsen

Sorry for the double post!
Posted: Jun 30, 2009 Nathan Zahnd

This just let's others see what those of us who live in places like this already know. My wife and I chose to live in Juneau to raise outdoor kids. That is why we are here. We visit cities. We work in them. We LIVE in the wilderness. We took our son camping for the first time at a local State Park cabin when he was 7 weeks old. He climbed the 4000 ft mountain that is our back yard (from sea level to the top) when he was still 5. Our city is not near the wilderness, it is surrounded by, and part of it.
Posted: Jun 30, 2009 Nathan Zahnd

My wife and I moved to Juneau, Alaska to raise outdoor children. It's no accident that, at 7 weeks old, I lifted my son out of his sleeping bag at Cowee Meadow cabin at Point Bridget State Park and held him up to see the glow of his first full moon, reflected in his bright eyes. That kind of experience is the norm here. It's why we live here. I like visiting cities. I want to live in the wilderness.
Posted: Jun 30, 2009 Nathan Zahnd

I am a Wheeling resident and was happy to see that our little town made the 25! However, I was disappointed that our proximity to Cooper's Rock was not mentioned. North of us, yes, the Laurel Highlands is cool, but South of us, exactly 90 minutes away is Cooper's Rock which is great for bouldering, rock climbing, hiking. 45 minutes West of us is Salt Fork State Park in Cambridge, OH equipped with a beautiful lake and some really nice hiking trails ranging from easy to hard. Though I prefer to be way out West with the mountains (just summitted Mt. Hood!), I am thankful to be close to simple outdoor fun.
Posted: Jun 23, 2009 K Matyskiela

I read this in the magazine and was disappointed to see that Boston didn't do better. As a native, avid outdoorsman, and a college grad from CU, Boulder, my gut reaction says you missed something in your evaluation.

City kids right in Boston have the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. This jewel offers camping experiences all available off the Blue Line and a quick ferry ride. Spectacle Island offers free kayacking during the week; Thompson Island has Outward Bound. Just outside the city are the Middlesex Fells (northern side), reachable via the Orange Line. To the south is the Blue Hills reservation. Both of these offer plenty of day hiking and some camping possibilities.

Moreover, just as 14k-footers are "a few hours" away for residents of Colorado Springs, the White Mountain National Park with its craggy, challenging ranges are also just a few hours away (2hrs for some).

Just 90 minutes away you can be in any number of small state parks with or without campgrounds.

The results of these riches are that my city-raised kids (I'm *in* the city, not a tony suburb) have already spent nights in the tent within the city's boundaries, gone on many outdoor walks, and are looking forward to the more agressive opportunities they see me taking advantage of.

Perhaps there's something in your methodology I missed? Maybe Boston's obesity rate is too high? Maybe there aren't enough formal programs? However, I know what I see and I think your methodology itself didn't get it right.


Posted: Jun 21, 2009 Greg K in Boston

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