USA TODAY 10Best
Best Small Town for Adventure: Readers vote Lake Geneva, Wis.
Best Small Town for Adventure (2019)
These 10 towns might be small — each has a population of fewer than 25,000 people — but they're big on outdoor adventure, from hiking and mountain biking to kayaking and rock climbing.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Small Town for Adventure are as follows:
- Everglades City - Florida
- Blowing Rock - North Carolina
- Vernal - Utah
- Abita Springs - Louisiana
- Bryson City - North Carolina
- Lander - Wyoming
- North Conway - New Hampshire
- Buffalo - Wyoming
- Marquette - Michigan
- Lake Geneva - Wisconsin
Photo courtesy of Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB
No. 10:
Situated near the southern tip of Florida, Everglades City serves as the gateway to the Ten Thousand Islands, where outdoor enthusiasts come to canoe through mangrove tunnels, hike through Big Cypress National Preserve or look for gators on a tour of Everglades City swamp.
Photo courtesy of Todd Bush Photography, www.bushphoto.com
No. 9:
Those looking for a mountain escape have been coming to Blowing Rock since the 1880s. Today, this North Carolina village sits directly on the Blue Ridge Parkway and serves as a gateway to adjacent Pisgah National Forest.
Photo courtesy of iStock / milehightraveler
No. 8:
Vernal is known in Utah as the gateway to Dinosaur National Monument, but it’s also a destination for hiking, biking and river rafting throughout the summer months. Nearby Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area offers trout fishing and water sports, while Steinaker and Red Fleet State Parks both attract water skiers and boaters.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Judy Darby
No. 7:
Historic Abita Springs, known for its locally brewed beer, artesian wells and quirky personality, also serves as a jumping off point for exploring the Tammany Trace bike trail that extends for 31 miles from Covington all the way to Slidell.
Photo courtesy of Bryson City / Swain County NC Chamber of Commerce
No. 6:
Peaceful Bryson City sits at the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, just an hour west of Asheville. Outdoors enthusiasts enjoy easy access to the park, as well as rafting and kayaking on the Nantahala River, boating on Fontana Lake and mountain biking on the Tsali trails.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Maxfocus
No. 5:
The historic town of Lander sits just a few miles from the spectacular scenery of Sinks Canyon State Park, a popular destination for hiking, climbing, backpacking and fishing. The area even hosts the annual International Rock Climbers Festival, drawing thousands of enthusiasts from around the globe.
Photo courtesy of Dan Houde/Wiseguy Creative Photography
No. 4:
Set amid the sprawling White Mountain National Forest, North Conway offers visitors access to Mount Washington (the tallest peak in the northeast) and the accompanying four seasons recreation. During the snowy months, the area boasts some of the region’s best skiing and snowmobiling, while summer is excellent for hiking, golfing, fishing and camping. Fall leaf peeping is some of the best in the country.
Photo courtesy of iStock / DC_Colombia
No. 3:
Situated at the base of Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains, Buffalo serves as a base for all sorts of outdoor adventures, from hiking, fishing, kayaking, rock climbing and horseback riding in summer, to skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling in winter.
Photo courtesy of Travel Marquette
No. 2:
The largest town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, still small Marquette sits on the shores of Lake Superior, making it a hotspot for outdoor enthusiasts. Presque Isle Park serves as the launching point for kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding, while McCarty’s Cove offers a family friendly beach. Hikers and paddlers come from all over the world to explore the 150 miles of singletrack, 83 miles of Superior shoreline and 77 waterfalls in Marquette County.
Photo courtesy of iStock / csfotoimages
No. 1:
As Lake Geneva became a popular resort destination in the nineteenth century, it earned the nickname 'Newport of the West.' Extravagant summer mansions line its shores, while visitors enjoy four seasons of recreation both on and off the water.
A panel of experts (listed below) partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning small towns!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Anna Hider
Anna is a writer and social media manager for
Anna is a writer and social media manager for Roadtrippers, the coolest trip-planning site and app on the planet, where she's spent two years digging up the coolest off-the-beaten-path things for travelers to see and do. She loves hiking, exploring, and sometimes even getting lost in a good state park, and is definitely a sucker for any place with a waterfall, a ghost town or a beach.
Anna Hider
Anna is a writer and social media manager for Roadtrippers, the coolest trip-planning site and app on the planet, where she's spent two years digging up the coolest off-the-beaten-path things for travelers to see and do. She loves hiking, exploring, and sometimes even getting lost in a good state park, and is definitely a sucker for any place with a waterfall, a ghost town or a beach.
Deborah Fallows
Deborah Fallows is a writer and a linguist. She is... Read More
Deborah Fallows is a writer and a linguist. She is the co-author with her husband, James Fallows, of the national best-selling book, Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America, published in May, 2018. Our Towns, the HBO documentary based on the book was released in April, 2021. They recently launched the Our Towns Civic Foundation to support renewal efforts of communities across America. Deb has written extensively on language, culture, travel, and China for The Atlantic, National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times and The Washington Monthly. Her previous book, Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language, is based on her 3-year experience living and working in China.
Deborah Fallows
Deborah Fallows is a writer and a linguist. She is the co-author with her husband, James Fallows, of the national best-selling book, Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America, published in May, 2018. Our Towns, the HBO documentary based on the book was released in April, 2021. They recently launched the Our Towns Civic Foundation to support renewal efforts of communities across America. Deb has written extensively on language, culture, travel, and China for The Atlantic, National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times and The Washington Monthly. Her previous book, Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language, is based on her 3-year experience living and working in China.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer... Read More
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel... Read More
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Marla Cimini
Marla is an award-winning writer with a passion... Read More
Marla is an award-winning writer with a passion for travel, music, surfing and culinary adventures! An avid globetrotter and guidebook writer, she has covered topics such as the Hawaiian islands (including food trends and luxury beachfront resorts), as well as European getaways and global destinations. Her articles have appeared in many publications worldwide, including USA Today. Marla lives in New Jersey (Philadelphia area) and is a frequent visitor to Hawaii and Southern California, and often covers those destinations. Her travel website is: www.marlacimini.com
Marla Cimini
Marla is an award-winning writer with a passion for travel, music, surfing and culinary adventures! An avid globetrotter and guidebook writer, she has covered topics such as the Hawaiian islands (including food trends and luxury beachfront resorts), as well as European getaways and global destinations. Her articles have appeared in many publications worldwide, including USA Today. Marla lives in New Jersey (Philadelphia area) and is a frequent visitor to Hawaii and Southern California, and often covers those destinations. Her travel website is: www.marlacimini.com
