Every town on the map

90 real mountain, desert, river and coast towns. Each page tells you what you’d play, how far the goods are from your door, and a letter from a local. Not sure where to start? Take the 30-second quiz or filter by your sports.

Small towns (38)

Under 20,000 people — trailhead-out-the-door living.

Aspen, COPop. 7,000Skiing & snowboarding · Backpacking & hiking · Mountain biking Bar Harbor, MEPop. 5,500Backpacking & hiking · Whitewater & kayaking · Rock climbing Bishop, CAPop. 3,800Rock climbing · Backpacking & hiking · Fly fishing Boone, NCPop. 19,000Mountain biking · Whitewater & kayaking · Rock climbing Brevard, NCPop. 7,700Mountain biking · Whitewater & kayaking · Backpacking & hiking Buena Vista, COPop. 2,800Whitewater & kayaking · Rock climbing · Backpacking & hiking Carbondale, COPop. 6,500Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking · Fly fishing Crested Butte, COPop. 1,700Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking Damascus, VAPop. 800Backpacking & hiking · Gravel & road cycling · Mountain biking Durango, COPop. 19,000Mountain biking · Whitewater & kayaking · Backpacking & hiking Estes Park, COPop. 6,000Backpacking & hiking · Rock climbing · Fly fishing Fayetteville, WVPop. 2,900Whitewater & kayaking · Rock climbing · Mountain biking Gunnison, COPop. 6,600Fly fishing · Backpacking & hiking · Mountain biking Hood River, ORPop. 8,000Mountain biking · Windsurfing & kiteboarding · Skiing & snowboarding Jackson, WYPop. 11,000Skiing & snowboarding · Rock climbing · Backpacking & hiking Ketchum, IDPop. 3,600Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking Lake Placid, NYPop. 2,200Backpacking & hiking · Skiing & snowboarding · Rock climbing Leavenworth, WAPop. 2,600Rock climbing · Backpacking & hiking · Mountain biking Mammoth Lakes, CAPop. 7,000Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking Mariposa, CAPop. 2,000Backpacking & hiking · Rock climbing · Fly fishing Mazama, WAPop. 200Skiing & snowboarding · Rock climbing · Backpacking & hiking McCall, IDPop. 4,000Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Whitewater & kayaking Moab, UTPop. 5,300Mountain biking · Rock climbing · Backpacking & hiking North Conway, NHPop. 2,300Rock climbing · Backpacking & hiking · Skiing & snowboarding Ouray, COPop. 900Rock climbing · Backpacking & hiking · Mountain biking Pagosa Springs, COPop. 1,700Fly fishing · Backpacking & hiking · Skiing & snowboarding Park City, UTPop. 8,400Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking Salida, COPop. 6,000Mountain biking · Whitewater & kayaking · Backpacking & hiking Sandpoint, IDPop. 10,000Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking Sedona, AZPop. 9,700Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking · Rock climbing Silverton, COPop. 600Skiing & snowboarding · Backpacking & hiking · Rock climbing Steamboat Springs, COPop. 13,000Skiing & snowboarding · Backpacking & hiking · Fly fishing Stowe, VTPop. 4,300Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking Taos, NMPop. 6,000Skiing & snowboarding · Backpacking & hiking · Mountain biking Telluride, COPop. 2,500Skiing & snowboarding · Backpacking & hiking · Trail running Truckee, CAPop. 17,000Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Rock climbing Victor, IDPop. 2,400Skiing & snowboarding · Backpacking & hiking · Fly fishing Whitefish, MTPop. 8,000Skiing & snowboarding · Backpacking & hiking · Fly fishing

Mid-size towns (30)

20,000–150,000 people — real amenities, real access.

Asheville, NCPop. 95,000Whitewater & kayaking · Backpacking & hiking · Mountain biking Bellingham, WAPop. 93,000Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking · Skiing & snowboarding Bend, ORPop. 103,000Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking Boulder, COPop. 108,000Rock climbing · Backpacking & hiking · Gravel & road cycling Bozeman, MTPop. 56,000Skiing & snowboarding · Backpacking & hiking · Fly fishing Burlington, VTPop. 45,000Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking Carson City, NVPop. 58,000Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking Coeur d'Alene, IDPop. 56,000Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Whitewater & kayaking Duluth, MNPop. 87,000Mountain biking · Whitewater & kayaking · Backpacking & hiking Flagstaff, AZPop. 76,000Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking · Trail running Grand Junction, COPop. 65,000Mountain biking · Rock climbing · Backpacking & hiking Greenville, SCPop. 70,000Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking · Whitewater & kayaking Helena, MTPop. 33,000Fly fishing · Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking Idaho Falls, IDPop. 64,000Fly fishing · Skiing & snowboarding · Backpacking & hiking Kalispell, MTPop. 24,000Skiing & snowboarding · Backpacking & hiking · Fly fishing Klamath Falls, ORPop. 22,000Fly fishing · Whitewater & kayaking · Backpacking & hiking Logan, UTPop. 52,000Backpacking & hiking · Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking Marquette, MIPop. 21,000Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking · Fly fishing Medford, ORPop. 86,000Mountain biking · Whitewater & kayaking · Backpacking & hiking Missoula, MTPop. 77,000Fly fishing · Mountain biking · Whitewater & kayaking Ogden, UTPop. 87,000Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Rock climbing Pocatello, IDPop. 57,000Mountain biking · Fly fishing · Backpacking & hiking Port Angeles, WAPop. 20,000Backpacking & hiking · Whitewater & kayaking · Fly fishing Prescott, AZPop. 46,000Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking · Rock climbing Provo, UTPop. 115,000Backpacking & hiking · Skiing & snowboarding · Rock climbing Pueblo, COPop. 110,000Rock climbing · Mountain biking · Whitewater & kayaking Roanoke, VAPop. 100,000Backpacking & hiking · Mountain biking · Rock climbing Santa Cruz, CAPop. 62,000Ocean surfing · Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking Santa Fe, NMPop. 88,000Skiing & snowboarding · Backpacking & hiking · Mountain biking Wenatchee, WAPop. 35,000Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Whitewater & kayaking

Cities (22)

150,000+ people — full careers with mountains in reach.

Albuquerque, NMPop. 560,000Rock climbing · Backpacking & hiking · Mountain biking Bakersfield, CAPop. 410,000Gravel & road cycling · Trail running · Backpacking & hiking Boise, IDPop. 235,000Mountain biking · Skiing & snowboarding · Backpacking & hiking Chattanooga, TNPop. 184,000Rock climbing · Whitewater & kayaking · Mountain biking Colorado Springs, COPop. 480,000Backpacking & hiking · Rock climbing · Mountain biking Denver, COPop. 715,000Gravel & road cycling · Skiing & snowboarding · Rock climbing Eugene, ORPop. 175,000Gravel & road cycling · Trail running · Mountain biking Fort Collins, COPop. 170,000Gravel & road cycling · Trail running · Mountain biking Fresno, CAPop. 545,000Backpacking & hiking · Rock climbing · Fly fishing Henderson, NVPop. 322,000Rock climbing · Backpacking & hiking · Mountain biking Knoxville, TNPop. 190,000Backpacking & hiking · Mountain biking · Whitewater & kayaking Las Vegas, NVPop. 641,000Rock climbing · Backpacking & hiking · Mountain biking Madison, WIPop. 270,000Gravel & road cycling · Trail running · Whitewater & kayaking Portland, ORPop. 652,000Gravel & road cycling · Backpacking & hiking · Trail running Reno, NVPop. 264,000Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Rock climbing Sacramento, CAPop. 525,000Gravel & road cycling · Trail running · Skiing & snowboarding Salem, ORPop. 177,000Gravel & road cycling · Backpacking & hiking · Trail running Salt Lake City, UTPop. 200,000Skiing & snowboarding · Backpacking & hiking · Mountain biking Spokane, WAPop. 230,000Skiing & snowboarding · Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking Tacoma, WAPop. 220,000Backpacking & hiking · Skiing & snowboarding · Whitewater & kayaking Tucson, AZPop. 540,000Mountain biking · Backpacking & hiking · Gravel & road cycling Vancouver, WAPop. 196,000Backpacking & hiking · Gravel & road cycling · Trail running