Great Mountain Living, from the Popular to the Undiscovered
Mountain lifestyles can be incredibly rewarding: the ample recreational opportunities, the clean air, and the beautiful scenery are just a handful of reasons why people decide to live around or among peaks and summits. With the mountains at their disposal, those who live in mountain towns frequently camp, fish, boat, sightsee, bird watch, hike, and much more. With so many different mountain towns, in a variety of different climates, which one is the right one for you?
This article will overview two towns from each of the main mountainous states: one town popular for its mountains and mountain lifestyle, and one that is currently slightly lesser known and up-and-coming.
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Alaska
Anchorage is by far the largest city in Alaska, and definitely the most well-known for its mountains and otherwise. This booming outdoor haven is home to over 59 different summits.
Seward is a lesser known Alaskan community, but has just as much to offer. This small town is ringed on three sides by stunning, snow-capped mountains that offer an abundance of related activities like camping and glacier-watching.
Arizona
Tucson is definitely a city you’ve heard of. The Santa Catalinas, as well as four other main mountain ranges, make this sunny, western-flavored community a mountain lover’s paradise, provided he likes an urban setting. Sentinel Peak stands near the historic downtown.
Oro Valley lies fifteen miles north of Tucson; this rapidly growing community is climbing CNN/Money’s list of “Best Places to Live and Launch”. With many of the same mountain offerings as Tucson, recreational opportunities are aplenty in this diverse town.
California
Palm Springs has a downtown which lies in a valley extending for miles, ringed by mountains on all sides. The picturesque Mt. St. Jacinto rises over 10,000 feet above the town; Palm Springs is well known as one of the best mountain settings in the US.
Grass Valley is a lesser known town located in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains, about fifty miles from Sacramento. It offers outdoor activities in a quaint, small town setting.
Colorado
Boulder is one of the many popular mountain towns in Colorado. Having won multiple awards as a city referring to its green, healthy lifestyle, residents indulge in the proximity to the Rocky Mountains. Skiing is superb.
Fruita is a smaller, lesser known mountain community. Interestingly named and offering many peaks, like the breathtaking Flume Creek Canyon, hiking and biking are very popular here.
Idaho
Coeur d’Alene is a popular, fast-growing town in northern Idaho’s panhandle, close to the famed Silver Mountain and Schweitzer Mountain ski resorts. Beauty and recreation are both first-class.
Meridian is Idaho’s third largest city, a suburb of Boise, and practically within arms’ reaches of Idaho’s best mountains.
Utah
Salt Lake City is arguably one of the most famous US ski destinations. Near the Wasatch Mountains and Great Salt Lake, there are a dozen of the country’s top ski destinations close by.
Ogden, while it doesn’t have the ring of Salt Lake City or Park City, has its own claim to fame: the first rate ski mountain Snowbasin was home to the Olympic Super G and downhill events in 2002. Ogden also has a huge recreational center.
Vermont
Burlington, the lovely, small college town, is close to the famed Vermont ski resorts of Sugarbush and Smuggler’s notch, among many others.
Rutland, while less known, is the largest town in the Green Mountains; nearby Killington is the largest ski facility on the East Coast.
For Further Reference
National Geographic’s Best Places to Live and Play: Mountain Towns
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Posted by admin on March 19th, 2011
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