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Outside Magazine September 2001

Readers' Choice
And the Survey Says. . .

When we asked you to plug your most beloved outdoor towns on Outside Online, we knew we'd get some winning suggestions, but we didn't expect such an outpouring of civic pride. The following ten towns are the recurring favorites, straight from the mouths of those who know best: the locals.

Asheville, North Carolina
Population: 66,000
"Artsy, liberal-minded, infested with singletrack, surrounded by whitewater, and affordable." —Cynthia Palmeri

Ashland, Oregon
Population: 19,500
"Cheap living above the valley fog, close to Mount Ashland skiing, Mount Shasta, and the Rogue and Klamath Rivers." —Michael Bate

Boulder, Colorado
Population: 95,000
"Bike to breakfast at Espresso Roma, ski in the morning, kayak in the afternoon, climb the Flatirons by moonlight. Enough said." —Andrew Luter

Bozeman, Montana
Population: 28,000
"Views of five mountain ranges, lots of backcountry wilderness, trophy homes, feng-shui consultants, the rich and aimless, upscale dinner parties, etc. It's Ed Abbey's nightmare vision of a thoroughly New Age, New West town, and I wouldn't dream of living anywhere else!" —Carl D. Esbjornson

Burlington, Vermont
Population: 39,000
"Kayaking Lake Champlain; hiking, mountain biking, or skiing the Green Mountains—and gusto enough to hold an outdoor Mardi Gras party in February." —Dan Jones

Flagstaff, Arizona
Population: 60,000
"Climb the San Francisco Peaks while the rest of Arizona sizzles; come winter, ski the local Snowbowl. And the Grand Canyon is only an hour away in any season." —Dee Sprinkle

Hanover, New Hampshire
Population: 9,500
"Hike the Appalachian Trail along Main Street, ride countless mountain-bike trails and back roads. Plus, great schools, a laid-back New England college-town lifestyle, and no sales tax." —Heath Gosselin

Madison, Wisconsin
Population: 201,000
"A thriving, bike-friendly university town with a four-season climate and cross-country skiing and ice skating right downtown." —Anne Mosser

Park City, Utah
Population: 6,500
"Terrific powder skiing in the Wasatch, and the best early-summer wildflowers I've ever seen." —JoAnne Borchardt

Portland, Maine
Population: 63,000
"Home to the best sea kayaking in the United States. From my front door, I can carry my boat to the Presumpscot River and paddle it to the Atlantic." —Bill Barker