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The Best Small Mountain Towns in the U.S. · 1. Jacksonville, Oregon · 2. Ellijay, Georgia · 3. McCall, Idaho · 4. Gatlinburg, Tennessee · 5. Truckee. Killington, Vermont. The small town of Berea, Kentucky, is near the Cumberland Mountains and surrounded by deep forests. It’s the location of Kentucky’s biggest.
 
 

Best small towns near mountains –

Editor’s Note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure.

Whether you’re looking for outdoor adventure or a luxurious retreat , America’s best mountain towns have something for every type of traveler. During the winter months, these towns offer world-class skiing and snowboarding, and come summer, visitors can enjoy hiking, rafting, mountain biking, and more — they’re truly year-round destinations.

From Aspen’s pristine slopes and luxury hotels to Asheville’s vibrant art scene and Leavenworth’s European feel, these mountain towns offer unique experiences and stunning scenery. Here are 10 of the best mountain towns in the United States. Of course, there’s more to the city than that — in the winter, visitors can snowshoe, snow bike, snowmobile, and more, while summer travelers can enjoy fly fishing, golfing, horseback riding, and rafting, among other activities.

There’s a full range of accommodations, ranging from Airbnbs to five-star hotels, so there’s something for every budget and travel style. Jackson, Wyoming is located in one of the most picturesque parts of the country, surrounded by mountains and national park land.

Surrounded by North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville combines outdoor adventure with quirky mountain town charm. The city has a vibrant art scene — downtown Asheville is packed with galleries and boutiques — and it’s surrounded by great hiking trails. You can’t visit Asheville without stopping at the historic Biltmore Estate, a stunning mansion built by George Vanderbilt in the late s. Extend your time on the perfectly manicured property with a stay at The Inn on Biltmore Estate.

Perhaps New Mexico isn’t the first place you think of for a mountain vacation, but Taos, a town surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, might change your mind.

In addition to skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and rafting, visitors can trek with llamas, take a hot air balloon ride, or soak in the hot springs. Hotel Luna Mystica offers unique accommodations in charming vintage trailers. This Vermont mountain town is truly a year-round destination, with opportunities for outdoor activities like skiing and ice skating in the winter, hiking in the summer, and admiring the colorful foliage in autumn.

Like Park City, Aspen has a little something for everyone, with pristine slopes, high-end shopping, fantastic restaurants, and several luxury hotels, including The St. Conveniently located near Yellowstone National Park and Big Sky Resort, Bozeman is the perfect home base for a trip packed with outdoor adventure. When you’re not trekking through the national park or hitting the slopes, relax at the Kimpton Armory Hotel Bozeman, which has a rooftop pool offering stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

Located in northern Colorado, near the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park is ideal for active travelers who want to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. For foodies and beer lovers, there’s also a brewery, fudge factory, patisserie, teahouse, and small-batch ice cream parlor, in addition to numerous other eateries.

Check out the local wildlife refuge , and nearby Thorncrown Chapel is a can’t-miss. Finally, if you’re the outdoorsy type, there’s tons to do here, including paddleboarding, golfing, fishing, biking, and more. Tubac , situated between the Tumacacori and Santa Rita mountain ranges, makes the list for its almost entirely off-the-radar status when compared with Copper State destinations like Sedona and Flagstaff. A former Spanish presidio turned artist colony, this little town of about 1, residents hosts a surprisingly large array of funky boutiques and impressive art galleries “situated along meandering streets punctuated by hidden courtyards and sparkling fountains.

This former railroad town of about 20, north of Lake Tahoe bills itself as a “base camp for a big life,” and indeed, there are loads of things to do here. Visitors can explore the streets of the historic downtown, taking in its shops, restaurants, breweries, and markets, or they can head outdoors for plenty to whet a year-round adventurer’s thirst, including everything from horseback riding and hiking to skiing and sledding or even skateboarding and practicing jumps in one of the local bike and skate parks.

Finally, as the site of the 19th-century Donner Party incident, it has a fascinating, if macabre, piece of history that gives it just a bit more edge than other mountain towns. As in most popular mountain towns, there’s plenty to do outdoors, including Rip Van Winkle Lake Park, which has a playground; skate park; handball, volleyball, and basketball courts; and a disc golf course.

There’s also a bike path that cruises the village from east to west. Antique car enthusiasts should take note of the annual Father’s Day and Cruisin’ on the Mountaintop car shows, which happen in June and September and include food, drinks, and live music.

Related: Best Car Shows and Museums. This northeastern Volunteer State town perfectly blends an appreciation of its historic roots — it’s known as “Tennessee’s oldest town” — with efforts to court modern tourists through creative marketing. It bills itself as the Storytelling Capital of the World, hosting October’s annual National Storytelling Festival as well as serving as home base for the International Storytelling Center.

But the spinning of yarns isn’t all Jonesborough has to offer, of course. Visitors will find plenty of interesting shops, exciting meals, museums, festivals, hiking and biking trails, and more in this colorful and charming town near the Appalachians. Surrounded by the Chisos Mountains and Mule Ears peaks, with the Santa Fe de Los Pinos framed in the distance, this former quicksilver mining town is tiny, with an estimated population of around 50 to 60 folks.

But those who know about Terlingua, which promotes itself as a “ghost town,” adore it in all its eccentric glory. One of many small and funky towns located in the state’s Big Bend region — an area that attracts many of the state’s eccentrics — Terlingua is home to a trading company, the historic Starlight Theatre , the Big Bend Holiday Hotel , and two famous annual chili cook-offs that attract an interesting cast of characters each year. A northern Peach State town of around 7,, Dahlonega has a tiny population and an out-of-the-way location that belie just how truly cool this place is.

It’s been named one of the South’s best small towns by many publications. It’s also billed as the Wine Tasting Room Capital of Georgia, a Great American Main Street Award winner, and an official Appalachian Trail community — all of which mean you can shop, sip, sup, and hike to your heart’s content in and around Dahlonega, home to the University of North Georgia.

But, of course, there’s more, including a thriving arts scene, live music, historic gold rush museums and mine tours, waterfalls, and annual festivals like an arts, wine, and jazz festival in May.

If you love Asheville but crave something new and a little less, well, overrun, the little town of Hendersonville , about 40 minutes south, won’t disappoint. It’s got live theater, great boutiques, orchards and farmers markets, and plenty of outdoor recreation, including zip line tours and the waterfall-laden DuPont State Recreational Forest , where much of “The Hunger Games” was shot.

It also bills itself as pet-friendly, so be sure to bring the dogs along — you’ll find plenty of places to exercise them on- and off-leash. Finally, Hendersonville is part of the Cheers Trail, which showcases the area’s beer, wine, cider, and mead producers.

Located between the ranges of the Absarokas and Wind River Mountains, Dubois rhymes with “cowboys,” the townsfolk like to say is “one of the last real old West towns — a charming hidden gem with the authentic feel of the frontier. There’s also some local flavor that you won’t find anywhere else, like the National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center , and the weekly square dances and small-town rodeos.

Custer is one of those mountains towns that’s not exactly off-the-radar — it’s surrounded by destinations like Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse memorials, as well as Wind Cave National Park, after all.

Yet all these nearby destinations often mean that few people really delve into the town itself — which is a shame, because it’s a very welcoming place, with 50 hotels, campgrounds, vacation rentals, resorts, and bed and breakfasts. It’s also filled with public art mostly in the form of painted buffaloes “roaming” the streets , and a great place to grab a bite to eat or a frosty brew between those other destinations.

One can’t-miss: Bobkat’s Purple Pie Place , which serves hundreds of pie slices a week, as well as ice cream, milkshakes, sandwiches, paninis, and more. Related: America’s Best Cheap Eats. The historic downtown is filled with quaint hotels and tons of places to grab a bite, whether you’re looking for “the local burger joint or enjoying an elegant, farm-to-table meal. Check out the Snag Bar , an iconic piece of year-old history with friendly bartenders, tasty burgers, and, of course, plenty of flowing cocktails.

If you’re looking for a bit of off-the-radar excitement in the Land of Enchantment, this mountain town is one that Georgia O’Keeffe helped put on the map when she moved there in until her death plus years later. And, yep, that makes Abiquiu , located between better-known Santa Fe and Taos, a great town for art lovers.

Start with a visit to the famed artist’s former home and studio, a national historic landmark, and be sure to also check out Ghost Ranch, a 21,square-foot retreat and education center that covers ancient and modern history as well as O’Keeffe’s life and work there’s a tour that will take you to both.