America's 10 Best Outdoor Towns

From Alaska to Maine, these spots offer a walk on the wild side for fans of everything from windsurfing to fly-fishing. You can even try the luge.

In choosing the "101 Best Outdoor Towns: Unspoiled Places to Visit, Live & Play" (The Countryman Press, 2007), authors Sarah Tuff and Greg Melville researched access to national and state parks, major bodies of water, hiking and mountain biking trails, and ski and snowboard terrain; population; affordability; and such downtown resources as gear shops, brewpubs and coffee houses.

This top 10 is adapted from the book; these towns have not only back doors to some of the country's best adventure terrain, but also lively, livable communities that are dedicated to playing in and preserving the great American playgrounds.

Lake Placid, New York

The numbers speak for themselves: 6 million acres of the surrounding Adirondack Park, 2,000 miles of trails, 3,000 lakes and ponds and five Olympic Rings. Lake Placid has hosted the Games twice, and somehow still glows with an inimitable, warm-fuzzy feeling about winter sports. Hockey fans can check out the 1980 Miracle on Ice site at the in-town Olympic Center, also home to the Olympic Speed Skating Oval (518-523-1655), which is open to the public all winter. Then venture to the toboggan run on Mirror Lake for a plummet down a track and a skitter across the ice; if you're even braver, try the bobsled and luge runs at the Olympic Sports Complex (518-523-4436), just outside of town. In the summer, hikers hit 5,344-foot Mount Marcy while triathletes compete in the Ironman; year-round, you can refuel with the legendary UBU ale and refresh at the rustic Adirondack Loj (518-523-3441).

The Adirondacks: A great place to live!

By Joe Hackett

Posted on: Monday, August 27, 2007

While attending a recent conference in Minnesota, I had the opportunity to interact with Jeff, president of the Arizona Zoological Society, and Joe from Kentucky, a professor at Murray State University, and Jennifer, a naturalist from Houston.

Each individual spoke in glowing terms of their homes. They had pride in the land, their neighbors and carried a sense of belonging to their particular landscapes. But across the board, each of them wanted to know more about the Adirondacks, and about Lake Placid in particular.

From them, I obtained an impression of our region. I learned about the mystery and myth of the Adirondacks and images that the name conjures up in one's mind. Despite never having traveled to the North Country, they all had an opinion of what it must be like. Their notions were somewhat skewed by the history and color of Lake Placid, but none of them could comprehend the vastness of the region, nor our relative proximity to the big city - meaning Montreal, not New York.

I was often asked what it was like to live here. What were the Games like, the weather, the people, the park. And I found myself acting as an ambassador; correcting ill notions and explaining the nuances of life in the North Country.

As a result of these conversations, I discovered a much greater appreciation for the area. Sure, I'm happy to live here, despite the vagaries of the economy, the weather and the see-saw existence of making a living on a tourism-based economy.

But overall, as I attempted to put into words what life was like in the North Country, I recognized the pride I had for it. Put quite simply, I'm glad I chose to live and raise a family here.

I live in a place where I can go out my back door and paddle a canoe on a cold, clear mountain stream that is teaming with native brook trout. Or I can hike more than 20 miles south before encountering anything manmade.

Out my door I can bike for miles, ski or snowshoe untracked lands or hunt freely, unfettered by others. In this day and age, these are luxuries that very few have the opportunity to enjoy. Especially at no cost, with no reservations, no long lines and no extensive travel. Literally, it is out the back door for most of us, if we choose to leave the house.

But it goes beyond these simple pleasures, further than even I could comprehend until I explained it to an assembly of curious minds. The figures are impressive, even if they are old hat to most of the locals.

It's the same old inventory that we usually take for granted. Forty-six peaks over 4,000 feet in elevation, 3,500 lakes and ponds (actually, it's more than 10,000 ponds by the latest GIS survey), more than 30,00 miles of rivers and streams all encompassed in a park of some 6.5 million acres.

Oh yeah, I left out the parts about living in a world-class sporting town, with an Olympic Training Center down the road. We hosted two Winter Olympics and were the site of the "Sporting Event of the Millennium" as well, the location of the only Winter Goodwill Games and three consecutive ESPN Great Outdoor Games competitions.

There are no professional leagues in the region. Baseball isn't even in Montreal anymore, but who needs the pros? Sure, we've got golf and tennis, but here's so much more. Sports and outdoor pursuits are a vital component of the Adirondack landscape. They are intrinsic to it.

We've got hockey ... good hockey for men and women, or boys and girls. Don't forget that we are the Winter Sports Capital of the World. Kids learn to skate, just as they learn to surf when living near the ocean.

Only around here, we keep playing on the ice. Bobsledding, luge, skeleton in world-class events or youth development programs. There's even been an adult recreational sliding program, kind of like pick-up basketball in the more urban environs. And curling too.

On snow it only gets better. Whether downhill by gravity on former Olympic trails, across a lake powered by a kite or through a forest on a sled (dog or gas), North Country residents like to play in the white stuff! They ski jump, and also flip, twist and land. They ski and shoot biathlon. They also ski simply for fun! It isn't always about competition.

Let me see now, we also host a few famous Horse Shows, a grand lacrosse tournament, the largest rugby tournament in the hemisphere, an Ironman USA event, a Backcountry Ski Festival, an International MountainFest. There are marathons, trail runs, uphill bike and foot races where even unicycles compete to climb the fifth-tallest mountain in the state. These are just off the top of my head; I'm sure I missed a few.

Not to be overlooked are the paddle sports. There's a 90-mile canoe race, outstanding wilderness touring and whitewater venues. There's a burgeoning creek boat community that is still exploring the potential for combining spring runoff and small boats for extreme opportunities.

Climbers flock here winter and summer for some of the most challenging rock faces and possibly the best ice in the country. That's what happens when water pours off the Adirondack dome during the winter. People show up!

Nature we've got in oodles. Birds galore, fabled blue-ribbon trout streams and bass fisheries that would make any Bubba babble. Game abounds on public lands and camping is still free anywhere along the route of some 4500 miles of marked hiking trails.

I must admit, we are fortunate. Yet, it's often taken for granted. We have become complacent and have come to expect these opportunities will always be available. Compared to other regions, we don't know how lucky we are.

Sure, Saranac Lake was named one of the Coolest Mountain Towns in the country and Lake Placid was listed among the Best Small Towns with a Big Backyard. Yet, there's an old saying that goes, "A man is not without honor lest it be in his own hometown."

I'd like to paraphrase that to "A river or a mountain is not without honor lest it be in your own backyard." Too often we fail to recognize the absolute treasures we enjoy locally. We have world-class events on world-class venues in a world-class environment. Get out and enjoy it, before the whole world finds out. Our little secret isn't going to last forever.

There are always complaints about the roads being full of bikers or runners, the lakes full of paddlers, swimmers, or the trails loaded with climbers or hikers. But compared to elsewhere, we're vacant. Living here, we are graced with a multitude of natural gifts.

There always seems to be somebody training in Lake Placid, running, biking or skiing. It is one of the sportiest towns in the country and exercise is fun. Tourists come here for a reason, and it isn't just to sit around a hotel room and watch TV. They are willing to pay to come enjoy and appreciate our backyards. It's about time we did the same.

I've come to realize the benefits of living in the community of the North Country that I have long been a part of. Without community a person is left without a place where he or she can contribute. The community is a grounding place where people can shape their gifts and share them with others. I'm glad I grew up here, but I'm even happier that I decided to stay!

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