Most Affordable Adventure-Filled Cities
Some towns are known for their outdoor activities. Hanalei, Kauai's waves, Boulder's slopes, Durango's trails and are popular destinations where many choose to spend their precious two weeks of vacation. But what about the other 50 weeks of the year? Why not enjoy outdoor adventures all year?Some places can definitely get pricey, and many are located on the western side of the U.S., which might be too far from your family and career. The good news is that we have narrowed it down to the top 10 most affordable adventure-filled cities, so keep reading to check out what makes these cities so great and click this link to read the whole article.
To start, realtor.com®'s intrepid, sunburned data team limited its search to metros where the median home prices are under $300,000. That's why many of those world-famous destination stops out West and in the Rocky Mountain states didn't make the cut. What we're left with is some unexpected metros with enough top-notch outdoor access to help you almost forget those soul-crushing days you spend each week in cubicles. So get off your butts, already!"It's sometimes hard to find the time and access to get outside when you live in a city," says Lauren Skonieczny, operations manager and a guide at Discover Outdoors, a New York-based provider of guided adventure trips. "[But] time outside really helps to improve mental health and physical health. A short hike is enough to get your heart pumping."Many folks don't even realize how close they are to nature's glory."Go online and Google things like 'stand-up paddleboarding' or 'kayaking' and then put your city in," suggests Stacy Tornio, author of more than a dozen children’s books that encourage the young to get outside. "So many cities are catering to outdoor activities now. They probably exist, and you might not even know it."To come up with our list of the most affordable outdoor-friendly cities, we looked at:
- Number of national parks within a four-hour drive (perfect for a weekend camping trip), using Google Maps data
- Number of state parks or beaches within a one-hour drive (envision afternoon getaways), using Google Maps data
- Restaurants with outdoor seating, using Yelp data
- Annual months of mild weather, with daily highs between 60 and 80 degrees, using National Weather Service data
- Bicycle-friendliness rating from the League of American Bicyclists
- Median home prices under $300,000, using realtor.com data
Ready? Let's get outside. The weather's fine.