Best places to live in the U.S.A. if you love hiking?

[Gambit McCrae]

I am apart of several "Friends of ...." groups for different hiking areas. I am always envious of folks that live a quick hop away from some of my favorite spots. However I know from being burnt out from my local gems - I live within 45 minutes of Virgin Falls, which at one time was the #1 rated trail in Tennessee, as well as Cummins Falls which is on about every top 10 swimming holes in the USA, as well as Burgess Falls and only about 3 hours from Clingmans dome. But those that live "in" or real close to the iconic regions such as GSMNP, SNP, Roan Mountain SP, Grayson SP - I would say they probably get tired of their backyard and venture out to other places. Otherwise they would always be on a staycation. I would say if I were to move to a place for hiking, it would have to be somewhere that I am able to be involved in the hiking community, so that I could shuttle hikers, maybe open a hostel, and do some trail magic. I have always wanted to move to Hot Springs, NC.

[egilbe]

Need a roommate?


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Sounds like he's trying to sell his house. Bode Miller's house is on the market.

[KWColorado]

Salida (small town around 6000) if you can bring your job with you or looking for a place to retire. Real estate is kind of pricey but everything else (weather, outdoors options, community, etc.) is pretty much perfect to me.

[Violent Green]

If biking trails are a strong requirement, that's going to push most of your choices out West where the biking culture is so pervasive. Their culture is SO much more outdoorsy than ours in the East.

With that said, I live in Knoxville, TN and it's got a lot to offer. Low cost of living and so many outdoor possibilities.

Frozen Head - 40mins
Big South Fork - 60 mins
Daniel Boone National Forest - 60 mins
Smokies - 30mins
Cherokee National Forest - 60 mins
Pisgah National Forest - 90 mins
Urban Wilderness - 0 mins
Virgin Falls/Fall Creek Falls - 90 mins
North Cumberland & Royal Blue WMAs - 30 mins

I could go on and on...Asheville is also good, but I think the cost of living is somewhat higher there.

[naturegirl90]

Outside of the well-traveled paths, I find Wisconsin to be great given all of the lakes.

[peakbagger]

Sounds like he's trying to sell his house. Bode Miller's house is on the market.

I think Bodes house is in the Franconia area, that's more a summer colony for folks from Mass than a year round community. High real estate prices to match. The towns along RT2 except Randolph are far less summer retreats and the real estate prices are lower. Randolph is definitely an old time summer colony but its definitely a different vibe than a typical summer retreat, lots of older summer places and a dense local trail network, there are about 300 full time residents. The town actively discourages development and has one of the largest town forests in the state. Some well off summer folks on occasion pick up pieces of property and donate it to the town forest just to keep it from being developed.

[saltysack]

Waiting to hear about a job in Johnson city right now. Only bad thing is I probably won’t be moving up til late October t the earliest so will miss the hiking this year.

October to April are my favorite times in the southern Apps.....no people or bugs, views and crisp weather.....


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[Tipi Walter]

Interesting how so many of us are fans of the hiking in our own backyards. East TN/West NC! NH/ME! Upstate New York! California! Etc.

On the other hand, we haven't heard anybody crowing about the fantastic hiking in places like Kansas, or Oklahoma. My adolescent years were in the rolling hills of central Oklahoma on an 80-acre inherited tract. Much of it was wooded with scrub oak, post oak, sumac, and cedar. My dad made little roads through the woods that I walked and sometimes ran on almost every day after school. Usually barefoot. I knew where each bit of prickly pear cactus was. I knew where sand burrs were to be avoided. There was an old cabin in the woods built by my grandfather in the Depression years - it's fallen down now. A short walk up the drive from the cabin was the Big Spring at the base of a large sandstone heading the Big Gully. Carved into the sandstone were dates from the 1870's and later. We were told that Belle Starr, an outlaw of the time, hung out at the Big Spring. I used to walk through the gullies, exploring, exploring, and dreaming of whatever. They were 8' deep or more and dry, but in a rainstorm could fill up quickly. We saw possums and armadillos and skunks and snakes and horned toads and ....

....Years and years ago. Fond memories. My dad is gone. No one lives there. I'm sure his little trails/roads are overgrown. None of us will ever hike them.

I was raised in Enid, Oklahoma and so as a kid I discovered all sorts of "backcountry" to explore. It was all private land out in the sticks by creeks but when you're a kid 10 acres of woods with a creek seems like the Wrangell-St Elias NP. And back in the 1950s everyone and every landowner EXPECTED to see kids outdoors all the time. Alot different today. And as a family we often went to Great Salt Plains Lake for camping. Here's a pic of Little Tipi coming out of Salt Plains Lake---
scan0048.jpg

I lived in Boone NC for 30 years and spent the last 20 years in Tellico Plains TN. This is why I've been able to get out so often on my backpacking trips---because I'm close to unregulated NFs and wilderness areas. And Boone back in the 1970s was like Alaska---wild and free.

I would change the OP's question---"Where can I go backpacking in vast areas with no regulations or permits required??"

[colorado_rob]

Salida (small town around 6000) if you can bring your job with you or looking for a place to retire. Real estate is kind of pricey but everything else (weather, outdoors options, community, etc.) is pretty much perfect to me.

Durango, Colorada....

Funny these two places are mentioned.... these two cities, along with possibly Ridgeway CO (down near Telluride), are the top three candidates for where we plan on moving when our grand kids get a bit older (bunches of them in Denver area).

Wherever you do live in the USA, just remember the entire country has it's charms. We've traveled a bit around the world, and had some fine adventures, but the single most satisfying thing my wife and I have done is as of last July, we have stood on the highest point (elevation wise) of each of our 50 great states (we're the 14th couple on record to have done so). And on every one of these 50 state visits, we have tried to enjoy some other unique aspect of those states. AND, tried to remember to have a local beer from each.... (didn't quite make this one though).

[Another Kevin]

I would change the OP's question---"Where can I go backpacking in vast areas with no regulations or permits required??"

Upstate NY still makes the cut - permits ($free) needed only for Eastern High Peaks. Regulations are sensible ones like "don't camp above 3500 feet or within 150 feet of trail or water, except at designated sites." Needed to protect the alpine region. Millions of acres where you can camp. I've done two-week trips here with zero formalities.

[colorado_rob]

I would change the OP's question---"Where can I go backpacking in vast areas with no regulations or permits required??"

Probably no where w.r.t. being strictly unregulated, unless on private land.

But, though not absolute zero regulations, most of southern Utah is wide open, un-populated, gorgeous and is open BLM land, with only token regulations. And of course for the best backpacking areas in Colorado, Wyoming, Norther AZ, etc, etc, no permits are required, but there are mild regulations posted here and there. Like no bikes in the wilderness areas, stuff like that.

California, on the other hand, seems to be silly-highly-regulated, but I suppose that's simply because of the higher density of use.

But of course, you know all of this, you're just making your usual posturing type of statement.

[illabelle]

I was raised in Enid, Oklahoma and so as a kid I discovered all sorts of "backcountry" to explore. It was all private land out in the sticks by creeks but when you're a kid 10 acres of woods with a creek seems like the Wrangell-St Elias NP. And back in the 1950s everyone and every landowner EXPECTED to see kids outdoors all the time. Alot different today. And as a family we often went to Great Salt Plains Lake for camping. Here's a pic of Little Tipi coming out of Salt Plains Lake---
scan0048.jpg...

Tipi, you amaze me. How you manage to reach back decades to a specific memory and not only find a photo, but know where and often when it was taken is beyond belief. I could almost believe you employ a crew of photo archivists that organize and label and catalog every photo you have.

And very true that back in those days people expected kids to be outdoors exploring. We freely wandered around on our 80 acres, and the 160 beside us, and the 160 or more behind us.

[Tipi Walter]

Upstate NY still makes the cut - Millions of acres where you can camp. I've done two-week trips here with zero formalities.

That's what I'm looking for---pulling long backpacking trips and not being told where to camp every night---just wander freely. How the heck can I know where I'll be camping on Day 15 of a 21 day trip???????????????

Probably no where w.r.t. being strictly unregulated, unless on private land.

But, though not absolute zero regulations, most of southern Utah is wide open, un-populated, gorgeous and is open BLM land, with only token regulations. And of course for the best backpacking areas in Colorado, Wyoming, Norther AZ, etc, etc, no permits are required, but there are mild regulations posted here and there. Like no bikes in the wilderness areas, stuff like that.

California, on the other hand, seems to be silly-highly-regulated, but I suppose that's simply because of the higher density of use.

I've often wondered why the magnificent Rocky Mt NP has so many backpacking and camping regulations. It's depressing.

Then again, the reason I asked my question---where to freely camp without permits and designated sites etc---was because I was thinking of California.

Tipi, you amaze me. How you manage to reach back decades to a specific memory and not only find a photo, but know where and often when it was taken is beyond belief. I could almost believe you employ a crew of photo archivists that organize and label and catalog every photo you have.

And very true that back in those days people expected kids to be outdoors exploring. We freely wandered around on our 80 acres, and the 160 beside us, and the 160 or more behind us.

It helps to have all my photos on a website with Keyworded properties. If someone here mentions "Jacks River" for instance, I just punch that keyword and get all the pics for the area etc.

And Illabelle---You may enjoy this pic from Great Salt Plains taken when I was a young tyke still in diapers or close to it---sometime in 1952.
scan0042.jpg
Carefully watching my Dad fix some kindling---important info I would need later.

[colorado_rob]

I've often wondered why the magnificent Rocky Mt NP has so many backpacking and camping regulations. It's depressing.

Then again, the reason I asked my question---where to freely camp without permits and designated sites etc---was because I was thinking of California.

Rocky Mtn NP is really kinda "meh" compared to a huge number of other places in the central west (CO, WY, UT, MT, etc).

I just cannot understand why visitors from other states ONLY go to RMNP when they visit Colorado. Do it once if you must, prepare yourself for the crowds (or go off-season), then head to the real gems.

Really, pretty much all over the west there are no camping-spot restrictions, nor are there any required permits. The National Parks, sure, kinda necessary these days with the crowds.

And yeah, good old California and their weird permits.... But really, getting BP permits for 90% of the Sierra is easy and practically automatic, if you stay off the main trails (PCT, JMT).

[Venchka]

I was raised in Enid, Oklahoma and so as a kid I discovered all sorts of "backcountry" to explore. It was all private land out in the sticks by creeks but when you're a kid 10 acres of woods with a creek seems like the Wrangell-St Elias NP. And back in the 1950s everyone and every landowner EXPECTED to see kids outdoors all the time. Alot different today. And as a family we often went to Great Salt Plains Lake for camping. Here's a pic of Little Tipi coming out of Salt Plains Lake---
scan0048.jpg

I lived in Boone NC for 30 years and spent the last 20 years in Tellico Plains TN. This is why I've been able to get out so often on my backpacking trips---because I'm close to unregulated NFs and wilderness areas. And Boone back in the 1970s was like Alaska---wild and free.

I would change the OP's question---"Where can I go backpacking in vast areas with no regulations or permits required??"

Answer: Avoid both coasts. With a few exceptions.
Don’t mention the really good places online.
Southern Utah is being loved to death thanks to advertising. Colorado lost that battle ages ago.
Find the good places for you on your own.
I’m still using guide books printed by Gutenberg.
Have fun y’all!
Wayne

[colorado_rob]

Southern Utah is being loved to death thanks to advertising. Colorado lost that battle ages ago.
e

The epitome of bogus remarks. Completely wrong on both counts, though I can see how some, such as yourself, would think so.

[Tipi Walter]

Answer: Avoid both coasts. With a few exceptions.
Don’t mention the really good places online.
Southern Utah is being loved to death thanks to advertising. Colorado lost that battle ages ago.
Find the good places for you on your own.
I’m still using guide books printed by Gutenberg.
Have fun y’all!
Wayne

So I'd say the best places to live are the places with the fewest people. Good luck in finding it---as America is supposed to have 450 million humans by 2050. Here in the Southeast our postage stamp wilderness areas are being surrounded and smothered by people and sprawl---not to mention the thousands of jets roaring across the Southeastern skies every day---and over every wilderness area.

[Venchka]

The epitome of bogus remarks. Completely wrong on both counts, though I can see how some, such as yourself, would think so.

Utah National Parks are a heartbeat away from requiring daily entry reservations. Arches NP has eliminated Backcountry camping.
Summit County Colorado boggles the mind. All bogus for sure.
I still go back.
Wayne

[walkinmyshoes]

Well, the National Geographic says about the next cities: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/a...hiking-cities/.

[pesphoto]

just back from hiking mt cardigan in the middle of no where, NH....NH seems hard to beat.