2018 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities

Outdoor Activities

231 results

Economy

Health & Outdoors

San Francisco
City in California
483
1 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: San Francisco is a wonderful place for sightseeing and food! I love atmosphere and weather. Its pretty easy to get around with public transportation and having everything close by. Some food restaurants are open late night, just in case you crave a late dinner. It’s a very tech savvy place so everything is literally one click away. I would love to see some changes with downtown San Francisco since there are a lot of homeless people on the street. The city should clean up and make more shelters for the homeless and housing for low income people. For the most part, San Francisco is clean, beautiful, and easy to get around.
Read 483 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A-
Public Schools
A+
Outdoor Activities
850,282 Population
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Cambridge
City in Massachusetts
49
2 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Nearby Resident: Cambridge Massachusetts is a wonderfully vibrant and exciting city. I have lived in the text town over my whole life and I have gone to school and worked there for many years. Cambridge is the home of many colleges, which bring such a wide variety of people to the city which make it incredibly diverse. I really enjoy how many different areas there are in the city, there is something for everyone. Everywhere you turn there are amazing restaurants and shops to explore. Having worked in the school systems in Cambridge they are wonderful, which isn't much of a surprise seeing as though the city is known for their world-class education. I also love how many health-focused stores and restaurants there are as well having areas for outdoor exercise and encouraging bike riding over driving. The only downside to Cambridge is that all of these wonderful qualities make it a rather expensive place to live. However, I love this city and consider it be my home!
Read 49 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A+
Outdoor Activities
108,757 Population
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Boston
City in Massachusetts
475
3 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: I love the youthful environment because of the presence of several universities. In addition, its historical nature ensure that there is never a dull moment in Boston. It has a variety of restaurants, banks, shopping centers all in walking distance. Boston tends to be pricey and so if you have a family, ensure you can live within your means. Otherwise its a great city!
Read 475 Reviews
A-
Overall Niche Grade
B-
Public Schools
A+
Outdoor Activities
658,279 Population
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Kent
City in Washington
125
4 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: Coming down the street you notice every corner Hispanic and Thai restaurants and markets; the local downtown area houses buildings created in the 1800's still standing and being used today. During the summer is the greatest! Every weekend a farmers market opens up and for almost two miles downtown every small business and upcoming business and artists sell their wares and share their experiences and joy of living and working in this area. The local high school has been named the most diverse in the nation; between Grandma's Thai restaurant and a small local Japanese couple taking only cash for their amazing sushi rolls Kent has always been a wonderful place to live and enjoy. Outside of the cozy downtown you will notice a large 20 mile square area of professional businesses and a local Amazon warehouse offering many jobs opportunity's for any locals in the area.
Read 125 Reviews
B
Overall Niche Grade
B
Public Schools
A+
Outdoor Activities
125,492 Population
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Sunnyvale
City in California
182
5 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: I have lived in the city of Sunnyvale for the past six years, and I can definitely say that I absolutely love living in this city. There is numerous of fun activities to do, plenty of fun new restaurants to try, and activities that the community can participate in. As I have attended a public school in Sunnyvale, I can say that it was a great experience and compared to the experience of other students from nearby cities, I am glad that I attended school here. There is rarely any traffic and the commute from place to place can be easily navigated. The city is kept clean and is pleasing to the eyes. Although there is lots of construction currently happening, I am looking forward for the exciting new additions to the community.
Read 182 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A
Public Schools
A+
Outdoor Activities
149,596 Population
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Portland
City in Oregon
714
6 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Nearby Resident: Portland, Oregon is such a unique city! I have lived near Portland for twenty years and of all of the places that I have traveled around the United States, Portland has some of the best food that I've ever had! Aside from the overall great food selection and quality, Portland has a fabulous public transportation system. There are tons of bus lines and the MAX Light Rail, or Metropolitan Area Express, which is a light rail system consisting of five separate lines that travels to 97 stations! The public transportation system is a great attribute for students and the community in general!
Read 714 Reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
B+
Public Schools
A+
Outdoor Activities
620,589 Population
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Seattle
City in Washington
503
7 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Works Here: I am living here for college. This city is awesome. There are so many diverse food options! If money isn't an issue, you'll never have to eat the same thing twice. The city gives a great sense of community and unity in support of diversity. Seattle is a very environmentally conscious and green city, and the vibrancy of the flora and fauna are stunning. It supports a healthy lifestyle with many biking trails and lanes, great paths for running, and wonderful fresh markets with lots of healthy, balanced foods. If you go to the right grocery stores, the prices are reasonable. It is like most cities- expensive- but has a high minimum wage.
Read 503 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A-
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
668,849 Population
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Berkeley
City in California
100
8 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: Berkeley is a wonderful city full of an interesting, open-minded and intelligent group of people. The city is very culturally diverse and open to accepting anyone from anywhere. The food scene is to die for and if organically grown is what you live by, look no further than Berkeley grocery stores, farmers markets and more. One small down side would be the lack of club life (for the younger folks), there are however many perfectly adequate bars as well a little college student scene on Telegraph Avenue. Overall, I highly recommend living here or going to school here if accepted!
Read 100 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
118,585 Population
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Bellevue
City in Washington
60
9 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: It's such a beautiful city with lots of racial diversity and great public schools. It's known to be quite safe and family friendly, which plenty of parks and little beaches by the lakes. It's close to lakes, mountains, bike trails, and forests - all these Pacific Northwest delights, perfect for the outdoorsy person.

The downside is housing prices are skyrocketing. People living here are more affluent than average - some are even being priced out of the market. Many immigrants (often from Asia) buy real estate here. Many people are very health conscious. The population is increasing and there is lots of construction. Commute times are increasing quickly as well. Job opportunities are good if you have the skills like computer science, engineering, or business because the greater Seattle area has so many tech companies.
Read 60 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
136,718 Population
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Oakland
City in California
260
10 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: Oakland is a diverse, resilient, and vibrant community. The city’s love for art and social justice is evident- there are murals on every block! Folks instill the beauty and power of art into their children and build social gatherings around it (i.e. Oakland Art & Wine Festival, Mural Festivals, Art Walks, and more!). It can be expensive to live here. The Tech Bubble has yet to burst, and unfortunately many Natives are slowly being pushed out farther and farther into the East Bay. Still, the folks who remain here aren’t going down without a fight. They support local businesses and they care deeply about EVERYONE in their city. They are the nicest people you will ever meet.
Read 260 Reviews
B+
Overall Niche Grade
C
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
412,040 Population
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Irvine
City in California
255
11 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: Irvine is probably one of the safest, cleanest, and greenest cities in CA (if not, in the US)! It is located in Orange County, so it's really easy to go up to LA area or drive down to San Diego. Irvine is home to a lot of high-ranking schools like the University of California Irvine (UCI), Concordia University, Irvine Valley College, the Orange County Center of the University of Southern California (USC), and campuses of California State University Fullerton (CSUF), University of La Verne, and Pepperdine University. This city is really beautiful with streets dotted with flowers and trees. It is very quiet and all neighborhoods are well-maintained. There's a lot of opportunities for outdoor activities.
Read 255 Reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
246,992 Population
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Torrance
City in California
164
12 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: I enjoy the strong sense of the Torrance community, as prevalent in service projects, the Torrance culture arts centre, and other local community events which occur. Weekly farmers markets encourage the maintenance of small, local, family businesses and other annual events encourage the development of community connections. Torrance is the first place which comes to mind when I think of home. If I were to wish to improve anything, it would be the education. Although various resources are available, teachers fail to spark students' motivation to strive for excellence both inside and outside the classroom. As a role model to the future education of America, they should aspire to inspire students, rather than bare minimum work and mediocre qualifications.
Read 164 Reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
A
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
147,307 Population
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Hayward
City in California
139
13 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: Hayward is a welcoming city. It is home to my university, California State University - East Bay (CSUEB). It serves a diverse community that cares about the environment and works to keep the city green. The Keep Hayward Clean and Green organization lends a helping hand by voluntarily picking up trash and waste around the city. CSUEB students also take a part volunteering for that effort as well every October for Make a Difference Day. The city has potential to thrive given the downtown area is undergoing a transformation by bringing new and fantastic things, such as a new library and an enhanced shopping center. Currently, there are many housing properties in development. However, given the city rests directly on a fault line, it is extremely earthquake prone and there is a need to remodel and retrofit older housing complexes, as evident in appearance. Other than this, the city is beautiful!
Read 139 Reviews
B-
Overall Niche Grade
C+
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
154,507 Population
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Manchester
City in New Hampshire
244
14 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Former Resident: New Hampshire's largest city is definitely not lacking in amenities and entertainment! Up and down Elm Street, South Willow, South River, and many other places, the streets are lined with bars, restaurants, clubs, and shops, with incredible variety to keep anyone interested. From the regular big name shows and sporting events at the SNHU arena to the dozens of fine shops and food options at the Mall of New Hampshire, classic and contemporary titles showing at the Palace Theater to summertime farmers' markets in several locations, Manchester has something for everyone.
Read 244 Reviews
B-
Overall Niche Grade
C
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
110,231 Population
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Reno
City in Nevada
838
15 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: Reno has so much to offer and yet is an underappreciated city! The downtown area features the river with creative shops and independent restaurants. The craft beer scene is bursting with new breweries. Lake Tahoe, with world class skiing, swimming, camping, hiking, is less than an hour's drive away. Pyramid Lake also holds a quiet desert charm with ancient petroglyphs, paleolithic land formations, and recreation away from Tahoe's crowds. The neighborhoods are becoming increasingly bike friendly and the city is small and easy to navigate while still offering everything you could expect of a much larger area.
Read 838 Reviews
A-
Overall Niche Grade
A-
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
237,121 Population
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Provo
City in Utah
1,189
16 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: Provo itself is a beautiful, cozy and very safe place to live. My experience in Provo has overall been a great experience. It has a variety of healthy and delicious food options, has historical sights and beautiful history in the town center, not to mention the BEAUTIFUL LDS temple that was recently build next to the NuSkin building. Provo is located close to the freeway for easy access to traveling and is a relatively clean city. The people are very friendly and respectful of the place that they live. That being said, Provo is a college town! Despite the high amount of college students, Provo has still been able to maintain a good name, positive environment, growth mindset and a fun place to live. I'd love to see more updated parks added to the city, though there are many old parks and also many running trails and hiking trails that make it a great place for a diverse group of individuals.
Read 1,189 Reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
B+
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
115,718 Population
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Salt Lake City
City in Utah
456
17 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: I stayed in Salt Lake City after graduating college for a number of reasons. I love the small city feel that doesn't have too much traffic (unlike so many other big cities) but that still lets you experience the perks of living in a city. So many touring shows and cultural experiences travel through SLC still, and I love the arts, so that's important to me. We get all 4 seasons every year. The skiing is the best in the world. The UofU is a great school on so many levels. The job opportunities are everywhere. The housing is very affordable compared to other U.S. cities. And it's really clean, even downtown!
Read 456 Reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
B
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
191,446 Population
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Santa Rosa
City in California
345
18 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: Santa Rosa, California has been my hometown since my birth. Growing up Santa Rosa has been drastically changed. As a child I remember lots of empty acres of land available for sale. But today, Santa Rosa is huge with some many diverse cultures. You can get some of the best local food here in Santa Rosa. Feeling like taking a Cruze? You can take the back roads and enjoy a beautiful afternoon cruzing their the vineyards and the distant hills. Even though these recent fires have divested many and I personally. Santa Rosa has not stopped working and will continue to become a better place to live. I hope own day when I reach retirement age to come back to Santa Rosa and spend the rest of my life here! SANTA ROSA STRONG!
Read 345 Reviews
B
Overall Niche Grade
B+
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
173,165 Population
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Los Angeles
City in California
785
19 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: I have lived in Los Angeles for about five years. Here, you can find various people in different races. Here are bunch of things you can enjoy in Los Angeles like shopping malls and delicious restaurants. However, population has been increased a lot. Most of time, there are traffic at everywhere. You should be careful when you drive here at Los Angeles. Even though I tried to drive safely, I almost got into the accidents several times. Except for the traffic, everything has been perfect!
Read 785 Reviews
B
Overall Niche Grade
C
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
3,918,872 Population
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Spokane
City in Washington
586
20 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: The roaring river in the center of the city lends an unexpected beauty to the brick cityscape. There is a lot of room for growth in this city but we’ve seen so much improvement with amazing local restaurants, breweries, coffeeshops, etc. Outdoor experiences are right at your fingertips! A major drawback is the overture of poverty seen in the city and outside it; drug-use and generational property are obvious here.
Read 586 Reviews
B+
Overall Niche Grade
B-
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
212,078 Population
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San Jose
City in California
621
21 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: San Jose is an absolutely beautiful, diverse, and peaceful place to reside! The food and the people are great and the whole vibe and aura is like no other place. Our communities unite when necessary and serve as a support system for each other. It is definitely a warm and welcoming place that I wouldn't change for the world. Any person would be fortunate to live in such an amazing city. We also have many other wonderful cities in our outskirts for tourists and simply just to enjoy a day out in the town. If you love meeting people and learning about various cultures, this is the place for you!
Read 621 Reviews
B+
Overall Niche Grade
B+
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
1,009,363 Population
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Salinas
City in California
293
22 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: Entering this city there is a warm feeling of strong sense of community. Its rich agriculture heavily influences lifestyle, careers, and local entertainment. Salinas is less than an hour from the Monterey Bay beach, San Juan Bautista Mission, Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Here you will find the uttermost hard working migrant farm workers that provide food distributed throughout the world. The children of migrant workers are my classmates at Hartnell community college. Many of us hope to one day return as mentors and serve the Salinas community as engineers, teachers, and more. We have the best local supporters like Matsui Nursery, Taylor Farms and The California Rodeo Salinas who invest in the future of Salinas students by providing college scholarships. Future generations are the critical backbone for the important recognition on the agriculture in the beautiful city of Salinas. Ultimately I have learned that Salinas diversity in culture really molded me into the grateful person I am today.
Read 293 Reviews
C-
Overall Niche Grade
C
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
155,889 Population
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Review Your Area
Thousand Oaks
City in California
277
23 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: My experience with Thousand Oaks is that I'm a local resident of the city, from the people to the atmosphere, to the weather the city in a nutshell is fantastic! I've lived here for nearly fifteen-years and haven't looked back. A slight downside to living in Thousand Oaks is the lack of nightlight, meaning it isn't a great place for having fun late out. Lastly, something I think I'd like to be changed in Thousand Oaks is for better local transportation systems to be implemented on a regular basis, rather than a transportation system with very scarce hours.
Read 277 Reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
A+
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
128,623 Population
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Burbank
City in California
252
24 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: Burbank is a great city to grow up in, and a great city to raise a family. Very safe neighborhood with a small-town feel, but close enough to Los Angeles and other cities that you still get city-living-perks. All public schools are staffed with incredible educators and hands-on administrators. City center has multiple movie theatres, large mall, chain restaurants, family-owned restaurants, and boutiques. Access to work is basically unlimited; many major motion picture and television companies are based in Burbank, CA and are constantly looking to hire. Other fields of work like hospitality, retail, engineering, and childcare are also in high demand for hire. Diversity is really high compared to other cities in the area. Healthy living is heavily promoted, from farmer's markets to bike paths and public access to gyms, tracks, and pools. Overall, Burbank is an incredible place to live! Anyone would be lucky to be a resident of this amazing town.
Read 252 Reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
A
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
104,583 Population
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Vancouver
City in Washington
250
25 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America
Current Resident: Vancouver is a pretty big city full of fun and exciting things to do! There are amazing dog parks to walk your dog, out standing food places (Mexican food is my favorite) which you will never regret going. There are amazing bar and grill where you can have a great time with friends and family, or just wanna have a fun night out! Everyone you come in contact with you will build a relationship with and remember their face where ever you go. Everywhere you go there are always a friendly face waiting to greet you or just be your friend! Everyone is welcome at our city. So don't be shy!
Read 250 Reviews
B+
Overall Niche Grade
B-
Public Schools
A
Outdoor Activities
169,982 Population
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1 of 10

Economy

Health & Outdoors

San Francisco

Cambridge

Boston

Kent

Sunnyvale

Portland

Seattle

Berkeley

Bellevue

Oakland

Irvine

Torrance

Hayward

Manchester

Reno

Provo

Salt Lake City

Santa Rosa

Los Angeles

Spokane

San Jose

Salinas

Thousand Oaks

Burbank

Vancouver