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2018 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in AmericaAbout this List

Explore the best cities for outdoor activities based on weather, air quality, and access to parks, forests, and recreational opportunities. Ranking based on data from the U.S. Census, NOAA, and other sources. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

1 – 25 of 231
Outdoor Activities
231 results

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  1. San Francisco

    • City in California
    • 515
    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 515 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Outdoor Activities
    • 850,282 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  2. Cambridge

    • City in Massachusetts
    • 52
    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 52 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Outdoor Activities
    • 108,757 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  3. Boston

    • City in Massachusetts
    • 490
    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 490 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B-
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Outdoor Activities
    • 658,279 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  5. Kent

    • City in Washington
    • 132
    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 132 Reviews

    • B
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Outdoor Activities
    • 125,492 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  6. Sunnyvale

    • City in California
    • 187
    5 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America

    Former Resident: Sunnyvale is a family friendly town with a cute mom and pop downtown full of funky restaurants and stores. The newly developed addition to downtown is more modern, with Philz coffee, luxury apartments and Orangetheory Fitness. The Saturday farmer's market is wonderful with friendly vendors and great quality produce, artisan jewelry and the quaint food trucks that have been in attendance for the past 15 years and some newer ones on the foodie fad.
    Read 187 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Outdoor Activities
    • 149,596 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  7. Portland

    • City in Oregon
    • 744
    6 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America

    Current Resident: Portland is beautiful! There is no shortage of natural beauty in the city. Portland is bustling with local boutiques, farmer's markets in every neighborhood, community gardens, eclectic community events, and some of the best food around. It's easy to live a healthy lifestyle here with access to quality food and health care. There are several places to go hiking right in the city that offer expansive views of the whole city. Portland is super family friendly and has several colleges and universities. It's downsides include being expensive, a competitive housing market, and long commute times due to traffic.
    Read 744 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Outdoor Activities
    • 620,589 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  10. Seattle

    • City in Washington
    • 539
    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 539 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 668,849 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  11. Berkeley

    • City in California
    • 105
    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 105 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 118,585 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  12. Bellevue

    • City in Washington
    • 66
    9 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America

    Current Resident: I love Bellevue because of all it has to offer. You have the city life, a 30 min drive from incredible hiking, or if you travel the opposite way you're at the beach. The neighborhoods are safe, well kept up, and a great amount of diverse restaurants to try. The schools are wonderful and the people are even better. With so many different fields of work from medical to tech and everything in between there is plenty of job opportunity. Bellevue will be my forever home!
    Read 66 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 136,718 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  14. Oakland

    • City in California
    • 276
    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 276 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • C
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 412,040 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  15. Irvine

    • City in California
    • 269
    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 269 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 246,992 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  16. Torrance

    • City in California
    • 178
    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 178 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 147,307 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  19. Hayward

    • City in California
    • 153
    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 153 Reviews

    • B-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • C+
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 154,507 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  20. Manchester

    • City in New Hampshire
    • 248
    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 248 Reviews

    • B-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • C
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 110,231 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  21. Reno

    • City in Nevada
    • 850
    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 850 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A-
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 237,121 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  22. Provo

    • City in Utah
    • 1,219
    16 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America

    Current Resident: Provo life is something else! Most everyone who lives around here is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and thus are typically healthy, friendly, get-it-done, kind of people. They are usually students because Brigham Young University is right here in Provo and Utah Valley University is just a few miles away. The only downside is that sometimes people here are a bit too quick to judge because they are so caught up with doing everything quickly, that they make judgement of people too quickly at times. But that doesn't happen too often.
    Read 1,219 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B+
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 115,718 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  23. Salt Lake City

    • City in Utah
    • 471
    17 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America

    Current Resident: Salt Lake City has all the big city amenities with a small town feel! Public transit is fantastic and encouraged, there are numerous ride and bike share options, and downtown parking is really easy to find. And although you're in a city, the mountains and nature trails are only 10 mins away! There are so many outdoor activities to do, both in the summer and winter, that you'll never be bored. There are also many great restaurants and unique shops! Salt Lake City literally has something for everyone.
    Read 471 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 191,446 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  26. Santa Rosa

    • City in California
    • 353
    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 353 Reviews

    • B
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B+
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 173,165 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  27. Los Angeles

    • City in California
    • 856
    19 Best Cities for Outdoor Activities in America

    Current Resident: I love the history and the culture around LA, I think it's great. People are very passionate about being Californians and I love that. There's also so much good food to eat everywhere! One day you can have delicious mediterranean, amazing pizza, or get some asian delights. The culture and diversity is so ripe here and I love that so much, plus there are also a lot of people who come from all over the country to live out here. It's amazing. To that same degree, the thing that I dislike about LA is that there is a housing shortage and the cost of living is insane. I wish we had a way to improve it and I hope soon, the housing market goes down so it's possible to buy a home in LA.
    Read 856 Reviews

    • B
      Overall Niche Grade
    • C
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 3,918,872 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  28. Spokane

    • City in Washington
    • 596
    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 596 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B-
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 212,078 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  29. San Jose

    • City in California
    • 665
    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 665 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B+
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 1,009,363 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  30. Salinas

    • City in California
    • 299
    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 299 Reviews

    • C-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • C
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 155,889 Population
    View Nearby Homes
  31. Review Your Area

  32. Thousand Oaks

    • City in California
    • 281
    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 281 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 128,623 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  33. Burbank

    • City in California
    • 258
    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 258 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 104,583 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  34. Vancouver

    • City in Washington
    • 259
    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 259 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • B-
      Public Schools
    • A
      Outdoor Activities
    • 169,982 Population
    View Nearby Homes
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