National Geographic Adventure Towns

If you ever look around and daydream about leading a life of adventure somewhere else, National Geographic has a list for you: its 2007 top 50 adventure towns. Each state placed one city on the list in the following categories: mountain, urban, waterfront, wilderness and small towns, based on terrain, activity, and opportunity.

The No. 1 Adventure Town may surprise you: Las Vegas. That’s right — Sin City has more than casinos and humongous hotels. Why? “Hikers, mountain bikers, and rock climbers have discovered a backcountry playground just beyond Sin City’s limits. Introducing the nation’s top spot to go all in on the outdoor game.”

Here is a partial list of the some of the towns in the four categories:

Wilderness Towns
Homer, Alaska
Cody, Wyo.
Flagstaff, Ariz.

Small Towns
Spearfish, S.D.
Bloomington, Ind.
Iowa City, Iowa

Cities
Chicago
Nashville
Austin, Texas

Mountain Towns
Bishop, Calif.
Gunnison, Colo.
Missoula, Mont.

Waterfront Towns
Waimea, Hawaii
Fond du Lac, Wis.
Newport, R.I.

To read more and see the full list, click on the category links above or read the National Geographic story here.