The Best Small Towns According to Fellow Road Tripper Kim

South Park Colorado Chamber of CommerceI’d like to share a list that was recently emailed to me by fellow RV traveler, Kim She kindly sent it from somewhere in the Yukon territory of Canada last week.

She and her husband Sam left their home in Louisiana last June, and have been touring around the U.S., criss-crossing much of the same territory that Jim and I have. Read about their travels on their blog.

Kim and I share a lot of things in common, as you can tell by her list of favorite towns. See how she’s picked many of the same places / regions that we have, for many of the same reasons? But she’s also introduced me to some new ones that I’d like to check out, like Rodeo, New Mexico.

Here is Kim’s list of the best small towns in North America that she’s been to, so far. Thanks Kim.

Duluth, Minnesota

Most favorite because of this being my home town with family still there.

Pros

  • great outdoor activities
  • beautiful scenery
  • great summer and fall weather
  • lots of artists, musicians

Cons

  • high taxes
  • cold in winter, spring

Grand Marais, Minnesota

Pros

  • great outdoor activities
  • small town feel
  • a very artsey town complete with an art/folk school
  • big on sustainability

Cons

  • high taxes
  • cold most of the time
  • far from a city of any size

Burlington, Vermont

Pros

  • beautiful scenery
  • big on organics and sustainability
  • big on bike trails
  • lots of outdoor activities
  • small town feel in a city

Cons

  • high taxes
  • cold in winter
  • high cost of living

Millinocket, Maine

Pros

  • friendly people in a laid back town
  • lots of hiking and paddling
  • inexpensive living

Cons

  • probably high taxes but don’t know for sure
  • cold in winter

Western North Carolina

Don’t have a favorite town, just love the whole area.

Pros

  • beautiful scenery
  • lots of “new age” style of living
  • lots of outdoor things to do

Cons

  • cold in winter
  • hurricane threat
  • population increasing and all it’s related problems

Sopchoppy, FL (or the area)

This is the forgotten area of FL.

Pros

  • very small towns
  • self reliant kind of people
  • cost of living low
  • warm weather

Cons

  • hurricane threat

St. Francisville, LA

Pros

  • small town, lots of history
  • Lots of local music
  • Friendly people, artsy
  • Lots of outdoor activities

Cons

  • all of LA’s problems and the heat!

Some areas of southwest Texas

Pros

  • inexpensive cost of land
  • cost of living low
  • weather fairly good

Cons

  • lack of water and all it’s problems

Portal, Arizona or Rodeo, New Mexico

Pros

  • great people
  • great birding
  • Great scenery

Cons

  • dust, dust, dust!
  • lack of water
  • high cost of living?

Moab, Utah

Pros

  • great people
  • Super outdoor activities

Cons

  • dust

Nampa, Idaho

Pros

  • great small town feel near a larger city
  • SUPER people

Cons

  • everyone moving from and the resulting population increase

Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Pros

  • artsy, lots of young people
  • Small town feel
  • Friendly people

Cons

  • cold in winter!

Dawson City, Yukon, Canada

Pros

  • like Whitehorse but much more laid back with a different kind feel than Whitehorse.

Cons

  • Cold winters

I will more than likely add some towns/cities in Alaska before this summer is over.

Leave a Comment