Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

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CruisinOnThru
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by CruisinOnThru »

San Francisco, Marin, or Santa Cruz;
San Diego;
LA or Albuquerque;
Seattle;
Portland;
or anywhere in Colorado except up in the mountains (like not Aspen or Vail). Boulder especially -- trails right in town.

In that order. There's nowhere else. Maybe Flagstaff or Prescott or Santa Fe, but snow in all.

Can't believe you have Asheville on your list if you hate humidity. If you don't want humidity, no one should be recommending anywhere in the Midwest, Plains, Southeast, South, Mid-Altantic, or Northeast. Hideous sweat-drenching humidity in all. Humidity in Hawaii is preferrable to all that.
hudson
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by hudson »

fitawrari wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:34 am 1/ We like to live near hiking trails (30 minutes or shorter drive to trailheads). We don't do extraneous hiking but like a wide variety of 5 hours or less hiking trails. Hiking is pretty much the only hobby we have, so this is on top of the list. Hiking is often associated with mountains, so we are looking for cities near a mountain.
Check Carolina Mountain Club (Asheville) Hike List: https://carolinamountainclub.org/
Then pick the closest city/town that works.
Maybe between Murphy, NC and Morganton from West to East?
Or between the Mount Rogers area to the North and Brevard, NC to the South.
Search around the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Mountain to Sea Trail follows the Blue Ridge Parkway off and on. Maybe study the MST map: https://mountainstoseatrail.org/the-trail/map/
Hiking Towns: Waynesville, Pisgah Forest, Black Mountain, Marion, Morganton, Boone, Blowing Rock, Burnsville, Damascus, Spruce Pine and anywhere close including Asheville...but the 5 hour hikes are probably further than 30 minutes. (I left out many more.)
The humidity is fine at least 6 months of the year.

Bottom Line: There is nothing like a good 5 hour mountain hike!
I wouldn't settle for less than two-hour/1000 foot hike elevation change hike and mountain bike trails under 15 minutes away.
Last edited by hudson on Wed May 17, 2023 6:56 pm, edited 7 times in total.
toomanysidehustles
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by toomanysidehustles »

fitawrari wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:34 am
Asheville NC seems to come near the top of many google searches I did. Cities near the Rockies have lots of snow and can get hot, though with low humidity.

Thank you!
I moved from the Asheville area (very humid 6 months) to Fort Collins Colorado. While we do have snow in the winter, we have exceptionally low humidity. I don't think I could live back east in a humid state again tbh. Tons of recreational opportunities here. 10 hour drive to most of Arizona if we truly want Florida like weather in the winter (sans humidity of course).
H-Town
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by H-Town »

fitawrari wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:34 am My family and I are in our current city because of my work. I have been living here for over 15 years and I don't particularly like it. (I don't hate it either but we may need to change in the next few years.) My wife has been living shorter than that and feels the same.

We discussed moving but we couldn't find a city that checks the few must haves.

1/ We like to live near hiking trails (30 minutes or shorter drive to trailheads). We don't do extraneous hiking but like a wide variety of 5 hours or less hiking trails. Hiking is pretty much the only hobby we have, so this is on top of the list. Hiking is often associated with mountains, so we are looking for cities near a mountain.

2/ We like to live in a city that has a good year round weather. We dislike heavy snow in the winter and humidity in the summer.

3/ We like to live near family or friends.

These three requirements lead us to an empty set. So we relaxed our requirements to only the first two -- outdoor/hiking and weather.

Question: what cities have good outdoors/hiking activities and good year round weather?

Asheville NC seems to come near the top of many google searches I did. Cities near the Rockies have lots of snow and can get hot, though with low humidity.

Thank you!
Asheville, NC
Gatlinburg, TN
Chattanooga, TN
Northern Georgia
Northwest Arkansas (Hot Springs)
Sedona, AZ or Flagstaff, AZ
Seattle, WA or nearby cities (Everett, Tacoma, Burlington)
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ScubaHogg
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by ScubaHogg »

H-Town wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 6:45 pm
Northwest Arkansas (Hot Springs)
Just for clarity Northwest Arkansas (Fayetteville-Bentonville corridor) and Hot Springs are two distinct places about 3.5 hours apart.

I’m partial but if you can stand *some* humidity Northwest Arkansas fits the bill. Almost year round outdoor weather, with occasional heat waves in the summer and cold snaps in the winter. It’s a lot less humidity than the Deep South, but if you are going for virtually zero humidity then it’s not for you.
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Fiddle-Bow
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Fiddle-Bow »

A few years ago Asheville was a really cool place and fun to visit. It’s about a 40 minute drive for me. It has boomed in growth and so many people have moved there that it’s just not the same. The surrounding counties are getting the attention now.
I’m in and around the Bristol and Johnson City, TN area weekly and that’s where I would be moving to.
Wwwdotcom
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Wwwdotcom »

Laguna beach
index245
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by index245 »

Don't laugh...but Los Angeles.

Hiking is a really popular weekend activity here.

Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, Rancho Palos Verdes

Leave early on a Saturday and traffic isn't an issue.

If you are willing to drive further, fun desert areas too (ie Palm Springs)
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quantAndHold
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by quantAndHold »

If you enjoy hiking, you might consider taking up snowshoeing in the winter. It would open up a lot more places.
8301
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by 8301 »

index245 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:39 pm Don't laugh...but Los Angeles.

Hiking is a really popular weekend activity here.

Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, Rancho Palos Verdes

Leave early on a Saturday and traffic isn't an issue.

If you are willing to drive further, fun desert areas too (ie Palm Springs)
Who can laugh? I have fond memories of hiking Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabrial Mountains, and other nearby mountains when I was a graduate student. There were many fossils in the Santa Monica Mountains. I also remember seeing the remnant of streetcar tracks near the top, but don't remember which one.
wingman4uz
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by wingman4uz »

As others have said, if you can handle grey and rain for several months, places east of Seattle such as Issaquah etc. might work. Snow is rare, great hiking trails within 30 mins. Summers are glorious. Humidity never an issue.
123
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by 123 »

fitawrari wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:34 am My family and I are in our current city because of my work....
Depending on the type of work that you do your choices may be limited. If you're in healthcare or public safety (police/fire) or schools there is opportunity pretty much everywhere. On the other hand other occupations may not be so broadly available (unless you can work remotely).

I'd agree that the SF Bay Area provides good weather and access to outdoor activities. Housing is expensive in core areas like San Francisco or the Silicon Valley but the Bay Area is broad and housing is less expensive in the outskirts. If the Bay Area costs make it a no-go there are other Northern California options like central valley cities like Sacramento, Davis. Marysville, Oroville, and Chico. Plus there are lot of towns in the Sierra Nevada foothills where snow is not really an issue.
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westcoast
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by westcoast »

Carnation Washington it checks all he boxes. Close to Redmond, Seattle hiking all over, River and lake activities.
rene
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by rene »

Marin.
halfnine
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by halfnine »

SoCal is the only place that ticks the first two boxes. However, there is going to be some balance between proximity to trails, weather (it gets hotter as you leave the coast), housing prices and traffic that make it less ideal for you than it might seem in theory. If you are willing to expand on slightly more variable weather (a bit more rain and slightly colder/hotter) than a lot more places become viable probably even preferable.
Cruise
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Cruise »

White Coat Investor wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:59 am
fitawrari wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:34 am My family and I are in our current city because of my work. I have been living here for over 15 years and I don't particularly like it. (I don't hate it either but we may need to change in the next few years.) My wife has been living shorter than that and feels the same.

We discussed moving but we couldn't find a city that checks the few must haves.

1/ We like to live near hiking trails (30 minutes or shorter drive to trailheads). We don't do extraneous hiking but like a wide variety of 5 hours or less hiking trails. Hiking is pretty much the only hobby we have, so this is on top of the list. Hiking is often associated with mountains, so we are looking for cities near a mountain.

2/ We like to live in a city that has a good year round weather. We dislike heavy snow in the winter and humidity in the summer.

3/ We like to live near family or friends.

These three requirements lead us to an empty set. So we relaxed our requirements to only the first two -- outdoor/hiking and weather.

Question: what cities have good outdoors/hiking activities and good year round weather?

Asheville NC seems to come near the top of many google searches I did. Cities near the Rockies have lots of snow and can get hot, though with low humidity.

Thank you!
So you want mountains but no snow and "good weather year round" (which presumably excludes deserts. Good luck. Hope you like the "mountains" on the coast of California.
Hawaii checks all the boxes, depending on where family and friends are located.
runswithscissors
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by runswithscissors »

Honolulu seems like a good fit but it can get a little humid sometimes. But still nowhere near as humid as many other cities.
RubyTuesday
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by RubyTuesday »

No obvious good answers.

Most of the areas in the west that could satisfy the first 2 criteria likely have drought and or wildfire risks.

We chose the Asheville area. Yes it gets a little muggy, especially in Asheville proper, but go 30 mins away and gain 3000 feet in elevation and hikes are lovely. YMMV
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tm3
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by tm3 »

fitawrari wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:34 am
Asheville NC seems to come near the top of many google searches I did.
If healthcare is a criteria, need to scratch AVL from your list. Since the HCA takeover of the major hospital, quality of care has plummeted with exodus of many exceptional physicians and growing list of patient horror stories.
stoptothink
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by stoptothink »

Utah ticks the boxes for us, but we like all 4 seasons. I have half a dozen hiking trails within walking distance of my front door.

California is probably the only answer if "good year round weather" to you is limited cold and snow, but there are definitely other considerations that make it a no-go for us (as California natives).
smitcat
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by smitcat »

stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 6:20 am Utah ticks the boxes for us, but we like all 4 seasons. I have half a dozen hiking trails within walking distance of my front door.

California is probably the only answer if "good year round weather" to you is limited cold and snow, but there are definitely other considerations that make it a no-go for us (as California natives).
"Utah ticks the boxes for us, but we like all 4 seasons"
My brother has been there for 2 years now - do you not have issues with air quality at times?
Aboatguy
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Aboatguy »

I was in the Navy for 31 years and stationed/been to many of the places mentioned. In my honest opinion IRT the answer to the OPs question,city with the best weather and world class hiking is Honolulu. However, often barbed wire and KAPU sign is local for "trailhead is here"! :D
wilked
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by wilked »

The only place that isn't crazy expensive and meets your criteria is New Mexico, either Albuquerque or Santa Fe. Santa Fe will have the better hiking / mountain access.
SnoopisTDI
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by SnoopisTDI »

deserat wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 1:01 pm Phoenix, AZ; Tucson or Green Valley, AZ; Prescott or Flagstaff, AZ.
Prescott was going to be my suggestion. You won't have tons of trails very closeby, but there are definitely some trails in the immediate area, and if you're willing to drive a few hours then there are countless options. Summers get a little warm, but it's not humid, not an oven like Phoenix. And you'll see a little snow but winter days are typically above freezing.
gtrplayer
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by gtrplayer »

Santa Fe, NM springs to mind…
strummer6969
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by strummer6969 »

If money is not an issue, then the CA coast would fit the bill. NM is beautiful, has nice weather, and low risk of natural disaster but may not meet your requirement of being close to friends/family. Flights to/from NM are very expensive.
stan1
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by stan1 »

You may need to make a few trade offs but:
- California - San Diego to Marin County, there's a reason homes cost $1M and way up.
- Reno, a little snow and high desert but close to Sierra Nevada/Lake Tahoe and no state income tax
- Tucson, higher elevation than Phoenix but still hot although mountains are adjacent; Prescott or Flagstaff are remote if you want city-like services
- Albuquerque, a little snow and high desert but cost of living is among the lowest listed and definitely lower cost than Santa Fe
- Spokane - probably even lower cost of living than ABQ but most northerly and most snow
- Colorado: anywhere from Colorado Springs to Ft. Collins, it does snow but its not Buffalo
- Utah: SLC, Utah Valley infrequent snow

Albuquerque and Spokane are on perpetual list of cities who should by all rights have stronger economies but don't despite decades of attempts.

If you are willing to accept a few days of snow per year you have a lot more options because then you are in the foothills closer to mountains. Snow yes, humidity and biting bugs not so much in the Mountain time zone. I would take a little snow over biting bugs any day. Also high desert (not as hot as low desert) is much cheaper than coastal.
bigtex
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by bigtex »

Have you considered two homes both in lower cost of living areas? Two homes would probably still be cheaper than one in a HCOL area. For instance, Asheville / any Appalachian mountain metro paired with a northern area for the summer heat such as Traverse City Michigan. This would escape the humidity issue that seems to keep popping up. Humidity becomes a non factor when summer highs are in the 70s.
strummer6969
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by strummer6969 »

bigtex wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 9:30 am Have you considered two homes both in lower cost of living areas? Two homes would probably still be cheaper than one in a HCOL area. For instance, Asheville / any Appalachian mountain metro paired with a northern area for the summer heat such as Traverse City Michigan. This would escape the humidity issue that seems to keep popping up. Humidity becomes a non factor when summer highs are in the 70s.
Yeah, this would open up a wide range of places to live. You really need to have enough $$$ though because paying 2x insurance, property taxes and maintenance can really add up. Or perhaps one of the properties can be a small condo or townhouse that you rent out when not using it. Dealing with short-term renters would be too much trouble for me though.
Last edited by strummer6969 on Wed May 17, 2023 9:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
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quantAndHold
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by quantAndHold »

OP, are you still here? Do you have any opinions?
leftcoaster
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by leftcoaster »

Berkeley resident here. I can walk to fabulous hiking trails and also enjoy wind sports. However the city is horribly managed and has racked up huge liabilities. If I could go back in time I would have bought in Albany, which is right next door and appears to be a functioning city with the same natural resources and easy access to Berkeley’s cultural riches.
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fitawrari
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by fitawrari »

quantAndHold wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 9:42 am OP, are you still here? Do you have any opinions?
Yes. I am reading every post carefully and googling about each place as I read. Santa Fe was mentioned several times and I was looking at properties on the market, hiking trails, etc when I saw your post. I have been to SF a while back and it was one of the most unique places I visited inside the US. It is definitely on top of our list. We will probably visit a few times before we make a decision. Thankfully we have time.

I am not very thrilled about some of the places mentioned in CA, e.g. Bay Area, though I have a hard time explaining why. We visited some of those a few times and they were not places we saw moving in permanently, possibly except near the Santa Monica mountains. But then, that area is cost prohibitive as it is super expensive for us.

We also like the idea of Asheville area (Carolinas, TN and North Georgia) because of the familiarity to where we currently live (Midwest) and proximity to family (most live east of the Mississippi river). But like some mentioned, it can be hot and humid which we want to avoid.

I am truly enjoying reading the various comments, so please continue sharing your thoughts on this topic. As you know there is no one right answer because of the various conflicting requirements but some form of consensus from the group will help us coming up with a short list. Thank you!!
ScubaHogg
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by ScubaHogg »

Reno is a good option too. In the summer easy enough to get up into the cool hills. In the winter stay down low. High desert means the summers aren’t like Vegas hot and evenings are nice

If you are considering Asheville I’d at least look at Northwest Arkansas (Ozarks) as well
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MCSquared
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by MCSquared »

Wwwdotcom wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:33 pm Laguna beach
We have a winner!
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by livesoft »

They don't call them snowbirds for no reason.
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WestCoastPhan
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by WestCoastPhan »

index245 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:39 pm Don't laugh...but Los Angeles.

Hiking is a really popular weekend activity here.

Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, Rancho Palos Verdes

Leave early on a Saturday and traffic isn't an issue.

If you are willing to drive further, fun desert areas too (ie Palm Springs)
I second that. It has real mountains and incredible hiking. And low humidity.
Nutshell
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Nutshell »

Anywhere in East Tennessee but particularly Knoxville. Medium sized city with good medical options, college town, sits on the Tennessee River, outdoor activities in all directions including Great Smoky Mountains, and within 3 hours of Nashville and Atlanta. Asheville, NC is 2 hours away. And…no state income tax!
DoubleComma
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by DoubleComma »

Coastal California is the place. It’s expensive and year round activities and mild climate is a primary reason why.
mrb09
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by mrb09 »

I think the size of the city makes a big difference. For large metros in the west coast, the usual suspects are San Diego, LA, Bay Area, Seattle and maybe Portland. And each of them have surrounding suburbs/feeder cities. There are also a lot of smaller cities with collages or universities, but outside of huge metro areas, like Davis, San Luis Obispo, Ashland, Eugene, etc
stoptothink
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by stoptothink »

smitcat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 7:30 am
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 6:20 am Utah ticks the boxes for us, but we like all 4 seasons. I have half a dozen hiking trails within walking distance of my front door.

California is probably the only answer if "good year round weather" to you is limited cold and snow, but there are definitely other considerations that make it a no-go for us (as California natives).
"Utah ticks the boxes for us, but we like all 4 seasons"
My brother has been there for 2 years now - do you not have issues with air quality at times?
The air quality isn't fantastic, but it doesn't necessarily bother us; we hike and snowshoe several hundred miles a year.

This topic is incredibly subjective.
NorCalHiker
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by NorCalHiker »

White Coat Investor wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:59 am So you want mountains but no snow and "good weather year round" (which presumably excludes deserts. Good luck. Hope you like the "mountains" on the coast of California.
Well, SoCal's mountains are in fact real mountains and don't have be "quoted". :happy. I can think of at least 8 mountains in SoCal that are greater than 10K (most within an hour drive of LA/OC county) and San Gorgonio is 11.5K. Not to mention the entire Sierras which are 3-4 hours away.
index245
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by index245 »

8301 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:00 pm
index245 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:39 pm Don't laugh...but Los Angeles.

Hiking is a really popular weekend activity here.

Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, Rancho Palos Verdes

Leave early on a Saturday and traffic isn't an issue.

If you are willing to drive further, fun desert areas too (ie Palm Springs)
Who can laugh? I have fond memories of hiking Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabrial Mountains, and other nearby mountains when I was a graduate student. There were many fossils in the Santa Monica Mountains. I also remember seeing the remnant of streetcar tracks near the top, but don't remember which one.
Absolutely. I'm a LA native, but I notice that some "out-of-staters" I've spoken with have misconceptions or even strong opinions about the area without actually spending time here.

This is a great place to live if you enjoy year round outdoor activities.

I'm partial to all of the west coast states though. Enjoyed time hiking in Washington and Utah too.
zeep
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Asheville

Post by zeep »

Should you visit Asheville, note that Asheville itself is very different from the surrounding region. For us, we want proximity to the Asheville restaurants and cultural amenities. Others are turned of by the Portland/Austin vibe. Hendersonville, Brevard and Greenville each have a very different vibe than Asheville. There are also many smaller communities that are hybrids. See city-data.com
FunnelCakeBob
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by FunnelCakeBob »

mrb09 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 11:17 am I think the size of the city makes a big difference. For large metros in the west coast, the usual suspects are San Diego, LA, Bay Area, Seattle and maybe Portland. And each of them have surrounding suburbs/feeder cities. There are also a lot of smaller cities with collages or universities, but outside of huge metro areas, like Davis, San Luis Obispo, Ashland, Eugene, etc
I was going to mention San Luis Obispo and Pismo earlier. Paso Robles is now apparently a new wine country. While California Central Coast isn't exactly cheap, it's not outrageously out of reach for those coming from other parts of the country. There are plenty of activities and places along the coast as well as inland such as Carrizo Plain.
stoptothink
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by stoptothink »

index245 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 12:27 pm
8301 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:00 pm
index245 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:39 pm Don't laugh...but Los Angeles.

Hiking is a really popular weekend activity here.

Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, Rancho Palos Verdes

Leave early on a Saturday and traffic isn't an issue.

If you are willing to drive further, fun desert areas too (ie Palm Springs)
Who can laugh? I have fond memories of hiking Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabrial Mountains, and other nearby mountains when I was a graduate student. There were many fossils in the Santa Monica Mountains. I also remember seeing the remnant of streetcar tracks near the top, but don't remember which one.
Absolutely. I'm a LA native, but I notice that some "out-of-staters" I've spoken with have misconceptions or even strong opinions about the area without actually spending time here.

This is a great place to live if you enjoy year round outdoor activities.

I'm partial to all of the west coast states though. Enjoyed time hiking in Washington and Utah too.
There are quite a few California natives who share that opinion too...

No way around it, California is very polarizing and rapidly becoming increasingly so. OP likely knows whether California is for them or not.
8301
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Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by 8301 »

stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:17 pm
index245 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 12:27 pm
8301 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:00 pm
index245 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:39 pm Don't laugh...but Los Angeles.

Hiking is a really popular weekend activity here.

Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, Rancho Palos Verdes

Leave early on a Saturday and traffic isn't an issue.

If you are willing to drive further, fun desert areas too (ie Palm Springs)
Who can laugh? I have fond memories of hiking Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabrial Mountains, and other nearby mountains when I was a graduate student. There were many fossils in the Santa Monica Mountains. I also remember seeing the remnant of streetcar tracks near the top, but don't remember which one.
Absolutely. I'm a LA native, but I notice that some "out-of-staters" I've spoken with have misconceptions or even strong opinions about the area without actually spending time here.

This is a great place to live if you enjoy year round outdoor activities.

I'm partial to all of the west coast states though. Enjoyed time hiking in Washington and Utah too.
There are quite a few California natives who share that opinion too...

No way around it, California is very polarizing and rapidly becoming increasingly so. OP likely knows whether California is for them or not.
Polarizing? Those who choose California for hiking and those not?
stoptothink
Posts: 15368
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:53 am

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by stoptothink »

8301 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:24 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:17 pm
index245 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 12:27 pm
8301 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:00 pm
index245 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 9:39 pm Don't laugh...but Los Angeles.

Hiking is a really popular weekend activity here.

Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, Rancho Palos Verdes

Leave early on a Saturday and traffic isn't an issue.

If you are willing to drive further, fun desert areas too (ie Palm Springs)
Who can laugh? I have fond memories of hiking Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabrial Mountains, and other nearby mountains when I was a graduate student. There were many fossils in the Santa Monica Mountains. I also remember seeing the remnant of streetcar tracks near the top, but don't remember which one.
Absolutely. I'm a LA native, but I notice that some "out-of-staters" I've spoken with have misconceptions or even strong opinions about the area without actually spending time here.

This is a great place to live if you enjoy year round outdoor activities.

I'm partial to all of the west coast states though. Enjoyed time hiking in Washington and Utah too.
There are quite a few California natives who share that opinion too...

No way around it, California is very polarizing and rapidly becoming increasingly so. OP likely knows whether California is for them or not.
Polarizing? Those who choose California for hiking and those not?
I lived in LA from birth to age 24. California in and of itself - not speaking to hiking - is extremely polarizing. I could see how it could be great for someone who enjoys year round activities, but the hiking where I live (Utah) is flat out better and WAY more accessible...and pretty much everything (IMO) is better too. But, like everyone else here, that's just my opinion.

Everyone knows California may have the best year round weather in the world, I don't see how OP could ask this question being unaware of that. Regardless of the hiking, OP probably should have known that California would be the obvious first suggestion and whether it is an option for them before starting the thread.
8301
Posts: 942
Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2022 1:52 pm

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by 8301 »

stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:31 pm
8301 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:24 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:17 pm
index245 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 12:27 pm
8301 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:00 pm
Who can laugh? I have fond memories of hiking Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabrial Mountains, and other nearby mountains when I was a graduate student. There were many fossils in the Santa Monica Mountains. I also remember seeing the remnant of streetcar tracks near the top, but don't remember which one.
Absolutely. I'm a LA native, but I notice that some "out-of-staters" I've spoken with have misconceptions or even strong opinions about the area without actually spending time here.

This is a great place to live if you enjoy year round outdoor activities.

I'm partial to all of the west coast states though. Enjoyed time hiking in Washington and Utah too.
There are quite a few California natives who share that opinion too...

No way around it, California is very polarizing and rapidly becoming increasingly so. OP likely knows whether California is for them or not.
Polarizing? Those who choose California for hiking and those not?
I lived in LA from birth to age 24. California in and of itself - not speaking to hiking - is extremely polarizing. I could see how it could be great for someone who enjoys year round activities, but the hiking where I live (Utah) is flat out better and WAY more accessible...and pretty much everything (IMO) is better too. But, like everyone else here, that's just my opinion.

Everyone knows California may have the best year round weather in the world, I don't see how OP could ask this question being unaware of that. Regardless of the hiking, OP probably should have known that California would be the obvious first suggestion and whether it is an option for them before starting the thread.
Got it. Something irrelevant.
JD2775
Posts: 1503
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2015 10:47 pm

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by JD2775 »

stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:31 pm
8301 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:24 pm
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 2:17 pm
index245 wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 12:27 pm
8301 wrote: Tue May 16, 2023 10:00 pm
Who can laugh? I have fond memories of hiking Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabrial Mountains, and other nearby mountains when I was a graduate student. There were many fossils in the Santa Monica Mountains. I also remember seeing the remnant of streetcar tracks near the top, but don't remember which one.
Absolutely. I'm a LA native, but I notice that some "out-of-staters" I've spoken with have misconceptions or even strong opinions about the area without actually spending time here.

This is a great place to live if you enjoy year round outdoor activities.

I'm partial to all of the west coast states though. Enjoyed time hiking in Washington and Utah too.
There are quite a few California natives who share that opinion too...

No way around it, California is very polarizing and rapidly becoming increasingly so. OP likely knows whether California is for them or not.
Polarizing? Those who choose California for hiking and those not?
I lived in LA from birth to age 24. California in and of itself - not speaking to hiking - is extremely polarizing. I could see how it could be great for someone who enjoys year round activities, but the hiking where I live (Utah) is flat out better and WAY more accessible...and pretty much everything (IMO) is better too. But, like everyone else here, that's just my opinion.

Everyone knows California may have the best year round weather in the world, I don't see how OP could ask this question being unaware of that. Regardless of the hiking, OP probably should have known that California would be the obvious first suggestion and whether it is an option for them before starting the thread.
But that 5% max ABV beer though.....brutal.
Pinotage
Posts: 611
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 5:02 am
Location: Springfield

Re: Best cities with lots of outdoor/hiking activities and good year round weather

Post by Pinotage »

These these threads come up pretty often, and feel like a “what do you daydream of” litmus test.

I wonder if anyone has ever made an actionable decision on relocating based on info gleaned here, or at least starting with info from these discussions.

OP - if you digest all of the responses, identify one of the suggestions as the place you and your family will move to, and actually move to that place - PM your new address and I will mail you a fruitcake as a housewarming gift.
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