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These 10 winning cities in the category of Best Destination for Outdoor Enthusiasts are hubs for adventure in Mother Nature. Whether you love hiking, biking, kayaking, skiing, climbing, camping, snowboarding or a little bit of each, these destinations offer a perfect home base for your adventurous pursuits.
We asked USA TODAY 10Best readers to vote for their favorite destination for outdoor enthusiasts out of a pool of 20 expert-selected nominees. After four weeks of voting, the results are in, and Santa Fe, the New Mexican capital, has taken home top honors.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Destination for Outdoor Enthusiasts are as follows:
- Santa Fe
- Durango, Colo.
- Tahoe, Calif./Nev.
- Rapid City, S.D.
- Islamorada, Fla.
- Bozeman, Mont.
- Asheville, N.C.
- Bend, Ore.
- Jackson Hole, Wyo.
- Missoula, Mont.
Additional nominated destinations included Anchorage; Austin; Boise; Boulder, Colo.; Burlington, Vt.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Juneau, Alaska; Lake Placid, N.Y.; Moab, Utah and Portland, Maine.
A panel of experts picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Lyn Mettler (10Best Expert), Larry Bleiberg, Jessie Festa (Epicure & Culture and Jessie on a Journey) and Lydia Schrandt (10Best Editor) were chosen based on their extensive knowledge of outdoor adventure travel.
10Best and USA TODAY extend their congratulations to all the winners.
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The Experts
Lyn Mettler
Lyn Mettler is a travel writer who writes for many... Read More
Lyn Mettler is a travel writer who writes for many national outlets. She blogs at GotoTravelGal.com about traveling for less using the Southwest Companion Pass, as well as Southwest Business Select, Southwest WiFi, Southwest Travel Funds and Southwest check-in. Her favorite destinations are Disney World, San Diego, Pigeon Forge, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Colorado Springs, Santa Barbara and Rome, Italy. She writes about many destinations, including Pigeon Forge, Marco Island, Ft. Lauderdale, St. Louis, Sedona, Italy, Paris, Dublin, Nassau, Cozumel, Panama City Beach, US National Parks (Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Zion National Park), Cabo San Lucas, Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas and Hawaii hotels. Lyn also writes on family travel, hotels and miles and points.
Lyn Mettler
Lyn Mettler is a travel writer who writes for many national outlets. She blogs at GotoTravelGal.com about traveling for less using the Southwest Companion Pass, as well as Southwest Business Select, Southwest WiFi, Southwest Travel Funds and Southwest check-in. Her favorite destinations are Disney World, San Diego, Pigeon Forge, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Colorado Springs, Santa Barbara and Rome, Italy. She writes about many destinations, including Pigeon Forge, Marco Island, Ft. Lauderdale, St. Louis, Sedona, Italy, Paris, Dublin, Nassau, Cozumel, Panama City Beach, US National Parks (Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Zion National Park), Cabo San Lucas, Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas and Hawaii hotels. Lyn also writes on family travel, hotels and miles and points.
Jessie Festa
Jessica Festa is the editor of the online travel... Read More
Jessica Festa is the editor of the online travel publications Epicure & Culture and Jessie on a Journey. She enjoys getting lost in new cities, traveling responsibly and having experiences you don’t read about in guidebooks. You can also follow her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Jessie Festa

Jessica Festa is the editor of the online travel publications Epicure & Culture and Jessie on a Journey. She enjoys getting lost in new cities, traveling responsibly and having experiences you don’t read about in guidebooks. You can also follow her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Larry Bleiberg
Larry Bleiberg, a veteran journalist with... Read More
Larry Bleiberg, a veteran journalist with magazine, newspaper and web experience and a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, has spent much of his career living in, and writing about, the South. The Virginia native is former travel editor of the Dallas Morning News and Coastal Living magazine and founder of CivilRightsTravel.com. He served on a Pulitzer Prize team, is a seven-time Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award winner, and was honored for producing the best newspaper travel section in North America. Learn more at LarryBleiberg.com or facebook.com/larry.bleiberg.
Larry Bleiberg

Larry Bleiberg, a veteran journalist with magazine, newspaper and web experience and a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, has spent much of his career living in, and writing about, the South. The Virginia native is former travel editor of the Dallas Morning News and Coastal Living magazine and founder of CivilRightsTravel.com. He served on a Pulitzer Prize team, is a seven-time Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award winner, and was honored for producing the best newspaper travel section in North America. Learn more at LarryBleiberg.com or facebook.com/larry.bleiberg.
Lydia Schrandt
Lydia, Senior Photo Editor and Readers' Choice... Read More
Lydia, Senior Photo Editor and Readers' Choice Production Manager for USA TODAY 10Best, has traveled to more than 40 countries in Europe, Asia and North and South America, and has lived in Albuquerque, Galveston, Austin, Thailand, Korea, China, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and now Houston. When she's not at her computer in a cafe, she's out photographing the city, writing fiction or cheering on Barça.
Lydia Schrandt

Lydia, Senior Photo Editor and Readers' Choice Production Manager for USA TODAY 10Best, has traveled to more than 40 countries in Europe, Asia and North and South America, and has lived in Albuquerque, Galveston, Austin, Thailand, Korea, China, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and now Houston. When she's not at her computer in a cafe, she's out photographing the city, writing fiction or cheering on Barça.