The Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions have many towns with vibrant outdoor recreation scenes and access to world-class adventure. In August and September, readers of Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine will once again select their favorites to ultimately crown the region’s best towns for outdoor adventure.
The 13th annual Top Adventure Towns Contest features 100 contenders, determined by the magazine’s staff. These thriving adventure burgs are mountain biking destinations, whitewater oases, climbing paradises, hiking havens, booming craft beer epicenters, and live music hot spots.
Starting August 8th, readers will gradually narrow the field, casting votes in multiple rounds to select the top outdoor town in four categories: large town (population 75,001+), medium town (population 16,001 – 75,000), small town (population 3,001 - 16,000), and tiny town (population less than 3,000).
Round 1- August 8-22
Round 2- August 23- 29
Round 3- August 30 - Sept 6th
The four winning towns will be featured in the November issue of Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine.
“Towns in and around the Blue Ridge Mountains offer an abundance of recreation opportunities and accompanying culture that supports the outdoors,” says editor-in-chief Jedd Ferris. “Every year we look forward to our readers to once again helping us spotlight the region’s best adventure destinations.”
The top four
Please find a graphic attached to share on social media to help promote your town.
For more information, contact associate publisher Katie Hartwell at 434-817-2755 x 25 / katie@blueridgeoutdoors.com or editor-in-chief Jedd Ferris at jedd@blueridgeoutdoors.
The 100 finalists in the adventure towns contest include:
TINY
Banner Elk, N.C.
Berkeley Springs, W.Va.
Blowing Rock, N.C.
Blue Ridge, Ga.
Bryson City, N.C.
Cape Charles, Va.
Cherokee, N.C.
Damascus, Va.
Davis, W.Va.
Edisto Island, S.C.
Fayetteville, W.Va.
Floyd, Va.
Halifax, Va.
Helen, Ga.
Hot Springs, Va.
Marlinton, W.Va.
McHenry, Md.
Mt. Jackson, Va.
Old Fort, N.C.
Park City, Ky.
Pearisburg, Va.
Powhatan, Va.
Shepherdstown, W.Va.
St. Paul, Va.
Sylva, N.C.
Townsend, Tenn.
SMALL
Abingdon, Va.
Bedford, Va.
Black Mountain, N.C.
Brevard, N.C.
Clifton Forge, Va.
Dahlonega, Ga.
Dawsonville, Ga.
Elkin, N.C.
Elizabethton, Tenn.
Franklin, N.C.
Galax, Va.
Gatlinburg, Tenn.
Hendersonville, N.C.
Lewisburg, W.Va.
Lexington, Va.
Marion, Va.
Prestonsburg, Ky.
Shepherdsville, Ky.
Somerset, Pa.
Summersville, W.Va.
Thurmont, Md.
Travelers Rest, S.C.
Woodstock, Va.
Wytheville, Va.
MEDIUM
Alpharetta, Ga.
Annapolis, Md.
Beckley, W.Va.
Boone, N.C.
Bristol, Va./Tenn.
Charlottesville, Va.
Cumberland, Md.
Danville, Va.
Frankfort, Ky.
Fredericksburg, Va.
Georgetown, Ky.
Greenville, S.C.
Hagerstown, Md.
Harrisonburg, Va.
Johnson City, Tenn.
Maryville, Tenn.
Morganton, N.C.
Morgantown, W.Va.
Mount Holly, N.C.
Staunton, Va.
Sevierville, Tenn.
Spartanburg, S.C.
Waynesboro, Va.
Winchester, Va.
Woodstock, Ga.
LARGE
Alexandria, Va.
Asheville, N.C.
Atlanta, Ga.
Augusta, Ga.
Bowling Green, Ky.
Charleston, S.C.
Charlotte, N.C.
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Chesapeake, Va.
Clarksville, Tenn.
Columbia, S.C.
Frederick, Md.
Hampton, Va.
Knoxville, Tenn.
Lexington, Ky.
Lynchburg, Va.
Philadelphia, Pa.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Raleigh, N.C.
Richmond, Va.
Roanoke, Va.
Roswell, Ga.
Virginia Beach, Va.
Wilmington, N.C.
Winston-Salem, N.C.