Backpacker Magazine: Asheville, Brevard among best places in U.S. to raise an outdoor kid

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Back in August 2009, Backpacker Magazine ranked Asheville #11 and Brevard #20  in the U.S. for best places to raise an outdoor kid. Somehow I missed this. Anyway, here’s more:

Which towns offer the ideal mix of accessible trails, inspiring teachers, and great recreational resources? We worked with The Outdoor Foundation to identify America’s top 25 places to beat nature deficit disorder.

The site’s rankings note that Asheville has a charter school that teaches the Outward Bound curriculum, as well as our Beer City USA designation, and the fact that Asheville is set in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

Here’s the list:

1. Boulder, CO

2. Jackson, WY

3. Durango, CO

4. Flagstaff, AZ

5. Juneau, AK

6. Seattle, WA

7. Colorado Springs, CO

8. Burlington, VT

9. Fort Collins, CO

10. Lebanon, NH

11. Asheville, NC

12. Portland, ME

13. Hood River, OR

14. Manchester, NH

15. Harrisonburg, VA

16. Eureka-Arcata-Fortuna, CA

17. Sevierville, TN

18. Bozeman, MT

19. Rapid City, SD

20. Brevard, NC

21. Madison, WI

22. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

23. Glens Falls, NY

24. Duluth, MN

25. Wheeling, WV