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I know there are a ton of "mountain town" threads but this one is quite specific and to the point. "Affordability" or the "right" politics are not particularly important. I was born and raised in Craig, Colorado, moved to the PNW about fifteen years ago and currently reside in Longview, Washington. I moved here because it was close to the mountains and I liked the climate and had decent manufacturing jobs. But this is town has become a crime ridden cesspool with zero economy. I'm looking a fresh start somewhere and would like to move back to a real true mountain town. Someplace small but near enough to a larger city that it's not exactly the boonies. Someplace with a view of tall mountain peaks and lots of fishing, camping and hiking nearby. As I already said, I grew up in Craig and while it's a town in Colorado, it is not exactly in the Rockies. Nor does it have views. It is also in the freaking desert. Most of Colorado is actually. And while I don't mind a drier climate, I would love to at least get some measurable rain throughout the year and not sweat my butt off in the summer. I also love the snow but don't want to be buried in it all winter. I don't care about your lifestyle or politics as long as you are good decent people. What I do not want is resort town or a ski town. I don't mind a touristy area though. Yes there is a difference. Think Aspen/Park City/Sun Valley vs the Black Hills. Affordability is of course important but only because I don't plan on making a lot of money. I'm also not worried about jobs per sey. I'm a lifelong warehouse guy and if there's an outdoor's shop or something like that where I can work the backroom that's fine by me. I'd even even love being a nature guide or or something along those lines. My family of three currently lives on less than $20,000 a year. Yes it is possible to have kids and not spend tons of cash, and not be redneck trailer trash, believe it or not. No booze. No drugs. No junk food. No we aren't Amish or hippies. Just think of us as granola conservatives. I've been looking at places like Bonner's Ferry, Sandpoint, Kalispell, Spearfish, Durango, and even places not exactly mountains but near them like Rapid City, Idaho Falls, and areas like the Skagit Valley in the North Cascades.
Last edited by A.McClure; 06-01-2017 at 03:23 PM..
Truckee, just west of Lake Tahoe, CA? It's closer to Sacramento than Durango is to anywhere. Durango's nice, but you said you wanted to be not too far from a city. The Gold Rush towns east of Sacramento, CA, are scenic, quaint, close to fishing and camping and mountains, etc., and are the affordable part of CA. Also, have you considered Port Townsend, WA? Close to the Olympics, nice small town (hard to find jobs, though, if you don't bring your own with you), nice people. It's not a mountain town per se, it's a sea-level coastal town, but it's very close to the mountains.
Check out Placerville, in the foothills of the Sierras, east of Sacramento, too.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 06-01-2017 at 04:15 PM..
Durango is an hour from Farmington NM which has a Target. That qualifies as big city to me. Also if there is a Walmart, Costco, Sam's Club or Winco. That qualifies as well.
Durango isn't cheap to live in, and Sandpoint and Kalispell became upscaled years ago, which probably translates to the same thing: high housing costs.
The Black Hills are pretty. Maybe Custer, SD? Camping, hiking, biking (mtn, road, rail trail), touristy but not glitzy, thick pine forests and pretty lakes also.
Durango isn't cheap to live in, and Sandpoint and Kalispell became upscaled years ago, which probably translates to the same thing: high housing costs.
Really? That's sad. Durango used to be the poor man's Telluride.
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The Black Hills are pretty. Maybe Custer, SD? Camping, hiking, biking (mtn, road, rail trail), touristy but not glitzy, thick pine forests and pretty lakes also.
I thought Baker City, OR was a pretty neat town. Very beautiful setting, population under 10k. If that's too big maybe La Grande a little to the north. Western Wyoming has some scenic mountain towns. Rock Springs is probably bigger than what you want but there's Evanston, WY right near the Utah border.
I thought Baker City, OR was a pretty neat town. Very beautiful setting, population under 10k. If that's too big maybe La Grande a little to the north. Western Wyoming has some scenic mountain towns. Rock Springs is probably bigger than what you want but there's Evanston, WY right near the Utah border.
I would second Baker City. Really charming town should have pretty much everything you need, plus not too far from Boise and Portland.
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