The scenic small town has a long and important place in American culture — countless books and movies have helped create a certain romantic image that has become a massive driver of tourism.
People from near and far pay big money to recharge and get away from big city problems, take in views of wide open spaces and otherwise experience something new. The economies of places like Pennsylvania's Ligonier or Leavenworth in Washington State depend significantly on the revenue brought in by tourists.
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But while some want mountain views, others are looking for a specific type of food or arts scene. For its annual America's Best Small Towns round-up, travel magazine Travel + Leisure identified the best cities of under 25,000 people in a range of different categories. The best towns for everything from mountains and beaches to food & culture or wellness retreats were selected based on scenic factor, popularity and how much there is for visitors to see and do.
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In 2023, Boca Grande on Florida's Gasparilla Island gained the official title of the "best small beach town in America" for the sweeping coastline that can offer one a "tranquil respite from the frenetic pace of our modern world."
"While the state of Florida welcomes nearly 140 million visitors each year, only a small portion of them make their way to serene Gasparilla Island and its main town, Boca Grande, an upscale yet down-to-earth community on the Gulf of Mexico that's just the right amount of sleepy," travel writer Skye Sherman wrote for the magazine.
For those pining for mountain scenes, North Carolina's Highlands was selected as the winer. The tiny, 1,000-person town sits at the crest of the Nantahala National Forest and is an under-the-radar destination for hiking, waterfall-spotting and taking in mountain air.
Montana's Red Lodge was chosen as a close runner-up in the same category.
Sitting on the edge of the U.S.-Canada Lake Superior, Minnesota's Grand Marais took the title for the best lake town while California's Los Olivos was an unexpected winner in the food scene category — the Santa Ynez Valley is a known winery destination while the town recently also caught some media attention with a new cafe "that started pulling espresso shots at 6 every morning." The presence of a bakery given the James Beard Award earned Nebraska's McCook a mention as a runner-up.
Food, spa and wine scenes help drive significant tourist money to their areas
Intersecting both the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park, Kanab in Utah was selected for those looking for a desert experience while Georgia's Dahlonega topped the alcohol category for the wine scene reigniting tourism to the Appalachian Mountains.
All of these destinations are very popular and help drive significant tourist funds to the nearby areas. The popularity of the Inns of Aurora Resort & Spa has also helped propel the namesake New York town of Aurora to the top of the spa and wellness category.
While the round-up winners were being voted on before the wildfires that devastated the Hawaiian island of Maui, Travel + Leisure editors gave a shot-out to the town of Lahaina that was almost entirely destroyed in the catastrophe.
"We can't talk about small towns this year without taking a moment to reflect on Lahaina, Hawaii — Maui's quintessential small town, full of Hawaiian culture and history — which was tragically devastated by wildfires earlier this month," the editors conclude.
