According to US News and World Report, multiple mountain towns in Colorado are among the best 25 small towns to visit in the United States.

While Maine’s Town of Bar Harbor ranked first on the publication’s 2023 list, Telluride ranked second. Meanwhile, Steamboat Springs ranked 7th and Breckenridge ranked 9th.

While all three towns are home to major resorts, Telluride is by far the smallest and most remote town on the list. It’s located at the end of a box canyon in southwest Colorado with a population of about 2,500.

This ranking was part of the US News and World Report annual ‘World’s Best Places to Visit’ analysis. Rankings are established through the use of a ‘user score’ and an ‘editors score’ rating. For the ‘user score’ portion, the public is invited to vote on deserving destinations. For the ‘editors score’ portion, editors rank destinations in a number of categories, including sights, culture, people, food, family, nightlife, adventure, romance, value, and accessibility. Seasonality and affordability are also taken into consideration.

Given that Colorado is one of the top destinations worldwide for outdoor recreation, it’s no surprise that the three mountain towns known for their year-round appeal made this list. A number of other notable western outdoor recreation hot spots were also featured, including Jackson Hole (5th), Lake Tahoe (6th), Moab (10th), and Taos (16th).

It’s also worth noting that Telluride and Colorado Springs were featured on the more general ‘Best Places to Visit in the US’ list, ranking 24th and 25th, respectively. That list was topped by Glacier National Park.

More information related to this year’s ‘Best Places to Visit’ ranking can be found here.

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