I'm looking to make a job change, but I want to work in a U.S. city that is in an area that has good kayaking (lakes and class 1-class 4 rivers) and backpacking (mountains). I realize this is just a kayaking website, but I thought I would throw in the backpacking part. Do you have any recommendations for such a city that has both in the area?
Darwin
daroos@indiana.edu
seattle
and portland, eugene, spokane
and Portland ME
62 miles to the White Mountains. 0 miles to great kayaking. Year round.. Casco Bay usually does not freeze.
City is relative. This Portland is pretty small.. like six times smaller than the OR one.
I live halfway between Portland and North Conway NH. No real cities around here.
Perhaps you could redefine "city" and "area". Even NYC has kayaking and backpacking with public transit access. Its kind of mountainous NW of the city.
Oh yes Class I-V kayaking..
try http://www.paddleandchowder.org/
Ditto
Asheville, NC
In the heart of the Blue ridge mountains with many white water rivers near by as well as some large lakes.
Some of the best hiking in the east with many 6000 foot mountains surrounding it.
Jack L
The one I know best…
Boise.
Two nearby river systems with wide assortment of I-V water. Several large reservoirs. One large and mostly flat river. Lots of good hiking and climbing. All within an hour or less. Much more, including many smaller lakes, within 3 hours.
Primitive wilderness (with and without whitewater) within 3 hours. CL1 (with cl2 drops) river with greenbelt within the city. Cliff climbing and hiking just outside.
Ditto that too…
While Boise would not be my choice if my main squeeze was a sea kayak it is located in a unique geographical location that offers a ton of diverse recreational opportunities. Mountains, rivers, gorges, deserts, cool historical stuff, world-class skiing anmd fly fishing?
I understand that the area is growing fast these days so property values are probably not what they were wneh I was considering relocating but definatley take a peek.
Albany, NY
Hudson and Mohawk Rivers right here, lakes nearby and the Adirondack and Catskill park boundaries about an hour away. Something like 3.5 million acres of state land in those parks.
Alan
what type of location
I’m looking for any big US city that has a major university.
FarNorCal
Granted Eureka is not much of a city with only 27,000 residents … but there is plenty of local ocean, river, and mountain fun to be had !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glm97au0b_Q
criteria
I’m looking for any big US city that has a major university.
I Second Albany NY
South to the Catskills, North to the Adirondacks it is a nice livable affordable city. Good restaurants and nice people. Lakes, rivers and if you need larger water the Atlantic and LI Sound are not too far.
Montreal is a quick trip north. Yup. Albany is a great place to live.
I was going to suggest western MT, but
…no really big cities there. It has the outdoors stuff and universities you requested, and then some.
Maybe move to Canada–Vancouver?
Greenville , SC.
Albany NY and Universities etc…
The Albany NY region has among the highest concentrations of colleges and universities in the nation. There are 16 institutions of higher education within a half hour drive of downtown Albany and over 30 within 60 miles. Richard Florida ranked the area #1 for its population cohort in his "Rise of the Creative Class."
The Adirondacks, Catskills, Greene Mountains and Berkshires are all nearby. Many lakes, most notably Lake George (a beautiful 30+ mile long lake) is only about an hour drive from Albany. Champlain is only a bit further. Not to mention the Hudson and Mohawk rivers. There is also a lot of good ww within easy reach.
NYC is only 2 hours 20 minutes by train from Albany. Boston is about 3 hour drive, Montreal slightly longer.
Look at
Burlington, Vt.
tennessee
Knoxville or Nashville. Knoxville would be more appropriate. Especially for whitewater and hiking. Smoky mountains and countless national forests. Many large lakes and still just six hours to the Atlantic and eight to the gulf. No state income tax. Very low property tax. Decent job market and cheap housing. Large university. Four seasons with a great fall. I try to move away but it never sticks.
Ryan L.
TN X 2
TN is a great state for paddling and hiking. You can run a CL 3/4 in the morning and watch a beutiful sunset on the lake in the evening. There are big schools in Nashville and Knoxville. + the advantages mentioned above. A short drive to the pan handle of Florida for some great bay and springs paddling, Gulf shores for fresh shrimp and bay paddling.
consider Pittsburgh
Plenty of major universities/colleges (UPitt, Carnegie Mellon, Chatham, Duquesne, Robert Morris, Point Park, and one of the lowest costs of living in the country of any large metro area – you can buy a decent house in a cool neighborhood within 20 minutes of the colleges for under $100K. Lots of green spaces (two 600 acre each parks, Schenley and Frick, within city limits, with miles of trails for biking and walking and XC skiing), great cultural amenities from major sports teams (should one be into that)to world class museums and a hopping music scene. Very walkable city with lots of quirky neighborhoods, cafes, shops, friendly people. We have large lakes like Arthur (45 minutes north) and Lake Erie (2 hours), major rivers, both large and long (the Monongahela, Ohio, Allegheny meet downtown – you can paddle on your lunch hour) and terrific whitewater up to class IV on the Youghiogheny within an hour drive, plus countless streams from class I to V within 2 to 4 hour drive. I heard a rumor the state is second only to Alaska in miles of navigable streams. Backpacking in Appalachian mountain terrain within an hour to 4 hours in the Alleghenies to the east and north or south into the West Virginia highlands (2 to 5 hours). Class V and VI whitewater in WV, too, should you grow bolder (Gauley, New and Cheat rivers). The local politics will drive you nuts, but all around it is a pretty nice place to live. I wasn’t born here but have grown to like it and even moved back after a relocation 8 yeras ago.
I do love Boise and Vancouver, but it costs me so little to live in P’burgh I can afford to visit them when I want a change of scene. I visit Albany a lot (brother lives in Saratoga Springs) and that would be my second choice, though the winters can be long and cold up that way.
Albany
It’s a short hop to the great paddling and backpacking in the Adirondacks. Catskills are a short drive to the south with some outstanding backpacking. Vermont’s Green Mountains are a little over an hour drive east. The Hudson River is right in your backyard and the Hoosick River not much farther. And Lake George is right up the Thruway.
I recall an article in s magazine a few years ago that listed the best towns for outdoors lovers in the US and Albany was in the top 5.
Also plenty of colleges to choose from. RPI and SUNY Albany among them.