August 20, 2007

Hood River is in the Top 50.

The Top 50 Adventure towns, that is; ranked by National Geographic Adventure magazine in its September issue.

The edition hit the newsstands this week.

The article ranks Hood River as one of 10 top “Mountain Towns.”

“You can ski almost year-round on 11,239-foot Mount Hood, and the peak’s upper sections feature one of the most challenging ascent bids in the continental U.S.

“Hood River is also a launch pad for the nation’s top windsurfing spot, with 33 put-ins along Columbia River Gorge, ranging from the novice-level Inn Beach to black-diamond Swell City,” states the article. “Diehard boarders are snatching up second homes here, but so far it has managed to stay affordable.”

“With an ideal mix of terrain, activity and opportunity, Hood River is a place where you can live the adventure dream daily,” according to contributing editor Dan Koeppel, who did the research.

The other top mountain towns are Bishop, Calif.; Gunnison, Colo.; Missoula, Mont.; Hanover, N.H.; Wenatchee, Wash.; Boone, N.C.; Jim Thorpe, Penn.; Montpelier, Vt.; and New Paltz, N.Y.

Hood River is the sole Oregon town listed in the Top 50. One town in each state received a designation from Adventure. The other categories are Small Towns, Cities, Waterfront Towns, and Wilderness towns. The article lists Hood River’s demographics this way:

Population: 6,580

Median home price: $300,000

Published 10 times a year, with a rate base of 575,000, National Geographic Adventure has 2.3 million readers.

Top Wilderness Towns: Homer, Alaska; Cody, Wyo.; Flagstaff, Ariz.; Valdosta, Ga.; Medora, N.D.; Rochester, Minn.; Alexandria, La.; Valentine, Neb.; St. George, Utah.

Top Small Towns: Spearfish, S.D.; Hot Spot : Bloomington, Ind.; Iowa City, Iowa; Northampton, Mass.; Lynchburg, Va.; Marietta, Ohio; Fayetteville, W.V.; Bowling Green, Ky.; Chatsworth, N.J.; Hot Spring, Ark.; Smyrna, Del.

Top Waterfront Towns: Waimea, Hawaii; Fond du Lac, Wis.; Newport, R.I.; Rockland, Maine; Mystic, Conn.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Annapolis, Md.; Beaufort, S.C.; Lewiston, Idaho.

Top Cities: Chicago, Ill.; Nashville, Tenn.; Austin, Texas; Huntsville, Ala.; Gainesville, Fla.; Overland Park, Kansas; Albuquerque, N.M.; Tulsa, Okla.; Springfield, Mo.; Hattiesburg, Miss.