10 Most Beautiful Small Towns In The Northern United States You Should Visit
The northern United States is home to mountains and a rugged coastline with not-too-hot summers and picturesque fall through the dense state parks. Sprinkled from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, from the glamour of New York in Aurora to the New England charm in Camden, you can choose a faraway town you vibe with or the closest town to your state and taste.
With many beautiful towns, these 10 stand out, particularly with their unique beauty, including European-like sights along the Atlantic coast in Rockport with its famous Motif 1 landmark. Each with a unique personality offers a glimpse at the diverse nature and culture of the northern United States, unraveling scenic history in front of your eye, along the sweeping landscape views.
Alexandria, Virginia
This picturesque waterfront town in northern Virginia is home to many young professionals who take great pride in modernity mixed with history along the grand Potomac River. From the elated feel of Alexandria Downtown to the historically charming Old Town, the family-friendly vibe and pets-are-welcome atmosphere inspire a feeling of belonging among tourists. You can spend days wandering amid vintage architecture, with cute cafe visits and art gallery strolls like the Torpedo Factory Art Center, before meeting the sunset from the first-row seat in front of the lighthouse.
Home to the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, Alexandria is a real treasure trove of cultural gems, replete with unique places and beautiful sights like the Jones Point Lighthouse. Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum and Gadsby’s Tavern Museum paint a well-rounded picture before commencing on a shopping spree with notable culinary stops like the highest-rated Hank's Oyster Bar, just a stroll away from Daingerfield Island with trails and a marina. The warm weather and low crowds from mid-April to mid-June reveal the town's real spirit to appreciate all its beauty with unobscured views.
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, with its Victorian-era homes along the hills overlooking the beautiful Columbia River, is a storybook-cover-worthy sight. This charming port city in northern Oregon, with Scandinavian flavor and chock full of forts, is the oldest town west of the Rockies, ensconced in forests and three rivers. Spoiled by nature and exuding charm from every pore with stunning Victoriana, the highly rated Columbia River Maritime Museum and Flavel House Museum with Queen Anne furnishings are a must-see. Together with a great museum scene and local brews for the evening and hot summer days, there's plenty of shopping aplenty for the most unique finds.
You can sightsee the Astoria Column and grab something from local favorite Peter Pan Market & Deli to keep on browsing. From the Astoria Sunday Market to the long Pigeon Steps with beautiful waterfront views, enjoy quick access to the Pacific through Warrenton via the Overseas Highway 101 for a day trip. Whether you are a kayaker or a history hunter on a hike through the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, a fresh seafood platter awaits all tired venturers at the most popular South Bay Wild Fish House, steps from the waterfront.
Aurora, New York
This charming town along the eastern shores of the beautiful Cayuga Lake blends the state's finest nature and culture. Its most famous landmark, the Inns of Aurora, adds an exciting vibe to stumbling upon this most Instagrammable lakeside resort and spa with trails and water access for an afternoon stroll or a bike ride. From summertime swimming to sunset strolls, lakeside on-demand shopping, and a wine trail along the shore, the stretching Cayuga Lake is the real heartbeat of this town.
Downtown Aurora, great for family strolls to learn pottery or painting as well as a reputable dining scene, transforms with the seasonal beauty of the draping trees. Its picturesque main street, framed in the falltime scenery with old architecture and perusable hotpots, is just parallel to the lake to enjoy it all with water views. Visit the Thirsty Owl Wine Company for a glass of your favorite vintage to enjoy over the views of the crystal-clear waters. From canoeing and boating to sightseeing, bird watching, and wildlife watching, you can unwind at the 1833 Kitchen & Bar or Fargo Bar & Grill afterward.
Bayfield, Wisconsin
Bayfield, a tranquil harbor town, one of Wisconsin's smallest, near the northernmost point of the state, with a peace-inducing atmosphere and sparkling lake's bay, will fill up a whole vacation for every group with any taste of pursuit. As a charming main street town just up Chequamegon Bay along the vast Lake Superior's southwest coast, you can enjoy all its hotspots, just a hop away from summertime recreation by the waters. No wonder Bayfield is as popular among families on a getaway with everything just a hand's reach away as it is with avid adventurers for the quickest access to the state's most unique natural features.
From the whole chain of islands into the immense lake to the stunning sandstone cliffs and caves along the Apostille Islands National Lakeshore with a campground, you can enjoy all the prevailing scenery in solitude over fantastic sea kayaking and backcountry hiking. Start along the spirited waterfront of Rittenhouse Avenue, overlooking the world's largest freshwater lake by area, Lake Superior, while browsing cool shops, quality eats, and lovely terraces for coffee over views. The highly strollable town is also the best launch point for Madeline Island via a quick, adventurous boat or ferry ride.
Camden, Maine
Maine's beauty is like no other in the country, and among its many worthy towns, Camden is a paradise, embodying the state's famous boating spirit. Its beautiful harbor, the area's historical premier attraction with views for days, is strollworthy and instagrammable. With outstanding ships, multi-million-dollar yachts along the waterfront, and white Windjammers and schooners dotting Penobscot Bay, Camden's waters are considered some of the world's best for cruising. The more adventurous enjoy kayaking trips with more lighthouses and uninhabited islands housing undisturbed wildlife throughout the bay for a lifetime of memories.
With many cruise companies, you can embark on a multi-day cruise or take a quick sightseeing loop around the bay, Curtis Island Light included. The waves around Curtis Island add a kick of adventure at the entrance of the harbor and its historic lighthouse from 1836. The thriving town along the picturesque bay is joyful in every season, like the most beautiful falltime with leaves, brightly colored ornaments, and the rolling fog upon the beaches in a mystic veil. Despite colder winters near the bay, Camden is an excellent main street town that will warm and entertain you through unique shopping, cozy cafes, and an excellent restaurant scene for a hot clam chowder with no crowds.
Chautauqua, New York
Chautauqua, a small town in the west of the state, makes a big splash in one of New York's most naturally inspiring regions along Lake Erie. With four other amazing lakes around, the boundless outdoors call for every type of venturer, from dry-land hiking to shoreside strolls and beachy pleasures. The small town with a pocket full of history and unique culture is a family vacation destination for any season, with places like Chautauqua Institution, the National Comedy Center, and the Robert H. Jackson Center. From fall foliage hikes to a vibrant downtown with attractions, staple shopping, and dining, you can also zip through colors on an adrenaline-pumping zipline or a treetop course with Mountain Adventures.
In the summer, experience the lakeside lifestyle at its purest on a serene boat trip, fishing, and biking trails along the water. Home to a dozen golf courses, there are also over 20 local wineries dotting Lake Erie's shoreline—Lake Erie Wine Country. Grab a brew or craft beverage from a local brewery or distillery, or bring a whole cooler worth to your campsite or lakeside cottage to enjoy in the great outdoors. As a summertime retreat from the Big Apple for over a century, Chautauqua's choice of luxury hotels and plentiful local rentals meet the demand of vacationing New Yorkers and exceed the expectations of out-of-state visitors. The lovely town, with its lake centerpiece and marvelous historic mansions, is a beautiful blend of culture and nature, with pristine shores just a stroll from an evening performance at the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, the Opera Company, or the School of Dance.
Galena, Illinois
The charming riverside town of Galena, along the rolling hills in northwest Illinois, offers a pocket full of history. You can unravel it along the scenically charged atmosphere of the waterfront, a worthy cover of an American history textbook and a bustling destination since the 1800s. Latin for lead sulfide, Galena expanded from its primary mining industry into the largest port between St. Louis, Missouri, and St. Paul, Minnesota, by the mid-century. Today, the town along the namesake river, a hop away from the Mississippi River, is over 85 percent composed of National Register of Historic Places. Its Main Street buildings still stand from the time Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States, strolled the same stretch. The small businesses evolved into hip places but remained hospitable and friendly in nature, like a choice of charming bed and breakfasts and destination restaurants.
Galena's hills and valleys, once covered by glaciers, are now protected and preserved landscapes with a habitat for free-roaming wildlife around the Native Americans' effigy mounds. You can scope the whole scenery in the palm of your hand from a hot air balloon with Galena On The Fly or take in the sights on the Segway tour at Chestnut Mountain, while the adventurous enjoy kayaking and paddleboarding in the river. Illinois’ Great River Road, National Geographic’s "500 Drives of a Lifetime,'' starts right here, taking you through American history along historic museums, landmarks, and more scenic vineyards against the sweeping beauty of the Mississippi River for 885 kilometers. From the Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa and its four golf courses, including the critically acclaimed General Golf Course, to four wineries with award-winning vintages, you can unwind in your favorite way.
Marquette, Michigan
This beautiful town along the forested fringe of the UP and the immense Lake Superior harbors a state-distinguished collection of scenic beauty. From rushing waterfalls to rock formations and wildlife trails through the thick hardwoods, you can embark on endless nature hunts through falltime foliage and set camp in the summer by your favorite natural wonders. The charming downtown historic vibe and architecture awe-inspire while perusing its great restaurants and shopping, as well as a brewery scene to unwind in the evening or stock a cooler for a day at the beach.
With a number of parks, you will never run out of recreational activities for all tastes and groups, like the beloved McCarty’s Cove and South Beach Park with sandy shores for water fans. Easy-going recreation prevails here along the waterfront, with meeting the sunrise, watching the sunset, and good-humored exercise on a leisurely walk or bike ride alongside water views and other sightseers. From serene fishing and golfing in the summer to wintertime skiing, this nation's top biking destination also speaks for itself to the more active. Entertainment seekers enjoy outdoor concerts and regular thematic festivals celebrating blueberries, old cars, and beer through family-friendly events.
Rockland, Maine
Rockland, a beautiful town along the state's midcoast, has many identities, having always benefited from a unique combination of geography and economics. From its historic roots as a shipbuilding port to its lobstering industry and present-day status as a main street town, there are attractions for every kind of tourist. This fascinating coastal city mixes New England vibes with the bucolic charm of the surrounding agricultural lands along one of the deepest harbors on the New England seaboard. The nearly mile-long granite breakwater protects Rockland Harbor, one of the best recreational boating harbors on the East Coast, and the lighthouse.
Halfway between Freeport and Bar Harbor, Rockland is an easy day trip, a great weekend escape, or a whole vacation worth of perusing downtown's hot shops and seafood scene, with port launches right from the heart of town to islands in the bay. Ensconced by mountainous and rocky shore, with hundreds of islets just off and only 8,000 residents, it lends a family-friendly, adventurous vibe to a year-round getaway. With a thriving arts scene and festivals like the Atlantic Blues Festival, the Maine Lobster Festival, and the Maine Boat & Home Show, there's a reason in every season to visit this busy waterfront town. You can always find your own safe haven along Main Street, like the dozen boutiques or a dinner at Archer’s on the Pier overlooking the lobstermen and pleasure craft.
Rockport, Massachusetts
Meet the charming historic village of Rockport, with plentiful modernity and nature abounding. One of the five towns comprising Greater Cape Ann, Rockport, at the tip of the Cape, paints a picture of authenticity, charm, and uniqueness like no other. With a plethora of history dating back to the 1600s, when settlers rejoiced in these fertile harbor fishing waters, Rockport never stopped thriving from its early granite, timber, and fishing days. Halibut Point State Park, with its old granite quarries, impresses all history fans and outdoor lovers with trails to greet the wild views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Home to Motif 1, an exact 1840 replica of a red fishing shack, this vibrant building is a world-sought-after destination to see, paint, and Instagram. Rockport, overlooking the jaw-dropping, rugged Atlantic coastline, sparks your longing soul for beautiful views and city-starved eyes over breathtaking strolls. This charming New England town with European sights and architecture too much like Gloucester feels like you've landed on a whole other continent. Stop by the newly revamped visitor center to get a scope for nature ventures and the best hotspots in town, like the most popular and highly rated Fish Shack Bar & Restaurant for the fish and chips of your life.
Sprinkled through the diverse northern landscape of the great country, you won't be remiss in the welcoming locals and vibrant culture that make you feel at home far away from home while being in your backyard. With many main street towns and nature for all tastes of adventure, from boating to mountain biking and everything in between, there are also plenty of vineyards and breweries to unwind and charming b&bs to wind down after.
Choose Astoria for its falltime nature, extending from the coast through the downtown and surrounding areas, and Marquette for your summertime beachy pleasures. You will make a lot of memories with your loved ones while filling up your Instagram page and your belly with the best seafood, along with the most unique gifts to bring friends back home.
