9 Slow-Paced Towns to Visit in The Rockies
Like watchmen, over the winding streets, the Rockies guard serenity within charming neighborhoods and beckon with unexplored wilderness, granite peaks, and wildflowers. The creative locals enjoy sharing their seemingly quiet lives, letting nature set the pace beneath the towering peaks, while the excitement is along the summertime paths and epic skiing slopes.
There are plenty of ways to soak up the charm from both the American and Canadian sides, with mountain views downtown, whether you're in for a family holiday escape, an epic skiing trip with friends, or a romantic getaway.
Buena Vista, Colorado
Buena Vista may not be as common of a name as Vail for a Rockies escape, but it sure is a pretty one, meaning "nice view." More than just nice, the breathtaking Rockies around the Upper Arkansas River Valley induce relaxation and inspire adventures, while the small town of some 3,000 enjoys a paced lifestyle along the mighty Arkansas River. Beneath the towering Sawatch Range at almost 8,000 feet, its downtown scenery is unsurpassed. No one's in a hurry to rush your sightseeing in between entertainment options, which are varied and bountiful. It's hard to miss the white screen against the hazy mountains in the backdrop—like a giant's easel, the Comanche Drive-In Theatre, playing oldies and new releases in a breathtaking setting.
It is just a hop from MoonStream Vintage Campground to join the locals at their favorite hotspots, like Stardust Event Center, with musical talent, weekend movies, and plush sofa seating in a unique atmosphere. Enjoy some scenic tee time at Collegiate Peaks Golf Course or climb Huron Peak and soak up in hot springs afterward. Just north of Beaver Falls Bridge, spanning the river, Buena Vista Whitewater Park offers whitewater adventures via kayaks and rafts, plus climbing walls and trails. After taking on the rapids with Browns Canyon Rafting, you'll surely work up an appetite. Simple Eatery, within an outdoor gear and apparel store, gives another nod to the laidback attitude, where you can choose a New American meal with carefully selected ingredients.
Driggs, Idaho
Home to some 2,350, life flows at a natural pace in Driggs, one of the state's cutest mountain towns. Instagrammable from every side at the "heart of the Teton Valley" of the Rockies, you can follow a creek, like veins, to the Teton River in the west. The town and area around literally sparkle in the winter, while the perpetually snow-covered peaks offer undisturbed summertime paths. Find a scenic spot to picnic in nature or aspire to a great feat along one of the nature trails for your level of activity to a rewarding view from high above. Nestled at the border with Wyoming, it is just a hop to the neighbor's Grand Teton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Stop by Driggs anytime you need a change in pace and scenery on a breather from the city, where no visit is complete without soaking up the views along the Teton Scenic Byway. Its slow pace and down-to-earth attitude pull you in to appreciate the simple pleasures like a morning through Driggs City Park or an evening at Spud Drive-In Theatre. The summer months through September offer great weather for outdoor activities and scenic relaxation, like a picnic at Big Eddy or tee time. Coming alive with several art and music events, celebrating its rich cultural heritage, the epic Teton Valley Hot Air Balloon Festival is a serene sight in its own way—with hundreds of floating balloons above.
Dubois, Wyoming
Tangled within various waterways and trails to overlooks, this town along the Wind River lives and breathes the outdoors, letting nature take command of the local pace. This northwestern corner of the state is undeniably peaceful in between three subranges of the Rocky Mountains and the Bridger-Teton and Shoshone National Forests. The historic downtown feels frozen in simpler times with attractions like the old-timey square dances, Tuesdays on the Town, and the engaging Friday Night Rodeo in the summer. Strolling along the streets amidst the imposing vistas, you can dive into the real natural stillness anytime. Others have their sights set on Yellowstone to the north, one of the two top-rated national parks in the US.
Take one of the finest drives in the Rockies via a portion of the Centennial Scenic Byway, just over an hour west of Grand Teton National Park. Genuinely a four-season mountainous paradise, Dubois offers a retreat for all your senses along the refreshing nature trails leading you into the wilderness on foot, mountain bike, or horseback. Wake up at Solitude RV Park or Chinook Winds Lodge to a new adventure, or seek solitude in your favorite way, like fishing. Wind River KOA Holiday offers yurts, plus some of Dubois' many historic ranches welcome overnighters. The National Bighorn Sheep Center is an epic natural museum, while Headwaters Arts and Conference Center and Cutthroat Fly Shop & Adventures suit every interest.
Eureka, Montana
Ensconced by an incredible abundance of evergreens, just a hop from the Canadian border, Eureka was once the "Christmas Tree Capital of the World." Still holding on to its past fame proudly minus the crowds, visitors today enjoy the remote feel and easy access to the spectacular Lake Koocanusa, a 90-mile-long lake sprawling the national border. The beautiful turquoise lake, some 10 minutes west, offers mirror-like stillness with warm summer water temperature suitable for swimming and other lakeside activities, plus campgrounds and Abayance Bay Marina, which hosts music events against breathtaking views. Tobacco River and Sinclair Creek add a lace of charm south of town.
Unlike the popular Whitefish or the outdoors capital, Bozeman, Eureka's unsurpassed beauty is hidden deep in the Rockies' Whitefish and Purcell Mountains. Much like its name suggests, the small town is a real discovery for an anytime escape to exchange the city hustle for a slower pace and relaxed lifestyle. The Rails to Trails plucks you right from downtown on a fantastic hike in between discovering its small-town charms. After a day of boating or fishing on the lake, Front Porch Dewey Burger & Fish Co. is unmissable at dinnertime. Expand your adventures to the surrounding Kootenai National Forest, or just an hour and change east to Glacier National Park.
Granby, Colorado
Boasting some of the best quality of life in the Rockies, it would be foolish to mistake this town's slumberous state in the Middle Park basin of the Rockies for anything other than the "heart of something grand." Home to the popular Fitch Ranch Meats and Market and Granby Trails, there is something for everyone off the beaten path to find engaging. Soak up views along a peaceful hiking trail to Ninemile Mountain or enjoy off-roading at Cottonwood Pass. Granby secludes you in a picture-perfect frame of its tranquil downtown area, proximate to explore Rocky Mountain National Park—some of the best sightseeing in the entire Centennial State.
With zigzagging streams through the Fraser River Valley and the town greens just north of the thoroughfare, enjoy browsing with natural views from the doorstep under the imposing Granby Mesa, one of its two trademark features. Fed by the Colorado River, Lake Granby, Colorado's third-largest body of water, sprawls just northeast as a haven for anglers, regularly stocked with Kokanee salmon and rainbow trout. Enjoy boating, paddleboarding, and hiking from your campground along the designated trails, with more peaks around. Granby Ranch offers year-round activities like a festive winter park with ice skating and a ski school, plus access to mountain biking trails.
Jasper
Step away, little coastal town of Dubrovnik, because we've got a little star of our own in the Canadian Rockies. Jasper's undisturbed wilderness is unlike anything you've ever experienced in the surroundings of deep blue mountain lakes. The town within Jasper National Park is two hours north of Banff. Having recently faced a raging fire, Jasper can use all tourist hands on deck. Many come to traverse the glaciers, foliage hikes, and views from high above via the scenic Jasper Skytramchair in any season's dress. Stop by for local banter over creative, globally inspired fare at Evil Dave's Grill before catching a glimpse of the brilliant green light up the night sky.
It is like entering another realm some four hours from Calgary or a four-hour and change regular bus ride from Edmonton. From the Athabasca River to the towering peaks and the small town amid the imposing nature with great bucks wandering along the road, you'll feel refreshed and rejuvenated with or without trying the popular mountain yoga. The immersive environment of low crowds and a small, active population pulls you in, from climbing the icy, frozen canyons to a raft ride beneath a refreshing waterfall in the summer. Replete with options, you'll feel rested to charge at the pristine nature year-round. Simply soak up the atmosphere from one of the red Jasper chairs, offering a central view of the surrounding range.
Nelson, British Columbia
This naturally blessed town offers great weather and low crowds within the Selkirk Mountains of the Canadian Rockies in southeastern BC. Small but growing to almost 11,500, no wonder people are attracted to this scenic corner, and many are reluctant to leave after initial taste. Inspiring a rejuvenating escape from it all, the bubbling Cottonwood Falls Park induces relaxation in sights and sounds. The downtown center facing the West Arm of the long Kootenay Lake boasts a refreshing mix of coffee shops and boutiques. After a hot hike to Pulpit Rock, find serenity at two beaches minutes north for swimming and relaxing along the shore. Despite its many attractions, the locals take their leisure time seriously.
The cyclists greatly enjoy waking up early for an adrenaline jolt down Morning Mountain and then having coffee at Oso Negro Café on an atmospheric garden patio. From three award-winning breweries to allegedly more restaurants per capita than in Manhattan, the Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery features local artwork and rotating exhibits in a 1902 building, with local culture through time. Coming alive in the summer with farmer markets, the colorful International Mural Festival is a quintessentially small-town event that feels world-class. An imminent holiday visit would be just as exciting along the "Powder Highway," plus, most cat and heli-ski operators in the province here give Aspen a run for its money.
Salida, Colorado
Home to just under 6,000 residents, life in Salida, the "Heart of the Rockies," flows to the pace of the Ute Creek lacing in the north. Ensconced by the Sawatch Range, Mosquito Range, and Sangre de Cristo's Methodist Mountain of the Rockies, the locals accentuate leisure time and sightseeing. From weekend tee time to remarkable art galleries, find various parks without leaving the limits, like Loyal Duke's Dog Park at the heart. Salida is one of the lesser-known towns with low crowds along the streets and great outdoors, like its Headwaters Recreation Area. Enjoy views of the high peaks, Crater, and Baldy Mountain from the doorstep, as well as the creekside Sands Lake SWA, a great summertime hangout with enough room for a photoshoot or picnic in a close group.
Methodist Mountain offers a fun mountain bike route to a panoramic overlook of southern Colorado. Just west near Mayville and campgrounds, Greens Creek Hiking Trail is a kid-friendly hike with lovely fall colors, lighting up your peaceful path along a beautiful, noisy stream to dip your feet in the summer and the small Beaver ponds. Salida, one of the two Certified Creative Districts in Colorado, beams with culture, home to the Salida Museum plus art events in the warmer months. Many come for the Salida Art Walk along the Arkansas River through the town, while during the colder months, the one-of-a-kind Salida Hot Springs Aquatic Center becomes a hotbed.
Virginia City, Montana
Designated a National Historic Landmark District, this stunning historic mountain town in Montana's Madison County was founded in 1863 after a significant gold discovery in Alder Gulch. Virginia City developed rapidly and served as the territorial capital from 1865 to 1875. Starting over American breakfast at Virginia City Cafe, you will discover museums and old buildings, including the J. Spencer Watkins Museum and the particularly rustic Montana Heritage Commission. The Opera House offers an authentic 19th-century theater experience. From the original Madison County Courthouse, constructed in 1876, to Montana’s oldest operating Bale of Hay Saloon, stop by Alder Gulch Summit Tours. To the east, the Madison River flows into Ennis Lake with campsites and Kobayashi Beach.
Along the lakeside trails, it feels like you can touch the high peaks. Lone Mountain features a network of ski lifts and pistes for winter sports; spot the neighboring Gallatin and Sphinx peaks and the most unique of them all, Black Butte. It's a beautiful ridge drive above the treeline with views to the horizon, plus a stunning midsummer flower display. From the summer hiking trails and climbing routes, find many places of solitude right in town along Daylight Creek, like Discovery-Ellingsen Park, with a picnic at the Place of Discovery. The historic Virginia City Depot features train tours and mining history. Don't miss the small Thompson-Hickman Museum with artifacts, and reflect on this, one of the city's 200 nineteenth-century buildings, over German fare the next door.
Occupied by people for over 12,000 years beneath the snowy peaks and explored by Europeans, the Rocky Mountains welcome you today with former mining and timber industry towns. Revealing their deeply historic hearts, strewn with modern-day attractions and forested surroundings. Soak up the altitude views along a deep blue alpine lake or a forested hike in fall colors, breathing the fresh mix of alpine air and pine scent.
Truly intriguing and mesmerizing, everyone loves the Rockies. In these nine small towns, there are no obscured views, and no one will rush you to soak up the scenery faster. Housing wildlife in spectacular national parks like Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Jasper, the Rockies, is a bucket-list experience. Get your first taste in Eureka or pay a visit to another undiscovered town, each like a living postcard against a beautiful canvas.
