Bigger isn’t always better. These tinier towns pack a punch in outdoor adventure, without the crowds or the city hassle.

Two years after closing down in Dillon, Colorado, the Ice Castles moved to Cripple Creek in 2024, bringing a surge of tourism to the small mining town south of Woodland Park. Clay Davis oversees ...

Hidden between all the mountains and mines are several towns like Helper that are waiting to bring coal mining back to life, but hope it's done with care and community in mind. “What people don ...