This post will rank the Top 10 cities that serve as gateways to the National Parks. Bear in mind that I have only ranked cities that we both have been to. This ranking is going to be based solely on the town itself (not necessarily the park it's adjacent to), focusing on things to do in and around town (other than the park), places we ate at, natural scenery, towns we could actually picture ourselves living in, etc.
First, some honorable mentions:
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Estes Park, Colorado
Gateway to: Rocky Mountain National Park
Unfortunately, Tara and I really did not get to spend any time here on our whirlwind visit to Rocky Mountain NP (we basically just drove through). However, the preview we got was enough to merit an honorable mention. An incredibly scenic backdrop (thanks to the majestic, yet hilariously-named, Lumpy Ridge), and a picturesque resort town. Home of the historic, opulent, and (in)famous Stanley Hotel, that served as Stephen King's inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in The Shining (and the filming location for the 1997 TV-miniseries), it was also the filming location of the glamorous hotel that Harry and Lloyd stay at in Dumb & Dumber.
International Falls, Minnesota
Gateway to: Voyageurs National Park
Unlike most of the other towns on this list, International Falls is not some fancy-schmancy resort town for the uber-wealthy...this is a just a good-old town full of hardscrabble, down to earth, "gosh-dern nice" Midwesterners just waiting to welcome you to the outdoor paradise that is Northern Minnesota. Nicknamed the "Icebox of the Nation," International Falls averages nearly 110 days per year with a high temperature below freezing...yikes! (you might want to visit only in the summer) 😉 Visit Smokey Bear Park, learn about Bronko Nagurski (pro-football Hall of Famer who played for the Chicago Bears back in the 30s), and cross the bridge into Ontario. International Falls also served as the inspiration for the cartoon town of Frostbite Falls, home of Rocky & Bullwinkle.
Restaurant: check out the Chocolate Moose Restaurant. Big, hearty helpings of comfort food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Raspberry Monte Cristo (a French Toast ham sandwich) was amazing. Shakes/malts were good too. Outstanding food!
West Yellowstone, Montana
Pop: 1,271
Gateway to: Yellowstone National Park
West Yellowstone is the town on this list that Tara and I have been to the most. It's not super picturesque, but serves as a perfect place to stay while visiting Yellowstone. Tons of stores to buy knick-knacks and souvenirs (a lot of the stores are open-air, it's kind of like a big strip mall). Make sure to catch a show at the Playmill Theater (they do lots of crowd-pleasing, family-friendly productions) and stop at the visitors center and IMAX theater to get all the information you could possibly want about Yellowstone.
Restaurant: Arrowleaf Ice Cream Parlor is a traditional stop for Tara's family. Great ice cream and sundaes with Yellowstone themed names like "Paint Pots" and "Geysers", etc. Unfortunately, according to Google it appears that the place has permanently closed down. If so, that's a shame.
AND NOW, THE TOP 10:
10. Hot Springs, Arkansas
Gateway to: Hot Springs National Park
This hill town in Arkansas is fun and full of historical treasures. The town completely surrounds Hot Springs National Park (a rare park that has an urban setting). Here you find the historic Arlington Hotel, the favorite retreat of Al Capone in the heyday of gangsters and mobsters. Hot Springs was also home to spring training for many baseball clubs back in the day. Take the Historic Baseball trail and walk in the footsteps of such luminaries as Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, and Honus Wagner. President Bill Clinton grew up here and there's lots of tributes to him throughout the town. There are also lots of great examples of Art Deco architecture. Play some mini-golf, take a boat out on Lake Hamilton, or go to Magic Springs Theme & Water Park. Conclude your day at the Hot Springs Mountain Tower for fantastic views of the city.
Restaurant: Load up on deep-fried seafood (shrimp, catfish, oysters, clams, etc.) at Bubba's, the "Seafood of the South." I have also heard Taco Mama's is very good.
9. Medora, North Dakota
Pop: 112
Gateway to: Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Medora lies just outside the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The big attraction here is the Medora Musical, which is performed nightly throughout the summer. The show is a big production with lots of boot-stompin' honky-tonk country music. It's a fun show. Also check out Cheateau de Mores State Historic Site, the home and hunting lodge of the Marquis de Mores, a French aristocrat and entrepreneur, who founded the town and ran a successful slaughterhouse and cattle operation. The 1883 home is a fabulous example of luxury life on the frontier.
Restaurant: pair up your ticket to the Medora Musical with the Pitchfork Steak Fondue for a hearty meal before the show.
8. Durango, Colorado
Pop: 16,887
Gateway to: Mesa Verde National Park
Although Mesa Verde NP is nearby, there is a whole lot more to do in the beautiful mountain town of Durango. Hop a ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad for a thrilling ride through the Rockies along the Animas River. Make sure to reserve an open-air car to really enjoy the scenery. This is a great way to re-live the glory days of rail travel.
Restaurant: for a small town, Durango has a wide variety of upscale restaurants. We liked the Himalayan Kitchen, a great place to try Indian, Tibetan, and Nepalese cuisine.
7. Terlingua, Texas
Pop: 58
Gateway to: Big Bend National Park
Quirky and eccentric Terlingua is practically a ghost town. But don't let that cause you to drive through, Terlingua is a great place to stay when visiting Big Bend NP...you don't have a lot of options anyway in this lonely and isolated corner of West Texas. This old mining town has a number of odd-ball shops, historic hotels and restaurants, outfitters and guides to explore the backcountry by bike or kayak, and a rundown, historic cemetery. It's quite charming. This is the desert at its finest.
Restaurant: The main attraction here is the Starlight Theater Restaurant. The whole town seemingly converges at night at this restaurant & saloon that used to be an old-fashioned cinema palace...until the roof blew off. Enjoy good company, live music, excellent food, and look up to see the stars. Go traditional and get the award-winning chili, or the famous Diego Burger (served with a fried egg). Or, if you're a little more adventurous, try the venison, quail, or wild boar. Wash it down with a Prickly Pear cactus margarita. If you're lucky to be in town on the first Saturday of November, you can participate in one of the largest chili cook-offs in the country.
6. Springdale, Utah
Pop: 529
Gateway to: Zion National Park
With a backdrop of the majestic Zion Canyon, Springdale might be one of the most beautiful cities in the entire United States. After a hard day of hiking, there's nothing better than resting in the hot tub at one of the numerous hotels in town, and watch the dramatic sunset unfold on the stunning red-rock mountains. Truly amazing.
Restaurant: Springdale has so many outstanding restaurants. If you're looking for American comfort food in a low-key and fun atmosphere...try Wildcat Willie's (the drinks come in big mason jars). If you're looking for something more upscale, try the Switchback Grille. Excellent crab cakes, an incredible filet mignon, and gateau (fancy French chocolate cake) to die for.
5. Jackson, Wyoming
Pop: 9,577
Gateway to: Grand Teton National Park
Jackson has become a playground for the wealthy elite, but it still retains its Old West, small-town charm. Just west of town is the incredibly posh ski-resort, Jackson Hole. Take the tram all the way to the top of the mountains for awesome views and fresh mountain air, you'll feel like you are on top of the world. Enjoy some waffles at the shack up on top. Overpriced, but very good and a fun place to eat and chat. In town, there's lots to see and do: go on a Chuckwagon dinner show, visit the world renowned museum of wildlife art, and stroll downtown through the shops, stores, and make sure to see the antler arch. If you are into snow skiing, Jackson is the place to be.
Restaurant: If you've never tried buffalo (bison), go to Jackson now! The Gun Barrel is a fantastic place to try bison and elk, or get the Buffalo Burger at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar and enjoy live music as well.
4. Moab, Utah
Pop: 5,046
Gateway to: Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park
Moab gets some bonus points because it pulls double-duty, serving as the gateway to both Arches and Canyonlands (particularly the Island in the Sky region) in southern Utah. This red rock paradise attracts so many tourists that traffic jams on the main highway are a common occurrence on the summer weekends (it's kind of a downer). Many tourists don't even necessarily visit the National Parks, there are so many other things to do here. Moab is a mecca for off-road enthusiasts, and has numerous treacherous and thrilling "courses" for ATV's, side-by-sides, 4x4s, dune buggies, and jeeps. There are also a number of opportunities to float the Colorado River (everything from a leisurely float in an inner tube to extreme white-water rafting). Mountain biking, rock climbing, and BASE jumping have also become incredibly popular here.
Restaurant: on our last visit we went to a newly-opened restaurant, the Sultan Mediterranean Grill. It was incredible! Lebanese & Greek cuisine; we had the tzatziki, gyros, lamb, and pitas. It was so good. And for desert the baklava was incredible. Relatively cheap and great service! Highly recommend.
3. Bar Harbor, Maine
Pop: 5,235
Gateway to: Acadia National Park
Bar Harbor, on the rugged coast of Maine, to put it simply...is absolutely gorgeous. A great town to serve as your base as you explore Acadia National Park. We took a boat tour out to Cranberry Islands and were blown away at all the massive "cottages" that line the shores. The town had a fun, laid-back atmosphere with tons of stores, shops, and bookstores. One evening we took a sunset sail on the Margaret Todd, a four masted schooner. We made new friends and were entertained by live fiddle music. It was very relaxing, calming, and a beautiful and romantic evening on the water. Loved it.
Restaurant: every place we ate at Bar Harbor was fantastic. Just stick with the lobster...you can't go wrong. Lobster bake, lobster roll, lobster bisque, lobster pasta, lobster pizza, or even lobster ice cream(?!)...whether you get it at Geddy's, or Testa's, or wherever...just get the lob-stah!
2. Key West, Florida
Pop: 24,649
Gateway to: Dry Tortugas National Park
I hesitated to include Key West on this list, it's not really known as a "gateway" town to a National Park...but really, the only way to visit Dry Tortugas NP is either from a ferry or a plane from this incredible and unique city. Therefore, Key West makes the list. It's a little unfair, because there is a lot more going on here than simply the long ferry ride out to Fort Jefferson. Key West, aka "The Conch Republic" is an incredibly fun, care-free town full of history. The town is so unique and out-of-the-way (drive over the ocean on miles and miles of bridges), you almost feel like you're in a different country. Indeed, roosters roam the streets at will. 😊 There really is no other place in the USA like Key West.
No visit to Key West would be complete without a stop at the home & museum of the famous author Ernest Hemingway. Visiting Harry Truman's "Little White House" is also a great stop. Relax at one of the many beaches: these are calm waters without hardly any waves; tour a lighthouse; learn about pirates; or just get wasted away in Margaritaville. Key West is its own culture, it's a way of life. It's a party town (but not like college-kid spring break party town...more like "I'm an old guy and I don't care and I'm going to walk around in black socks and sandals" kind of party town). 😊
Restaurant: This town is all about the seafood. Wherever you go, it will be good. We had fish tacos at some random place along Duval Street (I can't remember the restaurant, but it was delicious). It's the main drag, anything along there is good. If you want to get drunk like Hemingway, he was a near-constant presence at Sloppy Joe's Bar. That place was hopping. Whatever you do, do NOT leave town without getting a slice of Key Lime Pie. You bet, this is where it was created, and it...is...fantastic!
1. Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pop: 3,944 (Gatlinburg); 5,875 (Pigeon Forge)
Gateway to: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Do you like kitschy, homespun Appalachian culture? Well, bless your heart. All y'all will love Gatlinburg! (and nearby Pigeon Forge). We fell in love with the place on our visit to the Great Smokies. Gatlinburg has bounced back from the devastating fires in 2016 and is a great resort town. Take the gondola up to the Ober Gatlinburg, a resort inspired by the Swiss Alps (but still with a distinct Southern flavor).
Take the short drive down to Pigeon Forge (it's only 2-3 miles), where you will find dozens of go-kart courses, hillbilly mini-golf, comedy shows, dinner shows, quirky museums (think wax museums, etc.), Christmas shops, and lots of fun and games. And it's all relatively inexpensive. The town is practically a shrine to Dolly Parton, and if we had time we would have visited her theme park, Dollywood. Regardless, we went to her Dixie Stampede Dinner Show. It was corny, but it was lots of fun, great music, acrobatic horse riding, etc. And the food was pretty dang good too. It's a hootin' and hollerin' good time! Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge is a vacation destination in and of itself (even without venturing into Great Smoky Mountains National Park...but don't y'all go makin' that mistake, ya hear?)
What are some of your favorite vacation towns?
