There are also, if that appeals to you, and you can visit the, Overall, the atmosphere is friendly and the. Meeker sits along the White River near the Flat Tops Wilderness Area and Routt National Forests. If you want to fall in love with some amazing scenery and try some great hiking trails, this is a fantastic place to live for all country-loving souls that want to escape from the chaotic rush of living in the big city, making it one of the best cheap mountain towns in Colorado. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Afterward, you can do a bit of fly fishing in the Yampa River before visiting local cultural institutions like the Tread of Pioneers Museum, the Steamboat Art Museum, and the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra. Photo Credit: Jesse Stephens (iStock; file photo). Johnstown (Population: 13,306) Located just south of Fort Collins is Johnstown with its higher-than-average incomes, low cost of living and affordable housing. One of the biggest draws of Aspen is Maroon Bells, and arguably the most photographed peaks in the state. This mountain town just north of Boulder is home to Eldora Mountain and Eldora Nordic Center, so you can get your skiing fix. For the thrill-seeking traveler, white water rafting may be just what you need this summer. The Affordable Mountain Towns in Colorado for 2023. Quirky Lyons, just 20 miles away from Rocky Mountain National Park, offers laid-back coffee houses, cool bars, and a smattering of excellent restaurants where live music is often on the menu. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Temperatures have been known to drop as low as -31 degrees. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. There is truly no place like Colorado in the summer, where countless outdoor adventures await. The town embraces a fun atmosphere with an annual fruitcake toss, pie baking contests, ghost tours, ice cream events, and a lot more. With so many things to do in Ouray year-round, youve got to visit this classic mountain town. 4. 2. The air in Paonia smells all fruity! Shoppers will want to peruse Ned's fantastic independent emporiums, kids will love the restored carousel from 1910, and music fans won't want to miss The Caribou Room, where national acts like the Rebirth Brass Band play. It sees a lot of tourists during the warmer months, and has a, , or try out some white water sports when the weather is hot. Over the summer you can skip the ski slopes and . It is a destination for tourists. Manitou Springs. If youre looking for one of the best Colorado summer towns for adventure, look no further than Buena Vista (pronounced Bewna Vista)! Vail is a mecca for skiing, but youll find plenty of things to do in Vail in the summer as well. There are a lot of awesome activities in Glenwood Springs to get stoked about. One of the cheapest places to live in Colorado, based on median home price, is Trinidad. Located in the windswept San Luis Valley, Alamosa is a small college town with a great brewpub and plenty of amenities to make it the perfect launch pad for exploring southeastern Colorado. This is greater than the annual cost of living in Colorado of $40,026. Whatever you want to do, youll find something in Pagosa Springs. Its location makes it a prime spot for outdoor recreation, including skiing, whitewater rafting, and ice climbing. Colorado mountain resort towns offer great escapes for skiers and snowboarders, but let me tell you a local secret: visiting these idyllic places outside of ski season can be much more affordable and much less crowded.Contrary to popular belief, mountain resort towns aren't just skiing destinations; there are also plenty of things to do in the warmer months to cater to various interests . The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The roads are full of eclectic merchants, boutiques stores, pubs, parks, pretty cafes, and modern moto motels. One of Colorado's most popular skiing and snowboarding destinations, Steamboat Springs still serves up a serious amount of fun for summertime visitors, especially if you happen to like cowboy hats. Be sure to bundle up if you visit Leadville in the winter. Estes is well known for its elk herds and their bugling calls in the fall during mating season. Its less than an hour drive from, ts historic architecture and a great artistic culture. Breck, as the locals call it, has a deep Gold Rush history. Make a splash this summer in the mountain town of Buena Vista. is, Pagosa Springs may be the place for you. This gorgeous town is a must-see. Hessie Trailhead is the start to a lot of the excellent hikes near Denver in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. While it can get cold, its still popular winter destination thanks to its hundreds of skiable acres and affordable lodging. It is nestled between Chicken Creek and the Mancos River, and if you fancy a trip out of town to go camping, you wont have a long drive to handle. Longmont. Population: 5,186. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In summer, the temperature rose to make me feel happy and energetic. Visiting Silverton in the summer means there's plenty of natural wonders to explore. With so much to do, its easy to see why this is one of the best small towns in Colorado. Georgetown Lake is another popular attraction, drawing visitors every season. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Contact us at: hello (at) strategistico (dot) com. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Thisll give you a deeper insight into the place. It is a National Historic Landmark due to its mining history, and you can learn all about it at the Telluride Historical Museum. Also, if youre coming for two days to Colorado, include these places in your itinerary. And because the city's median income is $115,069, Portland has the fourth best home price to income ratio in colorado. If you love outdoor life whatever the weather is, Pagosa Springs may be the place for you. You can also enjoy the hot springs when you visit Ouray. But this small town is nestled right at the base of the Rocky Mountains and offers a wide variety of things to do. If you love reading, read the books of Louis LAmour, youll know why he loves Mancos so much! 1. What is the best small town to live in Colorado? It is indeed thecheapest mountain town to live in Colorado. Nestled in San Juan National Forest, this ski area is minutes from downtown Durango. Some of the most incredible mountain towns in Colorado happen to be located right near Denver. Not only these, but Colorado also maintains a steady graph of job opportunities, especially in the software, high-tech, aviation, and healthcare industries. 6.) Lake Granby is a massive lake on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park where you can boat, fish, or just hang out by the water. Youll find plenty to enjoy within this towns borders. There's an artist community here, which means good galleries, and tubing in the summer on the North St. Vrain Creek that winds through town. Fraser. A dozen of Colorado's "14ers" (mountain peaks exceeding 14,000 feet) encircle the town, and the Arkansas River runs right through it, providing kayaking, rafting, and tubing enthusiasts a good time all summer long. It sits an hour west of Colorado Springs in Teller County at the base of the backside of Pikes Peak with amazing vistas. If you buy something through one of those links, you wont pay any extra penny, but Ill get a small commissionthat encourages me to deliver more helpfulcontent for you. The Riverwalk is among the most popular attractions. If you can picture an image of a bright sun shining, watching the legendary peaks, spotting colorful wildflowers, and residing in the quintessential small town it has to be in one of those mountain towns in Colorado. Be sure to pay a visit to the Breckenridge troll. From the breathless views and unique culture to quite affordable places to reside, Ill take you around the bestaffordable mountain towns in Coloradothat wont cause heaviness in your pocket. Crested Butte is about a four-hour drive from Denver and one of the best mountain towns in Colorado. It runs through the heart of the downtown area and is full of sights and sounds. The town embraces a fun atmosphere with an annual fruitcake toss, pie baking contests, ghost tours, ice cream events, and a lot more. Youll find cowboys and cattle roaming in the streets! Located right near Breckenridge, Frisco is one of the best mountain towns in Colorado which sits about an hour and a half away from Denver. Climbers with ice tools and crampons flock to the Ouray Ice Park for some frozen fun, and the pros join in at the annual Ice Climbing Festival. Oftentimes, even the biggest adventures require you to set up a base in a quaint mountain town. , with multiple cafes, ethnic food, and some fantastic eating experiences. This is small-town living at its finest. Durango is one of those magical Colorado Mountain towns that is hidden away in the Southwestern part of the state, right near the New Mexico border. It sits 10,000 feet above sea level. Photo courtesy of Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center. Estes Park. Head southwest to Durango for unforgettable treks found within the San Juan National Forest. We start off our list of the most affordable mountain towns in Colorado with Manitou Springs. Ouray is a great summer destination. Jill Gleeson is a travel journalist and memoirist based in the Appalachian Mountains of western Pennsylvania who has written for websites and publications including Good Housekeeping, Womans Day, Country Living, Washingtonian, Gothamist, Canadian Traveller, and EDGE Media Network. Fraser is located within the Rocky Mountains, in Middle Park, and is a part of Grand County. Ive been to Westcliffe six times in my lifetime. that is packed with unique stories and features. Ouray is about a five-and-a-half-hour ride from Denver. This is a wonderful place to be if you value peace and greenery, and most of the activities around the town reflect that. Find your next adventure in the summer mountain town of Breckenridge. All these, Read More 10 Cheapest Places to Live in Colorado: Cities with Lowest Cost of LivingContinue, Looking for a weekend getaway in Colorado Springs? Stop by the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum and then take the Route of the Silver Kings to learn some mining history. Population: 5,430 Cost of Living Index: 3% Below Colorado Average Median Home Price: $545,000. Nicknamed "the Switzerland of America, you'll find this old mining town nestled in a beautiful box canyon. If youre interested in history, youll also enjoy, 4 percent lower than the national average. Coined the "Gateway to the San Juans," Ridgway is perhaps the only town on this list to appear in a film: It was the main filming location for the 1969 John Wayne western "True Grit . Do you know the peony flower? Paoniaisa veryaffordable Colorado mountain town,as a single adult expenses here, are around $39,303 annually about the same as the annual cost of living for Colorado of $40,026. There is something for everyone on our list of the 9 Best Mountain Towns in Colorado. You can also check out some of the easier hikes in Estes Park, such as Lily Lake, which is especially lovely when the aspens turn gold in the fall.