Just about everyone’s heard of places like Jackson, Aspen, and Vail, Rocky Mountain communities small enough to still count as towns but which long ago got so busy that they lost what made them special in the first place.
Fortunately, there are plenty of towns in the Rockies that still have their small, old-time feel. Here are the very best of them, and they’re perfect if you want a quiet, uncrowded base for your next trip to the mountains.
East Glacier Park, Montana
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Just outside the southeastern part of Glacier National Park, East Glacier Park is a long drive from the park’s busiest entrance points. Despite that, it’s just five minutes from the beautiful Two Medicine area with its stunning peaks, lakes, and hiking trails.
Red Lodge, Montana
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Red Lodge is at the eastern end of the famous and spectacular Beartooth Highway. This town gets plenty busy in the summer and the winter, but it hasn’t lost its small-town characters. Most of its hotels, restaurants, and shops are small and locally owned, not chain franchises.
Cooke City, Montana
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At the other end of the Beartooth Highway is Cooke City, rich in scenery and mining history. It’s also just 5 minutes or so from the Northeast Entrance of Yellowstone National Park and thus makes a great base for exploring the area.
Stanley, Idaho
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Tiny Stanley sits at the base of the Sawtooth Range in a valley near the headwaters of the famed Salmon River. Close by are numerous lakes and trailheads allowing access to the spectacular backcountry of the Sawtooths.
Meeteetse, Wyoming
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Historic Cody still has some of its Old West feel, but it’s become very busy and can feel overcrowded. Just half an hour to the south is Meeteetse, which still doesn’t have any traffic lights. There isn’t much variety of amenities, but it has the basics and is a lot quieter than Cody.
Dubois, Wyoming
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Another small Wyoming town without any stop lights is Dubois, which has become a mix of modern trophy homes and authentic cowboy country and Old West. It’s got some great restaurants and lodging choices, and there’s a lot of outdoor recreation close by.
Pinedale, Wyoming
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Pinedale is to the west of the Wind River Range, Wyoming’s highest mountains, and the motels can be filled on most summer nights, but it isn’t as crowded and busy as you might expect. The Winds aren’t easy to appreciate by car or short day hikes, so most typical tourist types don’t spend much time here.
Alpine, Wyoming
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Dubois and Pinedale get plenty of traffic because they’re along major routes to and from Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. If you want to be reasonably close to Grand Teton without the crowds and costs of Jackson, you might like Alpine. It also is the northern terminus of the incredible Greys River Road, which provides access to some of Wyoming’s least-visited major mountain ranges.
Telluride, Colorado
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Telluride is no secret and it gets a lot of tourist visitation in the summer and winter, but it doesn’t feel as touristy and inauthentic as a lot of other resort towns in Colorado do. A big reason for that is that it’s relatively remote and because it’s tucked into a narrow, dead-end valley that doesn’t leave much room for expansion.
Silverton, Colorado
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On the other side of the San Juan Range from Telluride is Ouray, which always feels mobbed and overpriced. Silverton, about an hour south, is just off the main highway, and you can still experience its old mining character while enjoying great scenery and not fearing for your life when you cross the street.
Creede, Colorado
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Creede is another old mining town in the San Juans, and it’s off a road that gets far less traffic than the roads leading to Ouray, Silverton, and Telluride do. The scenery isn’t as dramatic in this part of the San Juans, but it’s still very pretty and there’s a lot of fun stuff to see and do.
Taos, New Mexico
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Famous for its art scene and its rich Native American history (and continuing presence), Taos is a New Mexican gem. Popular all year, its high seasons are summer and winter, with great hiking and renowned skiing close by.
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