Erica Lamberg
| Special to USA TODAY
Beach vacations and theme park trips are fun, but perhaps consider switching your destination to a charming mountain town with majestic views of nature’s splendor plus outdoor exploration opportunities.
“America the Beautiful” is true to the song’s title and these five U.S. mountain towns offer breathtaking vista views, a plethora of outdoor activities and wonderful culinary scenes.
Here are five all-season destinations ready to be enjoyed and explored.
Stanley, Idaho
It doesn’t get more mountain-y than Stanley, Idaho, which is located about three hours northeast of Boise. Stanley is surrounded by the Sawtooth, White Cloud and Lost River mountain ranges, and this trifecta is an adventure haven for hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting and rock climbing.
While Stanley is gorgeous during the daylight hours the town really shines when the sun sets. Stanley is located in the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, the first-ever Gold Tier dark sky reserve in the United States and the 12th in the world. Gold tier Gold-tier status is reserved for the areas with the most visible sky phenomenons and the least light pollution. That means stargazers will have amazing views of the Milky…
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