Hey Readers!
Something about a small town to visit in the US for a summer vacation makes it feel a bit different. Maybe it’s the community festivals, the cool nights walking down Main Street, or an ice cream truck rumbling down a suburban road while playing that familiar song.
Small towns are a big part of American life. They are full of charm and have lots of friendly people. To help you decide which the best small towns for summer vacation in the US are to visit in summer, No matter what it is, we love it. And we bet you do too.
Here are 13 small towns that would be great to visit this summer. We hope they will make their way into your travel plans for this summer.
Check out these best places to visit in the US and the best romantic weekend getaways in the US if you must plan your vacation to this exciting city. If you enjoy our blogs, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Read our list of the best small towns to visit in the US to make the most of your time there. In the summer, these charming towns will put you under their spell.
Best Small Towns to Visit in the US For A Summer Vacation
Nothing is more American than taking a stroll down the main street of a small town, taking in its unique character and charm, and talking to locals to find out what’s what. In a year when people stopped travelling, small-town getaways were very popular. People took more time to enjoy the towns that were just a short drive away.
Here are some suggestions for the best small towns for summer vacation in the US to help you plan your next trip.
1. Narrowsburg, New York
When it’s hot, the Western Catskills are the place to be. This small town of about 269 people is right on the Delaware River. It is a great place to start tubing, kayaking, or canoeing on the river. Lander’s River Trips offers both half-day and full-day trips that are great for the summer.
Just make sure to stop in Narrowsburg. Proper general store to get snacks and other things you might need before your trip. At the end of the day, go to The Launderette, The Heron, and the Coshocton Fire Station to refuel.
Lastly, if you need a place to stay, go across the river to Pennsylvania and book a room at the Hotel Darby. One of the best places to travel in the summer in the US.
2. Adairsville, Georgia
Welcome to Adairsville, Georgia, population: 4,800. When you need a break from the heat of summer in the Peach State, check out the antiques and gifts at the 1902 Stock Exchange & Public Square Opera House, then have lunch and a slice of hummingbird cake at Maggie Mae’s Tea Room.
Then, go to Barnsley Resort, an outdoor lover’s paradise with horseback riding, shooting clay targets, archery, axe throwing, golf, disc golf, and more. The grounds also have a spa, a saltwater pool, and a lake where you can fish.
And don’t miss the Savoy Automobile Museum, which just opened in the city and has displays of Art Deco cars, racing cars, and Woodie wagons.
3. Coronado, California
Coronado is the little brother to San Diego. It has about 20,192 people living there. Even though this town is close to the busy Southern California city, you will feel like you are in a different world when you visit. You enjoy your best summer vacation in the US.
Here, crystal-clear waters lap the shores of beautiful beaches, and Orange Avenue, the main street, has shops, restaurants, galleries, theatres, and the Coronado Museum of History and Art to keep you busy for hours.
And because the town is small, you can walk or ride a bike almost anywhere. Just so you know, every weekend afternoon during the summer, people can go to the Ferry Landing to listen to live music.
The Hotel del Coronado, which was built in 1888 and is now a National Historic Landmark, is a good place to stay. Even if you don’t see any ghosts, presidents, royalty, or celebrities during your stay, you can tell your friends back home that you stayed at the hotel that many people think was the model for the Emerald City in L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
4. Bardstown, Kentucky
There are about 13,567 people living in Bardstown, which is a great place to grab a dram. Fans of bourbon will enjoy going to some or all of the 11 distilleries in a place called the “Bourbon Capital of the World” (Heaven Hill Distillery, Bardstown Bourbon Company, and the newly opened Log Still Distillery are three favorites).
Spend some time in town to visit My Old Kentucky Home State Park and the nearby Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, which is full of sculptures. Old Talbott Tavern is the oldest Western Stagecoach stop in the United States and the oldest Bourbon bar in the world. It is also an inn.
Book the Bourbon Excursion with My Old Kentucky Dinner Train for a more planned out trip. On the train, you’ll ride through central Kentucky in a restored dining car from the 1940s and taste bourbon with a master distiller.
Stay at the Bourbon Manor Bed & Breakfast or the Jailer’s Inn Bed & Breakfast to keep the bourbon theme going. One of the best places to travel for summer vacation.
5. Abilene, Kansas
Abilene, which has about 6,500 people, is as historic a place as you can get. While you’re in town, check out the new exhibits at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum and take a tour of the Seelye Mansion, which won a “8 Wonders of Kansas” award for architecture and has a bowling alley from 1905.
On the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, you can take a ride on a steam engine that is 100 years old. At the Dickinson County Heritage Center, you can ride a C.W. Parker Carousel from 1901, which is the oldest working Parker Carousel that is still around.
Book a room at the Abilene Victorian Inn Bed & Breakfast or the Engle House Bed & Breakfast to get some rest.
6. McCall, Idaho
When you go to McCall, a town with 3,200 people, it’s important to keep an open mind about what could happen. That’s because Payette Lake is near McCall, and Sharlie, a lake monster, is said to live there. Sharlie is said to be “at least 35 feet long, with a dinosaur-like head, a strong jaw, camel-like humps, and shell-like skin.”
Aside from the lake monsters, McCall is a pretty friendly place. This place is in Idaho‘s beautiful West Central Mountains, so bring your activewear because you’ll probably be hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and waterskiing until the sun goes down. One of the best places to travel for summer vacation.
Bird watching, dinner cruises, whitewater rafting, and paddle boarding are also popular activities in the area. After working hard all day, you can relax at Salmon River Brewery. In particular, go to its rooftop beer garden, which is the best place from downtown to see Payette Lake. Make a reservation for dinner at the Clubhouse Restaurant at Jug Mountain Ranch.
The patio is a great place to eat at sunset. When it’s time for a nap, book a room at the fancy Shore Lodge or Hotel McCall. Both will keep lake monsters away all night long.
7. Buckeye Lake, Ohio
Buckeye Lake is a classic American town. It would be hard to find a more American town. It has a population of 2,805, and people like it because its lakes aren’t as crowded as those in bigger cities. Book a few nights in one of its beautiful lakefront cottages to feel at home away from home.
Then, get a good night’s sleep and start the day with a jog or a fast walk along the Buckeye Lake Dam Walking & Biking Trail, preferably with a cup of coffee from Millersport Coffee. Next, you jump into the clear water.
Try the new kayaking, biking, and brewery tour from 3XP Tours. The tour takes you on the lake, along trails, and into some of the best breweries, wineries, and restaurants in town. One of the best places to travel for summer vacation.
Or, instead of going on a guided tour, you could rent a kayak or pontoon for the day and explore the lake on your own. Then, relax with a glass of wine at Buckeye Lake Winery and ice cream at Weldon’s or one of the beach bars.
8. Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Visit the charming New England town of Bretton Woods, which has only 91 people, to enjoy the beauty of summer. The village is actually in the “bigger” town of Caroll, which has an estimated population of 820.
The Omni Mount Washington Resort is where most of the action takes place. During your stay, you can eat at award-winning restaurants and do things like golf on a classic Donald Ross course or fly through the air on nine high-flying zip lines.
You should also ride the Mt. Washington Cog Railway, which is the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway and takes thrill-seekers to the top of Mount Washington, the Northeast’s highest peak at 6,288 feet.
There’s also Crawford Notch State Park, which is a great place to go fishing, see wildlife, look for waterfalls, and see mountain views that look like they belong on another planet. You can spent your best summer vacation in the US.
9. St. Michaels, Maryland
‘Wedding Crashers’ fans might recognize The Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels. The classic movie with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn was shot right here. But if that doesn’t convince you to go to St. Michaels, think about how this town of 1,108 people is like the Hamptons of the mid-Atlantic.
The town is on the Miles River, which makes it a great place to sail, kayak, and paddleboard during the warmer months. Combine that with the chance to eat crabs and oysters from Maryland and views of the water, and you have the perfect summer vacation. One of the best places to travel in the summer in the US.
The Wildset Hotel, the newest place in town, is an alternative place to stay. The hotel and its restaurant, Ruse, are great enough to plan a whole trip around. So are a walk down Talbot Street, which has historic homes from the 1600s, or a trip to the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, which is about 50 minutes outside of town.
10. Sheridan, Wyoming
Wyoming has the fewest people of any state in the country, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that it has a lot of beautiful small towns. Sheridan, with a population of 17,844, is one of the best. Stop in town to see a show at the WYO Theater, a Polo match at the Big Horn Equestrian Center, or cowboys and cowgirls show off their moves at the Sheridan County Rodeo.
At the Don King Museum, Fort Phil Kearny, and the Museum at the Big Horns, you can learn about Sheridan’s history and cowboy culture. And enjoy the sounds of summer at Concerts in the Park, which puts on a show every Tuesday. You can also have fun at the street festival every third Thursday and fill your tote bags at the weekly Farmers Markets.
When you’re done being a cowboy, you can stay at the Sheridan Inn. It was built in 1892, and Buffalo Bill Cody came up with the idea. Or, you could go to the Mill Inn, which used to be a flour mill and is near the Big Horn Mountains.
11. Dewey Beach, Delaware
Even though there are only about 332 people living in Dewey Beach all year, there are a lot more people there in the summer. But even with all the people at the beach, this spot in southern Delaware should be at the top of your summer vacation list. One of the best places to travel in the summer in the US.
It’s a watery paradise, with the ocean on one side and the bay on the other. This makes it the perfect place to book a charter with Boatsetter. Back on land, you can stay at the Hyatt Place Dewey Beach, which is about a mile from the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk, and eat at Woody’s Dewey Beach, which is known for having some of the best crab cakes in the area.
12. Hermann, Missouri
Welcome to Hermann, the crown jewel of the Missouri River Valley. It has a lot of German architecture that looks very pretty. The best place to be in the rolling hills of the area is at The Cottage, especially in one of the three treehouses on the property, which have beautiful views of the lush landscape.
This town of about 2,400 people was founded by German immigrants in 1837. It is in the middle of the state’s wine country. Stone Hill Winery, Adam Puchta Winery, Black Shire Distillery, and Martin Brothers Mead are some of our favorite wineries in the area.
At the Deutschheim State Historic Site, you can take a guided tour of two beautifully kept homes, and at the Hermann Farm, you can take a grand tram tour that includes a guided tour of the 1847 Teubner-Husmann home.
13. New Paltz, New York
New Paltz, a town with 7,165 people, is the perfect place to spend the summer. Walk down Main Street to find small shops and the Water Street Market, which is an open-air shopping village with antiques, art, and many other unique items.
You can also choose to hike the River-to-Ridge Trail to get your blood pumping or to relax at one of the twelve wineries along the Shawangunk Wine Trail. One of the best places to travel in the summer in the US.
Mohonk Mountain House is a Victorian castle resort that has been owned and run by the Smiley family since it opened in 1869. You could easily spend an entire vacation just on the property, playing tennis, riding horses, or relaxing in the spa.
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FAQs For Best Small Towns For Summer Vacation In The USA
What is the nicest small town in America?
Best Small Towns to Visit in the US For A Summer Vacation
1. Narrowsburg, New York
2. Adairsville, Georgia
3. Coronado, California
4. Bardstown, Kentucky
5. Abilene, Kansas
6. McCall, Idaho
7. Buckeye Lake, Ohio
8. Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
9. St. Michaels, Maryland
10. Sheridan, Wyoming
11. Dewey Beach, Delaware
12. Hermann, Missouri
13. New Paltz, New York
Where is the best places to travel in the summer in the US?
Best Summer Vacation in the USA
Yellowstone.
Grand Teton National Park.
Bar Harbor.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Grand Canyon.
San Diego.
San Francisco.
Glacier National Park.
Where is the most beautiful town in America?
Most Beautiful Towns In America
Bar Harbor, Maine.
Beaufort, South Carolina.
Big Sur, California.
Bristol, Virginia.
Cape May, New Jersey.
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.
Fairhope, Alabama.
Florence, Oregon.
Are there still villages in America?
Because the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States forbids the federal government from passing legislation that affects state and local governments, the states are free to decide whether or not to have political subdivisions that are called “villages” and can define the term in a variety of different ways.
What is the best state to visit in July?
Some of the best states to visit in July are California, with its sea and endless sunshine, Maine, with its laid-back New England summer scenery, and New York State, with its jaw-dropping natural scenery. These are the best places to travel for summer vacation.
Tell Us In The Comments About One Of Your Favorite Small Towns to Visit in the US For A Summer Vacation!
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