The Pacific Northwest
Popular Small Towns

Great Destinations! Each town has its unique, appealing character, making it a destination in its own right.

In and around the northwest there are numerous small towns that are great destinations but may get little or no notice from major media such as magazines, newspapers and television. Each town has its unique, appealing character, making it a destination in its own right.
Listed below by state are some of our favorite small towns.

Idaho

North Idaho is home to the beautiful resort town, Coeur d'Alene and the historic mining town Wallace which is on the National Historic Register and mountain recreation featuring two ski areas, access to miles of snowmobile trails and home to alpine lakes. Situated between Schweitzer Mountain and Lake Pend Oreille is the scenic and charming town Sandpoint.

For those who love whitewater rafting and kayaking we recommend the small community of Riggins located deep within a canyon at the confluence of the Salmon and Little Salmon Rivers in Idaho's North Central region. Nearby Riggins is the small town White Bird where you can drive to Pittsburg Landing in Hells Canyon. Situated on the north bank of Clearwater River is the scenic town Orofino that hosts the annual Lumberjack Days each September.

Central Idaho boasts some of the best skiing in America. Posh resorts and home to the rich and famous are found in Sun Valley and the adjacent town of Ketchum.

Lava Hot Springs is a popular year round resort famous for their hot pools and mineral baths in Southeast Idaho. Pocatello is rich in history, hosts a variety of outdoor recreational activities and is home to the Pocatello Zoo which dedicated to studying and preserving native North American animals.

Montana

The stunningly beautiful and popular Glacier National Park, one of the jewels in the crown of the national park system, is found in Northwest Montana and so is Flathead Valley, the western gateway to Glacier National Park adjacent to the Bob Marshall Wilderness complex. The Valley is watered generously by the vast Flathead Lake and moisture falling west of the continental divide. Between Bob Marshall Wilderness Area and Mission Mountain Wilderness south of Glacier National Park on Highway 83 is the small community Seeley Lake, a scenic town with some of the best fishing.

South Central Montana is home to Cooke City, an alpine village situated in the Beartooth Mountains that has snow a good portion of every year. In fact the scenic Beartooth Pass on Highway 212 connects Cooke City with Red Lodge. Surrounded by the Gallatin and Custer National Forests and Yellowstone National Park, Cooke City has endless outdoor recreational activities.

Southwest Montana is home to Anaconda, a popular year-round destination for outdoor enthusiasts and American history buffs as well as the southern gateway to the picturesque Pintler Scenic Route. For history lovers, Deer Lodge houses the Old Montana Prison, now a museum, that was home to at least one of Butch Cassidy's "Wild Bunch" and the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site open year-round with guided tours and walking trails. Try your luck sapphire mining in Philibsburg, located 30 miles northwest of Anaconda just off the Pintler Scenic Route or Highway 1, or just enjoying the beautiful scenery of one of the many nearby lakes and reservoirs. Don't miss the historic town Virginia City whose Main Street provides an exceptional example of commercial architecture from the mid eighteen hundreds. Many of the original structures are filled with original artifacts.

Oregon

The beautiful and scenic 350 mile long Oregon Coast is dotted with picturesque small towns. Oregon's North Coast: Seaside offers many of the attractions of an old time beach resort including a boardwalk promenade and an aquarium. Cannon Beach is well known for its popular art colony and has no commercial businesses, only locally owned. Bandon, Gearhart and Neskowin are popular golf destinations. Arch Cape has all the benefits of convenience as well as the secluded nature of a coastal retreat with miles of hiking trails. Astoria, brimming with history, is a favorite year-round vacation destination. The three villages, Manzanita, Nehalem and Wheeler are located on the Pacific Ocean, Nehalem River and Nehalem Bay. Rockaway Beach is known for its miles of sandy beaches and well maintained state parks. Tillamook is the gateway to the Three Cape Scenic Loop and is home to the century old Tillamook Cheese Factory. Just south of Oceanside, a small beach house town, lays the small community of Netarts which is off the beaten path in the midst of a coastal rainforest. Oregon's Central Coast:

Washington

 

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