These 12 Towns In The United States Were Ranked Among US Favorites In 2026
Mackinac Island bans cars entirely, and that alone sets it apart from nearly every other town in the country. Another hides a castle-like hotel in the Ozark hills, and a third glows red at sunset. Others serve up Swiss cheese, Bavarian festivals, or Victorian gingerbread homes by the sea. These 12 earn their popularity one visitor at a time, because each offers something that is hard to find anywhere else. Here is why these towns were among America's favorites in 2026.
Bar Harbor, Maine
Early risers drive or hike up Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the North Atlantic coast of the US, to catch one of the country's first sunrises for much of the year. The summit sits in Acadia National Park, and Bar Harbor's role as the park's gateway keeps it near the top of many lists.
In town, the Shore Path follows the rocky waterfront past grand old summer cottages. At low tide, a sandbar appears that lets visitors walk across to Bar Island. Whale-watching boats leave the harbor all summer, and lobster rolls are easy to find on nearly every street.
Stowe, Vermont
The paved Stowe Recreation Path winds along the river through meadows and over a string of wooden footbridges, an easy introduction to Stowe. Skiing fills the winter, and hiking, biking, and fall foliage take over the rest of the year.
In the village, the white church steeple stands against Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak. Few views in New England are more familiar. The narrow, cliff-lined road through Smugglers' Notch is a classic drive. Up on the hillside, the Trapp Family Lodge was founded by the family that inspired The Sound of Music and offers trails, a brewery, and views over the valley.
Cape May, New Jersey
Waves at Sunset Beach polish bits of quartz into "Cape May diamonds," and beachcombers search the sand for them. Nearby, the Cape May Point Lighthouse offers sweeping views from the top.
Back in town, brightly painted Victorian homes and inns line the streets of what is often called the nation's oldest seaside resort. All of Cape May is a National Historic Landmark district, and the pedestrian Washington Street Mall is lined with shops and cafes. Birders arrive in force during the fall migration, when the area ranks among the best birdwatching spots on the East Coast.
Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
The town took its name in 1954 from the Olympic champion Jim Thorpe, who is buried here. Set in a deep river valley in Pennsylvania's Poconos, it is nicknamed the "Switzerland of America" for its steep, wooded hills and Victorian downtown.
The Old Jail Museum is known for a handprint that legend says was left by a condemned Molly Maguire. The Asa Packer Mansion, built for a railroad and coal baron, offers tours of its lavish interior. Outside, the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway runs along the river, and outfitters offer rafting and biking on the Lehigh.
Beaufort, South Carolina
Hollywood keeps finding Beaufort, and films including Forrest Gump and The Big Chill were shot here. On screen and off, its oak-lined streets and moss-draped antebellum homes set the scene, along with a riverfront park overlooking the Lowcountry marshes.
Hunting Island State Park, a short drive away, offers a historic lighthouse and miles of wild beach. On nearby St. Helena Island, the Penn Center preserves the history of one of the first schools for formerly enslaved people, along with the region's Gullah culture.
Fairhope, Alabama
Before dawn on some summer nights, crabs, shrimp, and fish crowd into the shallows along Fairhope's shore. Locals call it a jubilee, and once word spreads, residents rush out with nets and buckets. The town is one of the few places in the world where it happens.
The rest of the time, the draw is a walkable downtown of shops and galleries with flower-filled sidewalks. The Fairhope Municipal Pier stretches far into Mobile Bay, a favorite spot for watching the sunset.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
The 1886 Crescent Hotel, perched on a hill above Eureka Springs, offers ghost tours and bills itself as one of the most haunted hotels in America. Below it, a Victorian spa town climbs the Ozark Mountains on steep, winding streets lined with ornate buildings and natural springs. The entire downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Thorncrown Chapel, a soaring glass and wood chapel in the woods, is one of the most celebrated works of modern American architecture. The Christ of the Ozarks statue towers over the hills nearby.
New Glarus, Wisconsin
New Glarus Brewing Company sells its beer only in Wisconsin, and its hilltop brewery welcomes visitors. The town itself, known as America's Little Switzerland, was founded in 1845 by immigrants from the Swiss canton of Glarus.
Swiss chalets and flower boxes line the streets, and local shops sell Swiss cheese and chocolate. The Swiss Historical Village museum preserves the town's early buildings. The Sugar River State Trail, a former rail line, offers easy biking through farmland and over old trestles.
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Ferries carry visitors to Mackinac Island, where cars have been banned for more than a century. Once ashore, everyone gets around by bicycle, on foot, or in horse-drawn carriages. The island sits in the Straits of Mackinac between Michigan's two peninsulas, and fudge shops fill its downtown.
A paved road circles the island for about 8 miles (13 kilometers), passing natural landmarks like Arch Rock. Fort Mackinac, a restored military outpost, sits on a bluff above the harbor. The Grand Hotel's famous front porch stretches for hundreds of feet with views over the water.
Ouray, Colorado
Natural hot springs feed a large public pool in Ouray, a favorite for soaking after a day of hiking or Jeep touring. The town sits in a narrow box canyon in the San Juan Mountains, surrounded by sheer cliffs and snowy peaks.
Box Canyon Falls thunders through a narrow slot in the rock at the edge of town, and the park around it closes for the winter. That is when the Ouray Ice Park turns a nearby canyon into one of the best-known ice climbing spots in the country, though warm spells can delay its season. The Million Dollar Highway winds south over the mountains toward Silverton.
Sedona, Arizona
After dark, Sedona's status as an International Dark Sky Community keeps the stars bright over the canyon. By day, the red rock formations glow at sunrise and sunset, and trails lead to landmarks like Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock.
The Chapel of the Holy Cross is built right into the red cliffs. In nearby Oak Creek Canyon, Slide Rock State Park offers a natural rock waterslide in the creek.
Leavenworth, Washington
The Enchantments, an alpine wilderness of granite peaks and lakes, rise just outside Leavenworth in the Cascade Mountains. Icicle Creek and the Wenatchee River add rafting, fishing, and trails.
The town remade itself as a Bavarian-style village in the 1960s. Its alpine storefronts, beer halls, and festivals now draw visitors year-round. Oktoberfest and the Christmas Lighting Festival rank among the most popular events in Washington. The Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum holds thousands of nutcrackers from around the world.
America's Favorite Small Towns
Several of these towns share an origin story. Mackinac Island, Eureka Springs, and Bar Harbor grew up as 19th-century resorts, and Cape May claims to be the oldest seaside resort of them all. Leavenworth and New Glarus took a different route, with one adopting a Bavarian look in the 1960s and the other keeping the Swiss traditions its founders brought in 1845. Ouray and Sedona owe their crowds to geology, with hot springs in one and red rock in the other. Summer and fall are peak seasons for most of them.
