Is Colorado the Best State For Outdoor Lovers?

When most think of Colorado, they think of the mountains, hiking, fishing, cowboys, and being outdoors. While there are some great towns and cities to enjoy, most want to be outdoors when they are in Colorado. They want to experience Mother Nature, smell the mountain air, and take advantage of the state's beauty. When it comes to being outdoors, is Colorado the best state in America for enthusiasts, or is there a state that is better? 

The Best and Worst States For Outdoor Lovers

PetarPaunchev

If you don't love being outdoors, perhaps Colorado isn't the state for you. There are countless trails to hike, ponds and lakes to fish, and areas to explore. SmileHub recently released a list of the best and worst states for outdoor enthusiasts and used categories like environmental quality, outdoor activity access, and economic impact and job opportunities to rank the states. Using these criteria, it was determined that Montana is the best state for outdoor enthusiasts, with Alaska being second. The worst state for outdoor enthusiasts is Mississippi, with Oklahoma being the second worst, and Arkansas rounding out the bottom three. Where does Colorado fall on this list, though? 

Is Colorado a Great State for Outdoor Enthusiasts? 

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To some, it might be shocking that Colorado is not number one or two on the list, but the Centennial State did come in as the third best state for outdoor enthusiasts. Colorado ranks 9th for environmental quality, 3rd for outdoor activity access, and 7th for economic impact and job opportunities. For those looking to get gear to be outdoors, Colorado has the 4th most outdoor gear stores per capita in the country. With Rocky Mountain National Park, Pike's Peak, many hiking areas, places to fish, and places to camp, Colorado has a lot to offer outdoors. 

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Colorado may not be number one, but the state is not lacking in outdoor adventure for those looking to find some. No matter what activity you are looking for, Colorado has something for everyone. To see the full study, make sure to click the link in the second paragraph above.