When the great outdoors beckons, opportunities for hiking, rafting, boating, camping, cycling, fishing and rock climbing answer the call.
But why not make it permanent? Many top outdoors destinations are also great places to live. Lots of outdoor enthusiasts prefer working outdoors to being surrounded by a concrete jungle or being crammed into an office cubicle.
Whether you prefer the soothing sun and sand of southern Florida, the rush of river life in Memphis or the peaceful panorama of peaks in Colorado, the best places to live and work all offer much to the outdoors fanatic.
Some folks prefer canoe trips down a lazy river. Others opt for hair-raising climbs of 8,000-foot snow-capped peaks. What you prefer plays a key role in where you live. In the United States, there is something for everyone. Finding it is just a matter of pinpointing whether mountains or ocean sand fit your fancy.
The other side of the coin is the job market. Princeton University offers students a seminar that outlines various careers that allow people to work outdoors.
Scientists, particularly those who study the Earth and its plants and animals, have lots of reasons to be outdoors in some of the top natural areas of the world. So too do forest rangers, commercial fishermen, farmers, lifeguards, outdoor adventure guides guides, camp counselors, researchers and engineers. Specific characteristics, such as a city's proximity to a major waterway, can bring a host of job opportunities.
The Rocky Mountains out west and the Appalachian mountain chain in the eastern United States give folks lots of places to explore. They also make great places to live. The Rocky Mountains feature high peaks and low, grassy valleys. Rocky Mountain National Park has 359 miles of trails for hikers, horseback riders, backpackers and cyclists. In the winter, skiing is popular. In the warmer months, fishing and bird-watching are at their peak. Camping is available almost anywhere, and the lands are thick with wildlife, some of which can't be found anywhere else in the world.
The eastern U.S. mountain chain offers great cities such as Asheville, North Carolina, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and, at its northernmost point, cities in New Hampshire and Maine.
As for the job market, agriculture, forestry and fishing careers, along with opportunities in environmental services, mining and farming, are widely available across the northwest from Washington to Colorado and in several eastern U.S. states.
If you love to be outdoors, few cities are more accommodating than San Diego or Oakland. Both cities are known for their moderate climates. The Pacific Coast offers great swimming, surfing, sailing and ocean fishing. Meanwhile, the cities are a drive from outdoor havens such as the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park.
On the opposite end of the country, Florida and the Carolinas provide many of the same outdoor opportunities, with the added benefit of having such outdoor havens as national forests, the swampy Everglades National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains on the western edge of North Carolina.
Jobs are available in fishing, environmental services, surf instruction, landscaping and engineering. Workers dredge canals, save drowning swimmers and staff river and ocean cruise ships.
Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin are dotted with small lakes and also provide access to the Great Lakes. They are also thick with forested areas.
Wildlife is abundant, and jobs are available in environmental services, recreation, fishing and forestry. Further south, Memphis and New Orleans offer life on the Mississippi River, where boating and fishing are popular. Nearby waterways provide additional opportunities for camping, canoeing, cycling and kayaking.
