If you love the outdoors but also have a reason to live in a city, it can be hard to find the best of both worlds.
You may love to hunt and fish, but sometimes jobs are slim in small towns that border the best hunting and fishing preserves. However, some cities have some great outdoor opportunities, as long as you know where you can go to escape the crazy city for the quiet and tranquil outdoors.
We considered a lot for this list, balancing quality of life, general cost of living, and a few other variables not directly connected to the outdoors. But then we focused on proximity to outdoor opportunities, and tried for a variety of scenery and landscape.
Here's a look at the five best cities for hunters and anglers.
Denver, Colorado
Denver might be a metropolis, but don't let this plateau city fool you. Escape to the Rockies for trout fishing for a weekend. If you don't have the time, then don't pass up the reservoirs as warm water fish, such as pike, bass and walleyes are plentiful.
If you're more interested in hunting, Colorado has a collection of parks that allow elk hunting certain times of the year. While Denver is a large city, fishing and hunting are never far off.
Washington, D.C.
You may ask yourself what the nation's Capital has to do with hunting and fishing, but did you know there are public waterfowl hunting grounds within miles of Capitol Hill? It's true, and many presidents have hunted a variety of ducks in this wetland home.
A couple hours outside D.C. is the Rose River Farm. While this is a fly fishing-only reserve, the trophy bass here are caught from a crystal clear lake. Shenandoah National Park isn't far off from this location either, where anglers can catch brook trout in a veritable paradise.
Venice, Louisiana
Venice may have been pummeled by Hurricane Katrina years ago, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill wrought damage on the ecosystem of the area, but this is still one of the best places in North America to hunt and fish. Most anglers can catch plenty of speckled trout and redfish here. Some say this is the only place in the world you can't hit the water without a catch every day.
An abundance of waterfowl live among the marches and tall grass. If you're a hunter, this is a gold mine, as a variety of desirable waterfowl make this area home.
Anchorage, Alaska
Alaska truly is the last wild frontier in the United States, but before you head out to the brush, try your luck in Ship Creek for salmon. Willow Creek is just an hour away and is filled with rainbow trout, while Russian River holds sockeye salmon runs that approach legendary status.
While Anchorage plays host to many great fishing spots, it's also the gateway to what Alaska has to offer. From this city, embark on moose, bear, and elk hunting trips, among other big game.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City has the biggest mule deer bucks and is rated as the best place for such a hunt. Along the Pacific Flyway waterfowl such as teal and tundra swans, are common, while the Green River offers world class fly fishing for a trout species and kokanee salmon.
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