Kanab is the best town in Utah for sportsmen, magazine says

Kanab ranks as the top town in Utah for sportsmen and 12th in the nation, according to the current issue of Outdoor Life magazine.

The southern Utah locale was among 200 cities and towns the magazine listed nationwide for outdoor opportunities and quality of life.

"Outdoorsmen want world-class hunting and fishing, but like everyone else, they also want to have a high quality of life," says Todd Smith, Outdoor Life editor-in-chief. "The towns on this list offer the best of the outdoors as well as decent homes and schools and good-paying jobs. They are truly dream towns for sportsmen."

Lewiston, Idaho, last year's second-place finisher, moved up one place to score the top spot on the list in the magazine's June/July edition. Lewiston heads a list of three Idaho towns in the top five. Idaho Falls is tied for third, and Pocatello is fifth.

In addition to Kanab, Heber City, Vernal, Richfield, Cedar City, Logan and Price made the list from Utah.

Kanab is a pleasant, midsize town on U.S. 89 that serves as a popular traveler's stop. It is conveniently situated among several major attractions in southern Utah and northern Arizona, according to www.go-utah.com. It is a hub for deer hunting, and many big bucks have been shot in the area around the town.

Marquette, Mich., the easternmost town in the top 10, jumped five spots to No. 2. Tied for No. 3, Rawlins, Wyo., is one of two Wyoming towns in the top 10; Sheridan, which moved down four spots to No. 7 due in part to rising cost of living, is the other. North Dakota's capital, Bismarck, rose four spots to No. 6, based in part on the strength of its duck, goose and pheasant hunting.

Coming in at No. 8, Pierre, S.D., was hailed by Outdoor Life as the capital of "arguably the most hunter-friendly state in the country." New to the list at No. 9, Rochester, Minn., boasts a population of 99,121, the largest of any of the cities in the top 10. At the opposite end of the spectrum with a population of 6,106 is No. 10 Carbondale, Colo., which enjoys the smallest and fastest-growing population of any of the towns in the top 10.

For detailed rankings including all 200 towns, visit www.OutdoorLife.com. The Web site includes a comment section for people to sound off on their favorite outdoor paradises and an opportunity to make recommendations for next year's list.

E-MAIL: lynn@desnews.com

Some of Outdoor Life's Top 200 Towns for Sportsmen

1. Lewiston, Idaho

2. Marquette, Mich.

3. Idaho Falls (tie)

3. Rawlins, Wyo. (tie)

5. Pocatello

6. Bismarck, N.D.

7. Sheridan, Wyo.

8. Pierre, S.D.

9. Rochester, Minn.

10. Carbondale, Colo.

11. Kodiak, Alaska

12. Kanab

Other Utah towns:

22. Heber City

39. Vernal

40. Richfield

57. Cedar City

67. Logan

150. Price