A new study commissioned by LawnStarter has revealed this year's top U.S. cities for springtime outdoor activities. It took the 200 largest metropolises in America and compared them using 17 key metrics-from the number of available outdoor spaces like parks and public gardens, trails and campsites to other factors like walkability and bike-ability, and how much sunshine each spot receives.
It seems that west is the way to go this spring, as nine of the top 10 'Best Cities for Spring Outdoor Activities' emerged from the Western and Pacific states. The West Coast in particular boasts a plethora of public-use trails and various outdoor activities, plus receives plenty of sunshine this season. San Francisco took the top spot in the ranking, earning an impressive walkability score and numerous outdoor attractions, among other key considerations.
However, one eastern city stood out for its springtime appeal-Washington, D.C. The nation's capital, as it turns out, is the single most walkable city in America. While it isn't the sunniest springtime location and its considerable crime rate dinged the District somewhat, it outperformed in other areas, including the number of public gardens and open-air attractions and its high bike-ability score.
And, of course, the District is famous for the breathtaking display of cherry blossoms that typically bloom between the last week of March through the first week of April. For 2021, the National Park Service is predicting D.C.'s peak blooming window to occur between April 2 and 5. Unfortunately, this year (just as last year), the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival has canceled its parade and in-person events with COVID-19 restrictions still in effect Districtwide.
Southern cities didn't fare so well in the rankings, often losing points due to non-optimal weather conditions and scoring low in terms of "visitor-friendly" characteristics. For example, Jackson, Mississippi, ranked near the bottom of the list based on its walk score and average number of pedestrian fatalities; Little Rock, Arkansas earned one of the worst bike scores of any U.S. city; and Metairie, Louisiana boasts the second-rainiest spring in the whole nation.
These are the top 20 of the '2021's Best Cities for Spring Outdoor Activities':
| Overall Rank | City |
|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, California |
| 2 | Portland, Oregon |
| 3 | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| 4 | Mesa, Arizona |
| 5 | Washington, D.C. |
| 6 | Tuscon, Arizona |
| 7 | Los Angeles, California |
| 8 | Long Beach, California |
| 9 | Huntington Beach, California |
| 10 | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| 11 | Lincoln, Nebraska |
| 12 | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| 13 | New York, New York |
| 14 | Seattle, Washington |
| 15 | Oakland, California |
| 16 | Tempe, Arizona |
| 17 | Fort Collins, Colorado |
| 18 | Miami, Florida |
| 19 | Riverside, California |
| 20 | Lexington, Kentucky |
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