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Contests

CURRENT Contests

2026 Best of the Mountains Awards

Submit your nominations for the finest in the Blue Ridge today!

2026 Happiest Mountain Towns

Ten years after this poll’s inaugural launch, we once again turned to our knowledgeable readers for their picks. The results? A brand-new collection of 71 exceptional Blue Ridge communities that excel at bringing big smiles to the faces of both residents and visitors.

2026 Happiest Towns Contest

Win a $2,500 Luxury Cabin Getaway

Contest Ends at Midnight on April 30, 2023

Happiest Towns in the Mountains: Our Readers Have Spoken, with a Smile

Here are the results of reader voting for the towns with the biggest smiles-in three population categories.

Current Issue

2027 Best of the Mountains Awards

2026 Best of the Mountains Awards

Submit your nominations for the finest in the Blue Ridge today!
Roanoke, Virginia, USA downtown skyline at dawn

2026 Happiest Mountain Towns

Ten years after this poll’s inaugural launch, we once again turned to our knowledgeable readers for their picks. The results? A brand-new collection of 71 exceptional Blue Ridge communities that excel at bringing big smiles to the faces of both residents and visitors.
Happiest Towns in the Blue Ridge Mountains contest

2026 Happiest Towns Contest

Win a $2,500 Luxury Cabin Getaway!

Win a $2,500 Luxury Cabin Getaway

Contest Ends at Midnight on April 30, 2023
HappiestTowns

Happiest Towns in the Mountains: Our Readers Have Spoken, with a Smile

Here are the results of reader voting for the towns with the biggest smiles-in three population categories.

Departments

At Coopers Rock State Forest, new Stargazer cabins invite guests to look up through skylights and telescopes.
Country Roads

Even Closer to Almost Heaven

New Stargazer cabins at Coopers Rock State Forest offer a skyward escape in the mountains of West Virginia.

June 29, 2026
©Duncan Seaman
Country Roads

A Mountain Tradition Turns 90 

Visitors flock to Galax, Virginia, each summer for the Old Fiddlers’ Convention, a days-long celebration of Appalachian music.

June 29, 2026
Synchronous Fireflies
Creature Feature

The Light Fantastic

Fireflies are struggling with the effects of artificial light.

June 29, 2026

CALENDAR OF EVENTS