Outside Magazine Announces Best Towns Contest

April 21, 2015 · 1 minute read

Outside Magazine is at it again, this time exclusively on Instagram. The bastion of all things outdoors posted a contest announcement yesterday to its Instagram account encouraging IGers everywhere to help them find the best towns in America. The contest doesn’t specifically say it’s looking to crown the best outdoor town, but it is Outside Magazine, after all, and Richmond knows what that means.

Floodwall Park overlooking the James. One of many reason RVA is a great river town. Credit: Chris Johnson

Floodwall Park overlooking the James. One of many reason RVA is a great river town. Credit: Chris Johnson

The contest is exclusive to Instagram, and the rules are simple: “Take or tag something perfect about your town using the hashtag #BestTowns2015. Clearly include the full name of your town and state and why this place rules. Enter as many times as you want until April 30th.”

That’s not a lot of time to work with, but we think Richmond is up for the challenge. If this idea sounds familiar, some of you might remember that in 2012, Outside named Richmond the best river town in the country after Richmond’s social media users cast enough votes to put the RVA ahead of Hood River, Oregon, Durango, Colorado, and Boise, Idaho, among other amazing outdoor destinations.

Let’s see if we can do it again. Have a great shot of mountain biking on the Buttermilk Trail? Tag it with #BestTowns2015. Snapped a picture of that American shad you caught on the James? Tag it with #BestTowns2015. Out walking on the floodwall and got a dozen images of blue herons mingling with cormorants? Tag one with #BestTowns2015. Be sure to include “Richmond, VA” in your caption, or some variation in your hashtags.

Be sure to tell your friends. Let’s show Outside Magazine and its readers that 2012 wasn’t a fluke.