5 Popular Small Towns in America You SHOULD Pass On

How Many Of These Popular Small Towns Have YOU Been To?

The fantastic thing about traveling around our country is that every region is so unique. Someone who vacations in California will have a totally different experience from someone who decides to fly to Chicago for the weekend.

You could easily do an internet search nowadays to find the popular small towns within a particular state that are worth visiting. And there ARE several states that are popular tourist destinations.

But many popular small towns that are recommended on lots of travel sites are highly overrated. These small towns have reputations as fantastic tourist stops, but in reality, they’re pretty boring and more trouble than they’re worth.

We’ve tried to limit this list to the states that are the most popular among tourists and highlight towns that are nationally famous. So let’s find out what the most OVER-rated popular small towns in the US are!

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

When planning any kind of trip, there are always various aspects of your experience that need to be factored into it. From the tranquility to the actual activities you do, there are a lot of things to consider in your travel plans.

Gatlinburg has a reputation as not only a place where you can experience and enjoy nature but a place where you can bring the whole family for some stories you can tell for years.

But unfortunately, even though it’s beautifully situated in the Smoky Mountains, this popular small town is everything a mountain vacation SHOULDN’T be. Visitors usually expect a quiet log cabin in the woods.

Yet, they often get what looks more like a theme park than a quiet mountain town. For a town that boasts “the great outdoors,” there’s a questionable amount of over-priced mini-golf, wax museums, indoor water parks, and a bunch of knock-offs of Cirque du Soleil shows.

Salem, Massachusetts

This is one of those popular small towns where we might be contradicting ourselves. But allow us to explain. If you choose to visit Salem in October, then we approve, and it’s anything BUT overrated. Why? Well, the name gives it away!

It’s practically the Halloween capital of the world. And after visiting this popular small town during the Halloween season, you’ll wholly agree with us. But the only problem is that besides October, there are slim pickings of things to do in Salem.

Now, it’s true that some of the witchy stuff is displayed year-round, and we highly recommend checking out the Salem Witch Museum. But you can only hear the same stories so many times before it becomes a snooze fest.

Anniston, Alabama

Aniston boasts the country’s largest chair and is the location where the “Freedom Riders” were attacked by the KKK, indicating an urgent need for the civil rights movement.

The community nowadays is racially diverse, with roughly 43 percent of its population listed as white and 51% listed as African American. There are lots of outdoor opportunities for those who visit this popular small town. So What’s the problem?

Well, Anniston has about 30% of its population living below what’s considered the poverty line. And it’s 2016, statistics showed 23.75 violent crimes for every 1,000 citizens. Property crimes were also pretty high at nearly 76 per 1,000.

Despite this, though, the community continues to deliver cultural programs for youth and to promote community involvement. Unfortunately, with such a high crime rate, it’s difficult to attract new businesses, residents, or travelers.

Only time will tell if this once-thriving center of commerce will have a more prosperous future.

Nantucket, Massachusetts

Nantucket is known for having an active art and culture center. And in addition to that, this popular small town has rich historical spots and charming local boutiques and restaurants. Obviously, being an island means that much of the outer edge is beach land.

So there’s no shortage of beach options, considering how small the land mass of it is.

You’ve gotten glimpses of it through movies and TV shows because it’s a top-notch destination for people who live in the area and is a very well-known attraction for many people living north of New York City.

Unfortunately, like many coastal locations, there isn’t very much to do in Nantucket past Labor Day. Many of the local businesses and attractions are seasonal here, meaning that they close down after the summer season.

Jamestown, Rhode Island

Rhode Island might be the strangest state in our entire country. It might be extremely tiny, but it has an incredible lineage and history that noticeably sets it apart from the rest of the United States.

Despite these differences, there are some places in this popular small town worth your time. The capital of Providence, for example, would make for a fantastic weekend getaway. But the nearby town of Jamestown is not!

Because of the fact that it’s so historically famous, it has attracted thousands of tourists over the years. However, we’re pretty sure that they’ve been disappointed by this bare and underdeveloped little small town.

Historical sites usually need restaurants and other attractions around them to make them feasible as tourist destinations. And sadly, you won’t find much of that here.

We will admit that the views are beautiful, though. So if you do happen to visit the area, make sure you pack a picnic basket!

We hope you found this article useful. Please be sure to leave us a comment if you know of any other popular small towns you think are highly overrated.

But in the meantime…OUT with the negative, IN with the positive! Take a look at America’s most adorably charming small towns HERE!