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Birmingham, Boone, Knoxville
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Entertaining job offers in Birmingham, Boone, and Knoxville (also one out in Bozeman, MT, but housing prices scare me). My wife and I are big boulderers, mountain bikers, gravel bikers, and trail runners. We've been to all three before, but no long term visits. Just looking for community input on their thoughts regarding the three areas and the differences in their outdoor lifestyles/overall life in them. Thanks! |
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Bone area is great for bouldering and MTB, also sport and trad. Knoxville is bigger and Probably with more MTB trails, but climbing is generally further.
I’d pick Boone given the choice. I personally wouldn’t consider Birmingham, but to each their own. Edit: for pure sport climbing, obviously the obed or Chattanooga would be better! |
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I'll second Ezra on Boone. And climate wise Birmingham and Knoxville can't compare. |
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For my money, the question is better asked "Which of these three places is best when you're not climbing?" Most Cumberland Plateau areas have cold-weather climbing seasons, while Boone has year-round climbing, though options are thin in the peak of winter and summer. Boone has a storied and strong bouldering community, and much of the NC climbing culture is tied to its traditional roots, while Knoxville, as far as I'm aware would be stronger in the sport climbing department, with Obed not far away, and bolting in general is more of a thing on the Cumberland Plateau. Here are some other things to bear in mind. In Boone, you're an hour from the nearest freeway, and more than that to the nearest airport. Most of the population of Boone is students, but since all four of the cities mentioned are college towns, I don't think you'll escape that. Knoxville has a larger young professional contingent because of the national lab, but a wilder allergy season (or so I'm told.) Of the three places Boone is the most obviously rural and Appalachian, and while that has some awesome upsides like great farmers markets, local music and breathing room, it comes with the predictable downsides of living in a small town. Also, I don't know where you're coming from, but a couple years ago when I lived in the area, Boone was considered prohibitively expensive, at least compared to the rest of the high country. |
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Is climbing still done on Shades Mountain in Birmingham? It was pretty attractive when I lived in Tuscaloosa during the early 1960s. |
John Gill wrote: John, Yes! Folks are still climbing yours and many other problems on the mountain. Check out the SCC area page: https://www.seclimbers.org/project/moss-rock-preserve/ |
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Boone Sucks, Tell Your Friends |
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Birmingham looks to have decent bouldering and mountain biking right in the city. |
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Can't comment on Boone or Birmingham but Knoxville is a great hub for outdoor activities. The outdoor scene is big here and growing with a good climbing community. There is some sport climbing in the city...enough to keep you busy after work. Bouldering is mostly non-existent in the city. The MTB community is very strong here and there are lots of new trails (check out Urban Wilderness/Baker Creek). Lots of flat water in the city and whitewater near by. I think the best thing about Knoxville is you can get to both the plateau and western NC for day trips. Easy weekends to the Red or further into NC. It's a fun town that is growing a lot right now |
John Gill wrote: Yes. When i first began climbing and visiting the area (early 80's)......under the tutelage of some older, more experienced folks, we would bushwhack and explore in various places on Shades....... and upon discovering a boulder problem we felt was uniquely interesting and challenging, joke about 'Gill must have done this one'........'this has to be a Gill problem' |
