The Sunset Travel Awards celebrate the best in travel in the West. These destinations are the 2025 winners of the Where to Go: Top Small Towns category. Check out the complete list of winners here. For our definitive and searchable travel directory to help you plan your next trip in the West, click here.
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Courtesy of Visit Carmel
This quaint seaside town on the Monterey Peninsula is a top-tier weekend destination for Californians, and for good reason. With a highly strollable downtown area dotted with Old World architecture, charming inns, dog-friendly beaches, and a fantastic food scene, it’s the perfect place to unwind.
Great Falls, Montana
Courtesy of Visit Great Falls
Framed by mountain ranges and carved by the Missouri River, this true postcard of Big Sky is where outdoor adventure, rich history, and local art converge in Montana. With 53 miles of scenic trails, world-class recreation, and cultural institutions like the C.M. Russell Museum, it’s an under-the-radar destination with small-town charm that stands proudly between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.
Medford, Oregon
Courtesy of Travel Medford
Medford, Oregon, is our kind of something-for-all getaway, with the Rogue Valley boasting more than 85 tasting rooms amid beautiful scenery, vibrant restaurants, markets, and cultural offerings at the newly reopened Holly Theatre and the Britt Music & Arts Festival, plus numerous outdoor activities and breathtaking vistas of Crater Lake. Active travel with a glass of wine—we’ll drink to that.