What Is the Best Place to Have a Cabin in the U.S.?

Photo: Pinetop-Lakeside Chamber of Commerce / Members of the Pinetop-Lakeside Chamber of Commerce proudly pose for a picture while holding a sign they had made to celebrate their region's victory in Cabin Life's Best Cabin Region Contest.

What is the best location in the U.S. for cabin living? In February and March 2015, we posed this question to Cabin Life followers. We chose 32 different areas from across the U.S., including high-profile destinations like the Adirondacks of New York and South Lake Tahoe, Calif., to go head-to-head in a bracket-style contest. Cabin enthusiasts voted for their favorites until one region was crowned the “Best Cabin Region in the U.S.”

The winner? Pinetop-Lakeside, Ariz.

Located in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona, Pinetop-Lakeside is a four-season paradise. In the spring and summer, anglers and water enthusiasts are drawn to roughly 50 alpine lakes and 800 miles of cold, refreshing rivers.

Autumn offers great opportunities to witness the leaves changing colors, spot abundant wildlife, and enjoy relative solitude on uncrowded hiking trails. Finally, Pinetop-Lakeside cabin-goers enjoy sledding, snowboarding and world-class alpine and Nordic skiing in the winter.

In the final round of the contest, Pinetop-Lakeside edged out Vilas County, Wis., earning 58% of the votes for the title. Both regions made the most of news outlets, emails and social media posts to get the word out and spur others to vote for their region.

Here is how the final four regions stacked up in the contest: