Where to Retire If You Love the Outdoors

10 places to swim, hike, ski, fish and soak in the scenery

from: AARP, December 2011

Anchorage, Alaska is a nature lovers resort for retirees

The great outdoors awaits: Our top picks for nature lovers includes Anchorage, where the northern lights shine. — Michael DeYoung

If you envision retirement as the time when you will finally be able to pursue all those activities that you've squeezed into weekends and vacations — hiking, kayaking, skiing and otherwise immersing yourself in the Great Outdoors — then keep reading.

10 Great Places

Click on a state to see what city there made our list — and why it might be your next home.

We've assembled a list of 10 amazing retirement places for people like you. These are cities and towns ideally situated to feed your desire for a greater connection to nature — hiking trails, ski slopes, wilderness areas, roaring rivers, scenic lakes and the awesome ocean — without taking you too far from the civilized world.

Most of our picks are sizable metropolises — Honolulu, Seattle, Minneapolis and Tucson — although others, like Missoula, Mont., have more of a small town feel.

To make our list, cities had to be in or near great nature areas, ranging from Alaska to Florida. We picked places that offer opportunities to view abundant wildlife, and vistas of undeveloped land that inspire. And we still applied our critical review of livability, which means these are cities which have a great mix of affordability, climate, amenities and health resources.

Peruse the list and see if you can find the place that feels just right for you. If you like more than one, you just might have to retire twice!

Next: Boulder, Colorado