Boulder has been selected by Outside magazine, one of America’s leading active-lifestyle publication, as a finalist in its search to determine the best Outside town in America. The three week competition, held exclusively on Facebook, kicked off yesterday at facebook.com/outsidemagazine.

Outside scoured the nation to find dream cities that offered a balance of great culture, perfect scenery, stress-free and reasonable cost of living, and, of course, easy access to the outdoors; and Boulder is a top contender!

Now Outside is calling on the public to help choose the best one ever from a pool of ten finalists that include: Charleston, SC; Chattanooga, TN; Madison, WI; Portland, OR; Portland, ME; Santa Fe, NM; Ashland, OR; Boulder, CO; Burlington, VT; Tucson, AZ.

The winning town will receive the official honor of Outside’s “Best Town in America” and will be featured on the October 2011 magazine cover, Outside Online, and an exclusive segment on Outside Television.

“These top ten towns ALL have the soul and the substance to be called Outside’s Best Town Ever. Our audience is extremely passionate about where they choose to live and travel – so we are thrilled to engage them in the process to help us determine the best,” said Outside’s Editor-in-Chief Christopher Keyes.

As part of the contest, the public can vote, submit photos, video and comments backing up their selection; the content may appear in the Outside magazine and on Outside Television. All voters also will have a chance to win a five-day adventure to one of the top ten towns. The winning town will be determined through a combination of total votes; overall support as a result of content submitted; and creativity.