Rapid City is among 25 communities nationwide recognized by an outdoors magazine as one of the "Best Cities to Raise an Outdoor Kid."

Backpacker Magazine in its August 2009 edition recognizes Rapid City as the 19th best place to raise an outdoor kid. Among the highlights, it notes the state Game, Fish & Parks Department's decision to build a new outdoor education facility in west Rapid City. It also cites the city's low unemployment rate, no state income tax and a cost of living that is "15 percent below national average."

The magazine also says surrounding features such as the Black Hills, Harney Peak and Badlands and Wind Cave national parks are nearby are positives for raising a child with outdoors sensibilities.

Boulder, Colo., topped the magazine's list, followed by Jackson, Wyo., Durango, Colo., Flagstaff, Ariz. and Juneau, Alaska.