Author: John Goodman

John Goodman finds the creative energy of journalism constantly inspiring. He has worked as a reporter, editor and designer in lifestyles journalism for more than 20 years. As arts and culture editor with Vancouver’s North Shore News newspaper he was part of an award-winning team that created thousands of stories over the past two decades.

10 Secluded Towns in Minnesota's Savanna State Forest Live Beyond the Noise

10 Secluded Towns in Minnesota’s Savanna State Forest Way Beyond the Noise

10 Secluded Towns Between Pines and Pasture in South Dakota's Jewel Cave Region

10 Secluded Towns Between Pines and Pasture in South Dakota’s Jewel Cave Region

Welcome to 10 Secluded Neighborhoods in Wyoming Wide Open and Wild

Welcome to 10 Secluded Neighborhoods in Wyoming Wide Open and Wild

10 Secluded Neighborhoods and Smoky Retreats Aging Well in Tennessee's Appalachian Mountains

10 Secluded Neighborhoods and Smoky Retreats Aging Well in Tennessee’s Appalachian Mountains

18 Small American Towns Where Art is a Big Part of the Cultural Fabric

18 Small American Towns Where Art is a Big Part of the Cultural Fabric

10 Secluded Towns Rooted in Washington State's Columbia Hills

10 Secluded Towns Rooted in Washington State’s Columbia Hills

10 Sublime Secluded Neighborhoods in North Carolina Where the Zip is in the Silence

10 Sublime Secluded Neighborhoods in North Carolina Where the Zip is in the Silence

10 Secluded Towns in Oklahoma's Antelope Hills Where Life Happens Slow

10 Secluded Towns in Oklahoma’s Antelope Hills Where Life Happens Slow

15 Small American Towns That Opt for the Specific Over the Generic in Their Unique Laws and Traditions

15 Small American Towns That Opt for the Specific Over the Generic in Their Unique Laws and Traditions

10 Secluded Towns That Take Their Solitude Seriously in Missouri's Ha Ha Tonka Region

10 Secluded Towns That Take Their Solitude Seriously in Missouri’s Ha Ha Tonka Region

10 Secluded Towns Sequestered in California's Santa Ynez Valley

10 Secluded Towns Sequestered in California’s Santa Ynez Valley

10 Secluded Neighborhoods Living on the Edge in Montana

10 Secluded Neighborhoods Living on the Edge in Montana

If you keep heading east on the Mountain Parkway, just when the cell signal starts to flicker and the woods get deeper, you’ll hit the quiet pulse of Kentucky’s Red River Gorge region—where the map folds into valleys, and towns like Clay City and Campton catch sunlight on courthouse domes and porch roofs. This is where sandstone arches lean over creeks, and folks still wave from pickup windows. It’s not a place built for hurry. It’s a patchwork of roadside diners, hand-lettered signs, and churches with rusted bell towers—all tucked into hollows so still they feel like secrets. These towns aren’t curated destinations. They’re lived-in, slightly frayed, and all the more beautiful for it. Stanton hums with small-town rhythm and the scent of biscuits. Beattyville sits where three rivers shake hands, and Slade? Slade’s the wild-eyed cousin with trail dust on its boots and a backpack full of climbing ropes. So here’s your guide—not to the places everyone goes, but to the places you’ll want to return to. Fifteen towns, full of grit, grace, and Red River soul.

15 Hidden Gem Towns You’ll Want to Return To in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge

10 Secluded Towns in the Deep Forests of New York's West Canada Lakes

10 Secluded Towns in the Deep Forests of New York’s West Canada Lakes

10 Secluded Neighborhoods in Nevada, Deserted By Design

10 Secluded Neighborhoods in Nevada, Deserted By Design

1Explore 10 Secluded Towns in Alaska's Denali Highway Region Where the Road Turns into Raw Wilderness

Explore 10 Secluded Towns in Alaska’s Denali Highway Region Where the Road Turns into Raw Wilderness

18 High-Country, Low-Key Towns in California's Shasta Cascade That Still Feel Real

18 High-Country, Low-Key Towns in California’s Shasta Cascade That Still Feel Real

10 Secluded Towns in Florida's Remote Tate's Hell State Forest May Just Be Your Kind of Heaven

10 Secluded Towns in Florida’s Remote Tate’s Hell State Forest May Just Be Your Kind of Heaven

15 Great Lakes Towns Lit By the History of Their Harbor Lighthouses

15 Great Lakes Towns Lit By the History of Their Harbor Lighthouses

10 Secluded Towns In and Around Vermont's Glastenbury Mountain Where Silence is Sacred

10 Secluded Towns In and Around Vermont’s Glastenbury Mountain Where Silence is Sacred

10 Secluded Neighborhoods Keep It Real in New Jersey's Quietest Corners

10 Secluded Neighborhoods Keep It Real in New Jersey’s Quietest Corners