MARQUETTE — Marquette has secured the top spot in a recent USA Today 10Best Reader’s Choice contest. The recognition lauds Marquette County as the best Small Town for Adventure based on public voting that took place on www.10best.com through USA Today.

The contest pool contained 20 towns, all with a population of fewer than 25,000 people but considered big on outdoor adventure.

Marquette topped many well-known destinations. The top 10, in order, were: Marquette; Florence, Oregon; Watkins Glen, New York; Sedona, Arizona; Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania; Everglades City, Florida; North Conway, New Hampshire; Blowing Rock, North Carolina; Bar Harbor, Maine; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

“Over the past decade, Marquette County has grown to be a top destination for year-round outdoor adventure in Michigan,” said Michelle Cook, board president for Travel Marquette, in a news release. “To see the recognition and brand awareness extend beyond a regional level is exciting.”

To learn more about the contest, visit www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-small-town-for-adventure/.

“The largest town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, still small Marquette sits on the shores of Lake Superior, making it a hotspot for outdoor enthusiasts,” the city’s write-up on the website read. “Presque Isle Park serves as the launching pint for kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding, while McCarty’s Cove offers a family friendly beach. Hikers and paddlers come from all over the world to explore the 150 miles of singletrack, 83 miles of Superior shoreline and 77 waterfalls in Marquette County.”

According to USA Today, a panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to choose the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Marla Cimini of USA Today, Deborah Fallows of “Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America,” travel and food writer Eric Grossman, Anna Hider of Roadtrippers, food and travel writer/photographer Gerrish Lopez and author/journalist Chelle Koster Walton were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of travel in the United States.

Travel Marquette, located at 117 W. Washington St., Marquette, is the destination marketing organization responsible for marketing, education, community development and event support throughout Marquette County.

For more information, call 906-228-7749 or visit TravelMarquetteMichigan.com.