Oregon’s McMinnville and Ashland Make National List of Most Inviting Wellness Walks
In a recent poll, two Oregon Main Streets were named among the healthiest for walking —one in McMinnville and another in Ashland.
Best Streets For Healthy Walks In Oregon
Assisted Living Magazine, a senior living concierge, recently polled 3,007 respondents, asking which main streets they think are best for ‘wellness walks’. Many features stood out as the essential things that people look for on wellness walks. These include:
- Charming storefronts;
- Tree-lined sidewalks;
- The smell of coffee wafts from local coffee shops.
Public health experts say that walking just 30 minutes a day can enhance cardiovascular health, boost mental well-being, and tone down the risk of chronic illness. But if the path is a pleasant, scenic, and social route, it’s easy to forget you’re exercising.
Of the most walkable and lovable main streets, two streets ranked across America in the top 100 health walk streets nationally; the top streets in Oregon are:
#37: Third Street, McMinnville: The epitome of flavor and friendliness, Third Street is where wine country elegance meets muddy boots and UFO sightings.
This Willamette Valley gem features brick buildings transformed into tasting rooms, cheese shops, and cafés, with vineyard views just beyond the rooftops. Locals, chefs, and the occasional alien-costumed parade-goer fill the sidewalks, with plenty of reasons to pause.
#70: Main Street, Ashland: Well-being seems part of the design, with the Rogue Valley light filtering through the trees and the steady hush of the creek in the background. Bookstores, bakeries, and open-air patios gently encourage you to linger on your walk, allowing your mind to wander and your feet to follow.
The workout is a side effect of absorbing a town that feels both grounded and quietly alive.
In the Infographic showing the top main streets across the US for wellness walks, the top 10 were as follows:
| RANK | STREET | STATE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Main Street, Lake Placid | New York |
| 2 | State Street, Santa Barbara | California |
| 3 | E Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale | Florida |
| 4 | Front Street, Nome | Alaska |
| 5 | Downtown Parkway, Gatlinburg | Tennessee |
| 6 | Main Street, Sag Harbor | New York |
| 7 | Main Street, Bar Harbor | Maine |
| 8 | King Street, Charleston, | South Carolina |
| 9 | Broadway Street, Skagway | Alaska |
| 10 | South Main Street, Breckenridge | Colorado |
CEO Jeremy Clerc of Assisted Living Magazine said, “But the simple act of walking – especially in places that are beautiful, social, and full of charm – reminds us that movement can be both joyful and effortless when the environment invites you in.”