The Safest Town In The US For 2026 Is A Quiet New York Gem With Easy Access To Endless Outdoor Fun

There are a lot of reasons a city might land on your radar. It might have great beaches, a popping food scene, or the best live music lineup. But it also helps to know that a city is relatively safe, and for 2026, the top city for that can be found in New York. According to SafeWise, which has been ranking U.S. cities for safety for the last 12 years, Shawangunk has taken the top spot this year. This town, located in southeastern New York, is a gem waiting to be discovered if you're looking for a launching point for an outdoor adventure.

SafeWise ranked cities based on FBI crime data from the year 2024, and with a violent crime rate of zero, Shawangunk came out looking pretty darn good. Even the property crime rate was rated pretty low (0.4 compared to the national average of 22.89), which only sweetens the pot. That is great news for a town in a state that's topping other lists, such as the states with the cleanest air in 2026.

Shawangunk is small and quiet, with fewer than 14,000 people, but it's big on outdoor recreation with plenty of ways to enjoy that fresh air. It sits at the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains, or "The Gunks" if you are a local, and is home to numerous parks and trails, along with all the adventures you'd expect from mountainous terrain.

A good portion of the town is made up of the Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, which occupies nearly 600 acres of wilderness. Since it was founded for the purpose of providing a safe haven for migratory birds and wintering raptors, you can spot a variety of species throughout the year. The refuge has 3.6 miles of trails for visitors to explore and a wooden observation deck that protrudes out into the open grassland to provide an ideal place for birdwatching or setting up a tripod. The grasslands have been designated a Biodiversity Focus Area and are frequented by short-eared owls, grasshopper sparrows, northern harriers, horned larks, and bobolinks, some of which are endangered or threatened.

You'll find concealed photography blinds along the trails where you can hide away for the best shots of undisturbed nature, and be sure to hike the loop trail that gives you a stunning view of Shawangunk Ridge, one of New York's most glorious mountain destinations. The refuge is open daily from sunrise to sunset, and although the purpose of the area is to provide a refuge for the wildlife, there are opportunities for fishing and hunting. Each of these activities is limited to the appropriate season, and you'll want to make sure you have your fishing and refuge hunting licenses before you arrive. There are a few other limitations as well: Hunting is only allowed on a portion of the refuge, and fishing is limited to catch-and-release fishing at the pond near the entrance, without the use of barbed hooks or live bait.

Shawangunk is less than a two-hour drive north of New York City and only about 25 minutes from the closest airport, Stewart International Airport (SWF). There are several parks and sites in and around town that let you enjoy the fresh air and landscape, like the Walden-Wallkill Rail Trail, Verkeerder Kill Park, Galeville Park, and Lighthouse Park. The latter, in particular, allows you to have a picnic or go fishing or kayaking along the Hudson River — and the lighthouse the park is named for, Esopus Lighthouse, sits in the distance, so you've got some great photo opportunities. But if you really want to make the most of the local landscape, head uphill to the Gunks.

The area is privy to a unique geology that is rich in quartz and home to plant species that you're not likely to find in other regions of the country. People have been rock climbing the Gunks since the 1930s, and you can bike, hike, or ride horses when it's warm. Outside of the peak seasons, you can cross-country ski in the winter and experience the changing colors of fall.