The Arkansas Valley encompasses two counties in central Colorado – Lake and Chaffee. The area gets its name from the Arkansas river that traverses the region. It begins near Leadville and makes its way to the south to Salida before turning east and its eventual meeting with the Mississippi. The two counties cover approximately 1,400 square miles and have only 26,000 residents.
The northern end of the Arkansas Valley is anchored by Leadville and the southern end by Salida. About halfway between is Buena Vista. Approximately half of the residents live in or near Salida, Buena Vista, and Leadville. Just west on US 50 from Salida is the town of Poncha Springs which hails as “The Crossroads of the Rockies” due to the intersection with US 285. There are a few other “official” towns such as Garfield, Johnson Village, Maysville, and Smeltertown as well as several smaller communities. St. Elmo and a couple of other “ghost towns” in the area are fun to visit as well.
Geography of the Arkansas Valley
Multiple mountain ranges frame the area. The Sawatch rise above the western side of the valley while the Mosquito and Arkansas Hills border the east. The Sangre de Cristo range sits at the very southern end. Colorado’s three highest peaks shadow the northern Arkansas Valley – Mounts Elbert, Massive, and Harvard. In total there are twenty Fourteeners in the vicinity. Outdoor recreation abounds as the San Isabel National Forest covers a good portion of the area. In addition, four different wilderness areas are spread out around the area – Buffalo Peaks, Collegiate Peaks, Holy Cross, Mount Massive.
Straddling the namesake Arkansas River, Browns Canyon was designated as a National Monument in 2015. The state also designated a large area as the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area. The Continental Divide Trail and the Colorado Trail both traverse the western side of the area. In addition, numerous biking and scenic drives crisscross the area. While the area has only one ski resort, Monarch, several others are within a couple of hours’ drive. Similarly, a short drive brings you to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
Visiting the Arkansas Valley
Salida has plenty of lodging options, but hotels and motels are a bit limited in Buena Vista and Leadville. Currently, AirBnB shows over 600 options and local vacation rental agents such as Pinon Vacation Rentals have other options. Numerous privately owned campgrounds exist to cater to the RV travelers and campers. The forest service and state parks service manage numerous campgrounds along the river and in the mountains.
All the towns offer numerous local eateries and coffee houses that serve a variety of food from pizza and pho to burgers and seafood. There are also several large grocers if you prefer to make your own. All of the downtown areas have numerous shops that sell anything you could want from typical cheesy souvenirs to high-end art or backpacking supplies.