As part of a larger Colorado road trip where my girlfriend and I hit two National Parks, we made a pit stop in the cute mountain town of Salida, Colorado. […]
As part of a larger Colorado road trip where my girlfriend and I hit two National Parks, we made a pit stop in the cute mountain town of Salida, Colorado.
This was an impromptu pit stop between Cañon City, our first stop, and Alamosa, our destination for the evening. That being said, we went in to Salida pretty blind: I picked it out solely because it intersected a river, and it looked like a town with natural walking paths beside the river.
We were pleasantly surprised by Salida’s quaintness and charm. The sky was a bit moody on this May afternoon, but it was interesting to find ourselves in a Colorado mountain town, one of our first.
While Salida isn’t quite the hidden gem I thought it was when I originally stumbled upon it, it’s still a bit off the beaten path from Denver: about two-and-a-half hours Southwest.
We didn’t do anything crazy in our brief time in Salida, but here are some pictures that captured the vibe of the 5,800-person town at 7,083′.
Salida, CO is about 2 hours and 40 minutes from Denver. It’s a shorter 1 hour, 50 minute drive from Pueblo, and just over an hour away from
Right off the bat, we were greeted by Salida’s hillside letter (or “mountain monogram”) “S” on Tenderfoot Mountain. The “S” was first installed by local Salida High School students in 1926 before being updated to its current size in 1932.
The edge of the developed town was marked by railroad tracks, largely separating civilization from the soft, rolling hills.
I’m sure this town looks even more picture-esque on a sunny day, but I didn’t mind the cloudy vibe either on this late Spring afternoon.
The Arkansas River flows through Salida and in to the Royal Gorge, towards Cañon City. Salida benefits immensely in agriculture and tourism from the presence of the river.
Water levels were pretty high on this particular day, with an overly rainy season combined with mountain snow runoff.
Some old-style building highlighted the heart of Salida, where the river meets the town.
This restaurunt offered seating that hovers above the riverside walkway, giving close-up views of the Arkansas River.
A look at the roaring Arkansas River with Tenderfoot Mountain in the background.
Salida’s Arkansas River access makes for perfect water recreation, with challenge markers even present. Tubers, kayakers, and even wave surfers all use the river.
Someone using a natural wave in the Arkansas River to get in some river surfing.
Again, the moody sky in the 7,000’+ town set an interesting scene for the afternoon. I really felt like I was removed from my normal location.
A local amphitheater, with Tenderfoot Mountain once again peeking out from behind and the Arkansas river completing the backdrop. Seems like it would be a lovely place to catch an outdoor concert.
A view looking out from the stage area.
Fred Lowry, who led local contractor Lowry Contracting for 30 years, “spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the Arkansas River restoration project” and had this section of the walk dedicated in his memory.
Back at the sizeable parking lot, which I’m sure can still fill up in peak season, that’s a wrap on our brief time in Salida. I’m sure there’s more to see in this cute town, but it served it’s purpose of giving us a new Colorado town to stretch our legs in for a little bit. Next stop: Alamosa!
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