The Ultimate Buena Vista Colorado Guide (How to Spend 4 Days)
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Looking for a warmer part of Colorado close to the mountains with around 300 days of sunshine every year? Buena Vista is one of the coolest towns I’ve been to in Colorado and after you read this post I hope it inspires you to visit this unique corner of the state. Located right on the Arkansas river and at the base of the Collegiate Peaks( the largest concentrated area of Colorado 14ers in the state). What makes BV so unique is the High Mountain desert-like climate in town with a High Alpine climate just minutes outside of town up Cottonwood Pass.
Combine these two different climates and you have a number of different outdoor activities to choose from. In this post I’ll be going over how to get to Buena Vista, where to stay or camp, outdoor recreation activities, and what to expect. Coool, lets do this..
Where is Buena Vista
Buena Vista is Southwest of Denver and in between Twin Lakes and Salida. Coming from the front range there’s two main routes to take, either Highway 24 through Leadville or US 285 through Fairplay. Both will be scenic drives through the mountains, making the start of your trip more exciting in my opinion. For flying, the closest major airport will be Aspen with other airports being in Colorado Springs along with Eagle. I listed miles and distances from major areas in Colorado below.
Denver- 123 miles/2 hours 15 minutes
Colorado Springs- 93 miles/2 hours
Breckenridge- 60 miles/1 hour and 15 minutes
Boulder- 134 miles/2.5 hours
Where to Stay
There will be a number of places right in town or walking distance to town. BV has a number of side streets and neighborhoods not far from the Main street that run through town. I stayed in a nice two bedroom condo that I booked on VRBO that was a 1/2 mile to Main Street.
Another place I’d recommend staying is the Surf Hotel and Chateau, place looks awesome. With an in-house restaurant and Lobby bar, the idea is to combine the outdoors with European style luxury hospitality. They have live a music venue outside, as well as an indoor ballroom for weddings and events. If you want a more secluded experience next door is the Chateau with cottage style units.
Where can you camp
There will be paid campsites as well dispersed campsites. I booked a campsite at one of my favorite campgrounds, Ruby Mountain, right on the Arkansas River, overlooking the collegiate peaks. They have bathroom facilities, picnic tables, and a fire grate to cook food over or to have a campfire.
To book this site go to Colorado Parks and Wildlife >Camping Reservations>Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area>Site List. There will be different campgrounds to choose from with Ruby Mountain and Railroad Bridge being the closest paid sites to downtown BV. To look for dispersed camping (free) download apps Dyrt or Gaia.
Buena Vista Day 1 Itinerary
Walk along the Arkansas River Trail
Once you’ve checked in and gotten settled, I recommend first doing a small walk along the Arkansas River. Park at the Whitewater Park and follow the River Trail. You will probably come across kayakers and river surfers! If you want more views of the mountains, check out the Barbara Whipple trail in the same vicinity. It will have more elevation gain and require hiking footwear.
Dinner at Crave
One of my favorite restaurants in Colorado is Crave. It is a Pizzaria along with italian influence menu items. During the summer I recommend walking in and putting your name on a list or expect a wait. The vibe inside is authentic with a brick building and open kitchen so you can see your pizza being hand tossed from house made pizza dough.
Crave is also a really awesome place to grab lunch, as they open at 11am.
Catch a movie at the local Drive In Theater
Built in 1966, The Comanche theatre is one of 8 Drive in theaters left in Colorado, with only 320 left in the entire country! For point of reference, in the 1960’s there were over 4,000. If you’ve never gone to a drive-in theater it is a really cool experience. The theater is open Friday-Tuesday in the summer and weekends only after Labor Day with movies starting at dusk. You’ll park your car, set the radio station to the correct channel, and watch the movie from you’re vehicle.
Comanche will sell the typical movie theater snacks; popcorn, candy, hot pretzels, and pizza. Movies alternate every week with weekends being the busiest time to go. You can arrive early, grab a spot, hang out and watch the sunset before the movie starts. The theater is right outside of town on Highway 306 and is the highest drive-in theater in the country.
Buena Vista Day 2 Itinerary
Grab Breakfast at Cool River
Located on the East Side of Main Street, close to the river, this was my favorite coffee shop in town. The lighting in the morning is amazing and if you grab a window seat there will be surrounding town and mountain views as you drink your coffee or eat breakfast. There’s a lot of home made options and they have an awesome in-house bakery with Gluten Free as well as vegan options.
There’s also a full breakfast and lunch menu, not a bad place to start your day off.
Go Rafting
This area of Colorado will have some of the best rafting in the state, book a half day or full day rafting trip. I went with River Runners, 10 minutes from the downtown area, however there are a number of different rafting companies to book with. Lunch will be provided for full day raft trips and the raft company will provide full transportation to and from the river.
For beginner to intermediate rapids there is Browns Canyon and for people looking for a more intense raft trip there is Royal Gorge and Numbers! Rafting season runs from about Late May-Early September with the best rapids being late spring to early summer. A good snow season will effect how good the rafting summer will be, as the snowmelt eventually ends up in rivers and streams.
I’ve done Royal Gorge in the past and although it is a beautiful area the rapids are more intense. This rafting trip I went with Browns Canyon. Good for families as well as people who’ve never gone rafting before. Browns Canyon is mix of rapids with slower scenic areas. There was even an area along the river where our guide let us jump from a boulder called “jump rock.”
Dinner at Eddyline Brewery
After a day on the river grab a drink and food at Eddyline Brewery. There’s two locations, a restaurant and a Brewpub, both on the opposite ends of each other in town. Eddyline’s story started in 2009 making wood fired pizzas and brewing beer for the outdoor enthusiast looking to relax after a day of adventure. The Brewery has a nice hang out vibe and there’s a back patio for those nice summer evenings.
Sunset at Cottonwoodpass
One of my favorite things to do in Buena Vista is to catch the sunset up on Cottonwood Pass. Get on West Main Street, which turns into Highway 306 and take this road all the way to the top of the pass. There will be a few switchbacks towards the top so take it slow! The parking lot will be on the left. Bring a blanket and hang out in the parking lot or you can hike to the look out point, not far from the parking lot. You can see part of the Collegiate Peaks off to your right in the distance as the sun sets.
If you get to the top of the pass early enough you can hike part of the Colorado trail too. Follow the trail from the parking lot and it will eventually take you across a ridge with surrounding mountain views, which is part of the Gunnison National Forest! For help with navigating download All Trails Route #1978 Cottonwood South. The top of the pass is where the San Isabel National Forest and Gunnison National Forest meet, which is part of the Continental Divide!
The Continental Divide is the Topograhic line that seperates drainages either to the Atlantic Ocean or Pacific Ocean. It goes down the Spine of the highest points of the Rocky Mountains from Alaska all the way to Mexico. Water either eventually ends up in the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic.
Buena Vista Day 3 Itinerary
Breakfast at Blend
I would say this is the healthiest place to eat in all of Buena Vista. Amazing smoothies, breakfast sandwiches, wraps, and baked goods. If you plan on going for a long hike in the morning or mid day, this is a good place to get some good fuel before you hit the trail. The inside is also a good spot to get some work done if you need to, with a cafe lounge type atmosphere.
Hike Ptarmigan Lake
Once you are fueled up grab your hiking boots and get on Highway 306 again, the same road to Cottonwood pass. On the left, 14 miles west will be the Ptarmigan Lake trailhead. Parking can be limited at times, especially on weekends! This trail will be 6.1 miles out and back with 1,466 feet of elevation gain, so pack a good water bottle and some snacks. I wrote a blog post on this trail specifically, check out a complete guide on Ptarmigan Lake.
Happy Hour at Terrace on Main
End the afternoon at Terrace on Main from 4-5 pm with drink specials for cocktails, wine, and beer. Grab a seat on the rooftop that overlooks the town and mountain peaks. There is also a bites menu with appetizers and a small desert menu with ingredients from locally sourced farmers. What I liked about Terrace on Main is they keep it simple yet have an inviting atmosphere that makes you feel right at home.
Buena Vista Day 4 Itinerary
Sunrise Hike at Lost Lake
Recently re-routed with a new parking lot at the trailhead, Lost Lake is a must if you like hiking and are in Buena Vista. If you’re able to wake up early enough for sunrise, it is so peaceful and chances are there won’t be anyone up at the lake or on the trail.
The elevation gain is only 423 feet with some rocky areas as you approach the lake so make sure you have good hiking boots! The trail is close to 3.5 miles round trip and takes about two hours or more depending on speed and time at the lake
Coffee at the Midland Stop
This small coffee shop on the East side of town, will have a number of different drink options as well as a small amount of breakfast items. I liked how peaceful and quiet it was compared to restaurants in downtown BV. It’s a great place to go in the morning to start the day or after you’ve hiked Lost Lake.
Check out the shops downtown
Most small towns in Colorado will have a downtown area filled with eclectic shops and if you have time I recommend walking around to see if there’s a store or two you’d want to pop into. Two of my favorite shops in BV are Trailhead and CKS. Both will have lots of outdoor gear for adventures, but also a number of different clothing/lifestyle goods too. CKS will have most of what you would need for river/water sports activities while Trailhead is directed more towards the hiker, backpacker, and camping enthusiast.
Lunch at Simple Eatery
Inside Trailhead will be a lunch and dinner place with indoor and outdoor dining. They have healthier options with salads, soups, and sandwiches as well as artisan baked bread if you want to take something to go!
Mount Princeton Hot springs
End the trip by relaxing at the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs! There will be different areas that you can soak in including; Chalk Creek, the Soaking Pool, and the Infinity Pool. The backdrop when hanging out in the infinity Pool is Mount Princeton with an elevation of 14,200 feet! These pools are a combination of rain and snow melt mixed with geothermic water that comes from the different fractures in rock.
The creekside pool will be right along the river with a more natural hot springs feel to it. The soak pool and private pools will be more like swimming pools. The infinity pool is pretty awesome as it overlooks Mount Princeton and the surrounding peaks! This pool can also be rented out privately. If you’d like to go more then a day, there is lodging, dining, and even a small grocery store on site.
Other Restaurants in BV
Buena Vista Roastery Cafe- Right in downtown BV, with usually a line out the door in the summer. This is not a bad place to get some work done or grab a cup of coffee in the AM.
K’s Old fashion Burgers- BV in the summertime is something special. Stopping in at K’s old fashion burgers mid day after being on the river all day or hiking a trail hits the spot. They’ve been around since 1955! Shakes, Fries, and burgers will be their main menu items.
Roosters Crow Cafe- Looking for a diner style breakfast? Roosters Crow cafe serves breakfast and lunch and has that old school feel to it with prices that are affordable.
Wesley and Rose- Inside the Surf Hotel, this lobby restaurant and bar will serve cocktails, starters, and some awesome seasonal dinner items. Wesley and Rose also does private events as it is a perfect place to rent out for a group.
Other Activities
Biking- Lot’s of different mount biking trails in BV, this place is a hub for biking enthusiasts (especially when spring rolls around).
Browns Canyon National Monument- Located just past Ruby Mountain Campground, this national monument has hiking trails, views , and colorful rock outcroppings all around. National Monuments were first initiated in 1906 and are a way to protect, conserve, and restore landscapes with lots of diversity and science. Parking is free at the trailhead, but not the Ruby Mountain recreation area. There will be trails along the river and through the Canyon. It’s honestly somewhat confusing in areas, but grab a map at the trailhead to decide what route you’d like to take. There is private property in the area so try to obey and closed areas you might come across.
River Surfing- Challenging, but fun! There is river surfing in Salida and at the Adventure park area in Buena Vista. Salida has a wave right in town near the surf shop Bad Fish. Bad Fish offers two hour demos, but you would need to rent a wetsuit elsewhere in town. There’s also the staircase wave in Buena Vista along with a new wave down river in the same Adventure Park Area being rebuilt fall of 2024. The staircase wave you’ll need a board with a lot of volume as it is a paddle in wave. For more skilled surfers, running and jumping to get on the wave is a possibility. For Rentals, go to CKS. They offer wetsuit, helmet, life jacket, and leash rentals!
St Elmo Ghost Town- Once a mining town in the 1800’s that eventually became abandoned, the historical buildings are still up kept today so visitors can experience what life might have been like in this time period. It’s a fun way to spend an hour or so walking around, reading the different historical facts.
Looking for more Colorado adventure in the summer? Check out the town of Leadville, not far from Buena Vista! Thanks for checking out the blog and I’ll see you on the next post. It’s cool to connect with everyone so if you have any questions or comments to add please leave them down below.
