Oh looky there, Travel and Leisure is telling all our local secrets. Well, not the hidden jumps the teenagers make every year. Those you’ll just have to find on your own. Happy riding, y’all!
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High-desert Lichen – did you know?…
Lichen speckled rock outcroppings! Go on, say it aloud for poetic effect. Lichens abound in these high desert...
Valley View Hot Springs, just 45 minutes from Salida
The video is of the upper pools at Valley View Hot Springs. This time of year, you can have them all to yourself! The water temp hovers just below 100°, so it’s really quite perfect for a sunny day soak.
Northern Lights over S-Mountain in Salida, CO
Did you all get a chance to see Tenderfoot Mountain (S Mountain) awash in the Northern Lights? It was spectacular! Big thanks to StayinSalida guest Timothy Dwenger for providing these gorgeous shots of it!
Ruins at Las Mesitas, Colorado
About 100 straight south of Salida, CO, stands the shell of what was once a mission church at Las Mesitas, Colorado....
360-degree Colorado Aspen grove fall colors
The golden and amber hues of a Colorado river valley in the fall…unbeatable.
Kenosha Pass Leaf Peeping
Kenosha Pass is the place to be! So avoid it if you’re in a hurry. Sources say the fall colors will take their time making the southward journey across the fair state of Colorado. Here’s to a nice, long leaf-peeping season and many golden hikes and bike rides!
Marmot Sighting!
Also called “whistle pigs” because of the delightful sounds they make and their rather portly bodies, marmots have extensive dens and burrows systems with multiple entrances, tunnels, and exits that are used for shelter, hibernation, and breeding. They live 80% of their lives underground, so it’s a rare treat to see one.
Fawns on Lawns
The summer's second crop of babies are running around the streets of Salida!
Benson’s Beer Garden, on F Street, Salida, CO
Check it out, Benson's Beer Garden has food specials again! And occasional live music on that amazing outdoor stage....
Mount/Chief Ouray, just outside Salida, CO
The Devil’s Armchair! This is the bowl under the peak of Mount Ouray, visible from Salida if you look southwesterly. The hike up to it only takes about 2.5 hours (+1.5 to get down), and there are several stream crossings to keep you cool along the way. Local legend has it the feature got it’s name …
Live music listening room in Poncha Springs, @vinosalidawinebar
What an amazing place to experience a singer/songwriter! Thanks, Vino Salida, for creating such an intimate and...
Purple/pink cones of the ancient Bristlecone Pinetree
Ever seen the bright magenta pine cones of a Bristlecone pine tree? Look for them just below treeline where this OLDEST KNOWN SPECIES thrives. This tree can live for over 4,000 years!
Broken Strings Guitar Shop Window Display
Two young, aspiring musicians ogle the guitars in Broken Strings guitar shop, on F St. in Salida. If you’re in the market for a guitar, check this place out! They’ve got scads of great axes!
Spring Rain and Snow is Melting off Fast in Salida!
Salida got several inches of wet, heavy spring snow and rain over the weekend, making for a pretty murky Arkansas River. But it’s clearing up gorgeously, and this could be our greenest spring in a while! The sun is back out and melting everything off nicely, so the trails should be ride-able by Wednesday. Come play in Salida this weekend! Book directly on StayinSalida.com to get the best deal on your stay!
Moose Playing around Beaver Creek near Fairplay, Colorado
Less than a mile north of the cute little town of Fairplay, Colorado, on the Beaver Creek trail. These four moose made a brief appearance before disappearing back into the forest above the creek. Ski it, snowshoe it, or just hike it (likely not fit for bikes for at least a couple more months). It’s an easy trek you can make as short as you like, or follow it around all day!
Royal Gorge of the Arkansas River
Spectacular sunny views from the hiking and biking trails just outside of Royal Gorge Park. This time of year, there’s almost no one on them, and they’re surprisingly dry and warm. Miles and miles of easy biking and hiking trails to explore, and
Hidden ski trail and creek near Monarch, Colorado
Not far from Monarch Ski Area, this little gem of an unofficial trail was ripe for laying down fresh tracks.
Powder Alert: Monarch is getting hammered this weekend!
Powder days all Presidents Day weekend long at Monarch Mountain, starting today and it’s slated to keep getting pounded through Monday at least. Get your fattest skis on and get out there, shredders!
Snow on the Smelter smokestack
Salida’s local photographer and filmmaker Bill Donovan captured this drone shot of Salida’s smelter dusted in snow. We’re slated to get a bit more of the white stuff Wednesday night, but fingers crossed most of it falls up at Monarch Ski Area!
Durango Speakeasy
Ever entered a hidden bar/lounge through a library wall in a barber shop? Welp, head on over to Durango, CO, and you can do it. Excellent cocktails and ambiance.
Happy Halloween, from Salida!
If you’re on F Street tonight, make sure to watch for that Thriller-dancing flash mob! And if you’re not on F Street, why the heck not?!
Gothic, CO – ghost town turned climate research station
The gorgeous little ghost town of Gothic was named for the rocky spires that overlook the town like so many medieval church towers. The town has a handful of hearty, year-round residents, but in the summer it is mostly populated by climate researchers and hikers heading up into the Maroon Bells Wilderness area.
Fairview Cemetery of Salida, Colorado…
The lovely Fairview Cemetery on the edge of Salida, Colorado. You can get there from Airport Road (CR 140) or Crestone Avenue (CR 160).
Greetings from the King of Upper Como, Colorado, one of the state’s favorite railroad ghost towns
If you’re in the area Aug. 19th, check out Como’s Railroad Day festival! They’ll have the roundhouse fired up and will offer little pumpcart rides on the rails. See you there!
Bishop Castle is located in the Wet Mountains, about 30 miles outside the equally bizarre and beautiful little town of WestCliffe, Colorado, and about an hour away from Sailda, CO.
Music by the River, Anyone?
Just 7 miles upstream from Salida, The Drift in serves delicious cocktails, tacos, nachos, jokes at the bar, music on the stage…they’ve really got it all! Ride your bike out or float in. However you get here, you’re gonna have a blast and no doubt run into some of your local pals.
Cross-country ski trail, about to become a summer playground!
Cross-country ski trail near a section of the Colorado Trail, just past the Angel of Shavano Campground. About to become a beautiful hiking area along the North Fork Creek.
Heart Rock Collection in Salida, Colorado
This is Salida’s heart rock collection in Salida, Colorado. It’s been accumulating for at least twelve years, which was how long ago I discovered it.
Cairn Alert!
Cairn Alert! You can catch Cairns on Colorado Hiking Trails. A cairn is a human-made stack or pile of rocks used as a...
Drive Trip from Salida to Wyoming
Interested in a Drive Trip from Salida to Wyoming? If you want to check out a neat little uberwestern town (Population c. 30,000)…
Earthship-Building class! Enrollment open till October…
Looking for an Earthship-Building class? Um, yes please, I want to stay in a yurt on top of Poncha Pass surrounded by...
Hungry Bears in Salida on the Search
Leaving trash unsecured can lead to hungry bears in Salida on the search for easy food (and leaving you a mess!) I biked right under this big fella napping in some branches on Park Avenue recently.
Unicorns in Salida
Unicorn Spotting in Salida Recently seen from magical, downtown Salida! ...Yep, we have unicorns here.
Drive Trip: Bishop Castle in WestCliffe
What is it with wacky, rural Coloradans and hand-built castles? Does the west attract eccentrics, or does the secluded life drive them there?