Salida (Colorado)

Salida is a town in South Central Colorado. The nearby, smaller town of Poncha Springs is also treated in this article.

Get in
The Salida airport is for civil aviation and charter flights, and has no commercial service. The nearest airports with commercial service are in Pueblo and Colorado Springs some 100 miles to the east; Denver, slightly more distant, is a major air hub. Salida is on US 50, while Poncha Springs is on US 285. Both of these roads go over fairly high passes near town, to the west and south respectively; Poncha Pass on 285 is usually open through the winter except immediately after snowstorms, while higher Monarch Pass on 50 can take longer to re-open after it snows. Chains or 4WD are useful when driving in this area in the winter. Travel time from western metro Denver to Salida is approximately 2½ hours. To get the latest travel information visit the official website for Salida.

Do

 * River running: The nearby Arkansas River has famous whitewater, and the Brown's Canyon section is a classic. If you're not equipped for a float or paddle, try one of the several outfitters in the region.  (Advance reservations are a very good idea.)  Four Corners/Buffalo Joe's Rafting, +1 866-283-3563 is a well-regarded outfitter; try also Arkansas Valley Expeditions, +1-800-833-7238.  Several others are along US 24 on the way to  Buena Vista and are listed in the Buena Vista article.
 * Hot springs: There is a public bathhouse and hot-spring-fed pool on Rainbow Boulevard (main drag through town) that draws water from Poncha Spring near the town of the same name. The main pool is rather cool by hot-spring standards and is "family oriented," but there is also a smaller "therapeutic" pool with temperatures over, and private hot tubs are available for rental.

Go next

 * Monarch Mountain downhill ski area is a short distance west of town.
 * You can continue up-valley to Buena Vista for more outdoors activities. Many of the state's highest mountains are in the Sawatch Range west of US 24 between Salida and Buena Vista and are reachable by trails.  (Pay attention to the possibility of altitude sickness before venturing into them, however, and have good maps and equipment; although most of the Sawatch are gentle, people still die there.)