Overview
Buena Vista is a town in Chaffee County, south central Colorado. Although there's not much to the town, its setting between the Arkansas River and Sawatch Range, highest range of the Rocky Mountains, is magnificent, and it is a good jumping-off point for many kinds of outdoor recreational activities.
5 things to do · 1 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Buena Vista
Arkansas Valley Adventures
This outfit includes camping facilities where you can spend the night in anticipation of an early-morning start on the river.
Bill Dvorak's Rafting and Kayak Expeditions
Top quality rafting, kayaking, and fly fishing tours throughout the Rocky Mountain Region. Dvorak Expeditions specializes in Arkansas River excursions, from Brown's Canyon to the Royal Gorge and more.
River Runners
Rafting outfits come and go, but these folks have been around for a long time. Camping on-site also possible here.
AmericanAdventure Expeditions
Offers whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River. Book a half day, full day or overnight rafting trip.
Browns Canyon Rafting
Experienced Arkansas River rafting guides for all skill levels. Half day, full day and overnight rafting trips available.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Jun–Aug. Summer highs reach about 79°F; winter lows dip to about 5°F. Cold months (Jan, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Aug and Jul. (climate data from nearby Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- ASE Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (Sardy Field), Aspen — 48 mi away. Directions
- GUC Gunnison Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison — 48 mi away. Directions
- COS City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, Colorado Springs — 77 mi away (major hub). Directions
The Chaffee County Regional Airport is located southwest of town. There does not appear to be commercial service into this airport, however. (Note that if you're hiking in the nearby Sawatch Mountains, which are convenient to Buena Vista, there are many viewpoints from which you can watch planes on the approach to this airport below you.)
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Browns Canyon Rafting, Arkansas Valley Adventures, Bill Dvorak's Rafting and Kayak Expeditions
- Lunch K's Dairy Delite
- Afternoon River Runners, AmericanAdventure Expeditions
- Evening The Lariat
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
There's about a dozen local restaurants and the only fast-food joint is Pizza Hut. Most restaurants are on US 24 or Main Street, the town's two major thoroughfares.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
The Chaffee County Regional Airport is located southwest of town. There does not appear to be commercial service into this airport, however. (Note that if you're hiking in the nearby Sawatch Mountains, which are convenient to Buena Vista, there are many viewpoints from which you can watch planes on the approach to this airport below you.)
Buena Vista is located approximately 94 miles west of Colorado Springs and is reached from there via west on Hwy. 24 to Hwy 285 and then north for approximately two miles. It's just a two-hour drive from western metro Denver via US 285.
Get around
Bring your own vehicle, pedals or walking shoes. Also, The Chaffee Shuttle operates by appointment, offering public transportation for the Buena Vista area to appointments, shopping and other destinations. Call for info: 719-395-6231 or neighborsbv@yahoo.com.
Do
Hike, bike, fish, raft, kayak. Base camp and provisioning stop for through-hikers on the Continental Divide Trail and Colorado Trail. Also attracts off-road enthusiasts in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter exploring old mining ghost towns and trails west of town and the Fourmile Recreation Area east of town.
Enjoy soaking in geothermal hot springs at kid-friendly Mount Princeton Resort. Cottowood Hot Springs is clothing optional after dark.
Fishing
- Fishing: quieter stretches of the Arkansas offer reasonable trout fishing and are accessible via SR 24. Many of the mountain streams entering the Arkansas are also good for trout.
River running
The Arkansas River runs through town and offers white-water experiences ranging from beginner-level to seriously hairy. If you're not equipped to tackle the river on your own, try one of the services in and near town that run rafting trips ranging from a few hours to multiple days in length. Advance reservations are nearly mandatory and are required by some outfitters. Some outfitters (there are others, feel free to add to this list if you have a good experience with one):
Buy
Colorado Kayak Supply, one of the country's top-selling paddlesports shops is on Main Street. The Trailhead has all kinds of land lubber outdoor equipment gear rentals and sales plus outdoor clothing, maps, basically anything you forgot to pack for your trip. Both shops have knowledgeable sales staff who live, eat and breathe a steady diet of outdoor adventure and are happy to share tips and advice.
Eat
There's about a dozen local restaurants and the only fast-food joint is Pizza Hut. Most restaurants are on US 24 or Main Street, the town's two major thoroughfares.
Eat K's Dairy Delite
A cool old ice cream stand that serves grilled to order burgers and hot dogs too and issues movie star/famous celebrity names to track your order.
Drink
Don't expect any umbrella drinks or wine tasting bars.
Drink The Lariat
A shot 'n' beer kind of no nonsense watering hole that exudes lots of local flavor.
Sleep
Stay Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort
It overstates the case severely to call this bucolic motel and pool complex a "resort," but for the hot springs enthusiast who doesn't mind rustic and rudimentary accommodations, it can be a pleasant place for a dip. Curious and colorful characters collect here. The link wasn't working in May 2009, and the business may have succumbed to the economic downturn.
Go next
Buena Vista is in some of the most beautiful landscape anywhere, and outdoor recreational opportunities abound nearby. Note that the high country nearby is seriously high; to avoid altitude sickness, it's wise to spend a night or two in the lowlands for some acclimatization before undertaking something strenuous.
- Scenic drives: while you're acclimatizing, do some "windshield touring" along Colorado's newest designated scenic route, the Collegiate Peaks Scenic Byway that connects Buena Vista with its sister town and county seat, Salida. If it's open, the road to Independence Pass is a must. Drive north from Buena Vista on US 24, then west on SR 82, which continues over the pass to Aspen. Caution: If you have respiratory problems, get your physician's permission before doing this drive. The pass is at an elevation above 12,000', and while you won't be at the highest elevation for long, don't jeopardize your health to see it. The scenery at the pass itself is astounding, of course, but there are also beautiful spots along the way that don't require quite as much oxygen deficit. Note that this route closes for extensive periods during the winter, owing to snow on the pass.
- Hiking, backpacking and climbing: the superb Sawatch Range, with most of Colorado's highest mountains (including 14,432' Mount Elbert, highest of them all), is directly west of town, and many trails lead into the high country from trailheads nearby. Many of these are reached by extremely rough Forest Service roads that will require a high-clearance vehicle -- not just an urban SUV, but something seriously equipped for the roads. Unfortunately, Buena Vista itself is too small for car rentals; you'll have to arrange rental of an SUV closer to your point of origin. ATV and jeep rentals and tours are available through BV Jeeps, Hgh Country Jeep Trous and All Season Adventures.
- Alpine skiing: perhaps surprisingly, there are no major ski areas in the Sawatch Range itself. The nearest resort is Monarch Mountain southwest of town near Salida and Poncha Springs. It's one of Colorado's more "family"-oriented ski areas, with a number of fairly easy slopes and maybe not as many double-diamond adventures as at some other sites. Bigger destination resorts such as Copper Mountain is an hour north via US 24 over well-maintained Fremont Pass and Vail is just a tad further west on I-70. Breckendridge is 1-1/2 hours away via US 285 to Fairplay then head north over Hoosier Pass. Backcountry ski touring and snowshoeing is also popular.
Nearby
Salida
City / town · 11 listings · 22 mi away
Poncha Springs
City / town · 20 listings · 23 mi away
Fairplay
City / town · 1 listings · 27 mi away
Leadville
City / town · 9 listings · 30 mi away
Aspen
City / town · 47 listings · 44 mi away
Breckenridge
City / town · 47 listings · 44 mi away
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Park · 8 listings · 46 mi away
Copper Mountain
City / town · 46 mi away
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