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The Denver Post now rates the Arkansas River as one of the state's best places
to fish for brown trout (some reported catches over 20"), although the entire
Arkansas Valley is an abundant fishing paradise with all of it's many square
miles of reservoirs, natural lakes and streams.
Beginners and children find the Hayden Meadows Lake (Lake County), the Buena
Vista Town Lake and other similarly stocked lakes and ponds a way to "guarantee"
a successful fishing experience, while the more experienced anglers can find high
yield experiences via boating, tubing, wading or lakeside fishing.
Spring and summer are seasons ready for the voracious mackinaw... ready to take
large bait and lures from the patient angler. Among the eagerly awaited
fishing season is the caddis fly hatching when the trout literally go crazy gorging
themselves on the emerging flies.
Family fishing site are available throughout the valley with picnic tables, grills,
and other facilities, although the Arkansas Valley is also well known to the more
adventurous who can follow maps to the clear mountain streams which host the abundant
green and mountain trout.
Certain restriction apply in some locations... limit and size... so it's important to
check with experts before taking off.
The Arkansas Valley offers three public golf courses, one in Leadville (Mt. Massive
Golf Course), one in Buena Vista (Collegiate Peaks Golf Course), and one in Salida
(Salida Golf Club Bar & Grill). Because of the frequent mild temperatures, Buena
Vista's course is open year 'round.
These courses offer spectacular views of the mountains, with well maintained greens and fairways.
- The Mt. Massive course just outside Leadville (9 holes) is North America's highest
course at 9,700 feet above sea level. Club house open 7-7, weather permitting.
- The Collegiate Peaks course just outside Buena Vista offers 9 holes of wide fairways
and four lakes. Bar and snack bar open 7 days a week.
- Salida Golf Club in Salida offers one of the most scenic courses with bar and grill
and golf shop. Typically open from March to November.
Hiking and mountain biking in the Arkansas Valley offers spectacular views, great exercise
and a chance to visit historical sites not accessible by motorized vehicles. The
famous Colorado Trail runs through the valley in many places and offers access to the
many lakes, streams and ghost towns that seem to be everywhere. Maps are available
from many merchants in the valley as well as the Leadville and Salida Ranger District
offices (Leadville and Salida respectively) which lay out the miles and miles of spectacular
hiking and mountain biking trails.
Most of the valley consists of public lands (U.S. Forest or BLM); however it's important
to watch for posted signs. The Colorado Trail often runs through private property,
however as long as you remain on the trail, you're in good shape. We've included
safety information on this site which you should review prior to taking off and certainly
get first hand information from the local merchants in our area about degree of difficulty
and supplies that you should take with you.
Leadville hosts the Mineral Belt Trail which is 12.5 miles, open all season as weather
permits, with approximately 6 miles running through the historic mining district.
Designed for bicycles, walkers, wheelchairs, strollers, and in-line skaters. The
trail is groomed in the winter for freestyle and classic Nordic skiing, snowshoeing and
winter biking.
The Monarch Crest Trail, the Midland Trail (the old railroad bed of the Midland Railroad
route), the Marshall Pass Road (great for families), and countless others can be found on
trail maps throughout Chaffee County. The views of the 14,000 peaks are spectacular!
Because of the rich heritage of the Arkansas Valley, exploring our historical landmarks is
perhaps the single most popular activity. It was the gold boom of 1860 which brought
tens of thousands of hopeful prospectors west and later the silver boom which made countless
millionaires over night. To help you discover and appreciate this fascinating history,
the Arkansas Valley has a myriad of tours you can participate in, including self guided tours
as well as jeep tours. In addition to these, here's the "short" list of some of the
tours you might consider taking (contact the local Chambers of Commerce for more information):
Leadville/Lake County:
- "The Earth Runs Silver"... captures the drama of Leadville's legendary mining camps.
This presentation is shown year 'round.
- Healy House and Dexter Cabin tour… a glimpse into two of Leadville's original homes.
- Augusta Tabor Home... built in 1878 this original home is filled with Tabor memorabilia.
- Tabor Opera House... this opera house hosted Houdini, Sousa's Marine Band and countless
other famous performances.
- Doc Holliday's... this 45 minute tour shows where Doc Holliday stayed while in Leadville
and explores the old bordello.
- Delaware Hotel... "Murder and Mayhem" tour, as well as a complete tour through this
magnificent hotel are hosted at the Delaware (by reservation).
- National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum... this amazing facility documents the history of
mining, with displays, artifacts and amazing stories of the early west.
- Matchless Mine... the hub of the Horace and Baby Doe Tabor story is preserved here and
the tour included the entire story of this rags-to-riches-and-back-to-rags story.
- Leadville National Fish Hatchery... second oldest fish hatchery in the US, (established
in 1889)... this will amaze and delight the entire family.
- Leadville, Colorado and Southern Railroad Scenic Train ride... 2.5 hour ride leaving
from the historic depot, traveling 11 miles out following the Arkansas River toward
Fremont Pass.
- Evergreen Cemetery... Dating back to 1879 this cemetery has over 22,000 inhabitants.
- Historic Walking Tour... view 21 of the most amazing historical building that typify
the early west development of Colorado.
Chaffee County:
- Buena Vista Walking Tour... many of the town's buildings date back to the 1880's and
this self guided and toured walking tour takes you to some of the most interesting homes.
- Salida Walking Tour... Salida thrived as a railroad hub for many years, and its historical
buildings prove why Salida touts itself as the largest historical district in the state.
- Gondola Ride... located at the top of Monarch Pass, the Monarch Crest Scenic Tram will
take you to over 12,000 feet in elevation to view some of Colorado's most scenic peaks.
- Clear Creek Canyon auto tour... follow this gravel road to one of Chaffee County's boom
areas and explore the ghost towns of Vicksburg, Rockdale and Winfield. See the Vicksburg
museum and restored ghost town of Winfield, then follow the trail to the Banker Mine
and Winfield Cemetery.
- Ghost Town of St. Elmo... this auto accessible historic district will take you to the
restored ghost town of St. Elmo and provided access to the ghost towns of Hancock, Romley
and the Alpine Tunnel hike.
- Shavano... located northwest of Maysville is the former town site of Shavano, one of
the county's earliest gold mining camps.
- Turret... located 12 miles north of Salida, Turret was another gold camp worth exploring
- Lost Mine... the Lost Mine located a short distance south of Salida offers one of only
13 guided tours in the state through an actual mine. The caverns and crystals in this
mine are a "must-see"... tours by reservation only.
Horseback riding in the Arkansas Valley is almost a way of life here. Enjoy daily rides, overnight
trips, champagne breakfasts on the trail... and visit fishing areas, ghost towns and spectacular views.
Riders of all levels of experience are welcome.
You may also find a carriage ride or wagon tour a real treat for the entire family. Witness
the historical buildings in the warmth of our Arkansas Valley sun as you plod down the main streets,
or jump on a hay bale in one of our wagons and hit the high country trails.
The famed hot springs of the valley were originally thought to have healing powers among the Indians
and early prospectors. Today they offer soothing heat, and swimming and diving fun. Some
hot springs spill into nearby Cottonwood Creek in Chaffee County and allow visitors to sit in the river
with 90+ degree water rushing over them. Private hot springs for soaking as well as public hot
spring swimming pools are located throughout Chaffee County.
The Arkansas Valley is well known for its trophy hunting opportunities. Big game abounds here,
including elk, deer, pronghorn antelope, big horn sheep, mountain goat, moose and bear. You can
no longer obtain an over-the-counter deer license. You must apply. Guide services are
available if you need assistance or are unfamiliar with the area.
- Archery season opens: Aug 30th
- Muzzle Loading Rifle season opens: September 13th
- Rifle season opens: Oct 11th
- (check DOW or local merchants for restrictions)
Not only are there countless off-road trails for the ATV and jeep enthusiast, but organized
tours are also hosted by local clubs and organizations. In late September The Color
Run ATV tour is hosted through mining camps, ghost towns and high mountain lakes... right
when the aspen colors are at their peak.
We urge you to respect private property and watch for posted signs. Some trails pass
through private property and you are asked to PLEASE stay on the trails. Because there
are literally so many trails, we suggest you contact a local guide service for detailed maps
and instructions.
Here's just three of the 4-wheel drive and ATV trails in the Arkansas Valley:
- Mosquito Pass (Lake County)... an exciting ride outside Leadville past the London
Mill over to the John Dyer memorial site, then down the other side to the gold boom
town of Alma.
- Bassam Park-Aspen Ridge (Chaffee County)... one of the most spectacular rides during
aspen season
- Chalk Creek Canyon (Chaffee County)... follow the old railroad bed to the ghost town
of St. Elmo, then Romley and the Mary Murphy Mine ruins.
Maybe the first minerals we think of in the Arkansas Valley are gold and silver... probably
because of the huge gold and silver boom towns that pulled tens of thousands of tons of the
ore to the surface. But the Valley actually offers one of the best areas for rock,
mineral and gem hunting in the western states. The valley is a highly mineralized belt
that has eroded enough to expose many of these beautiful rocks and gems... like fluorite,
topaz, petrified wood, peridot, Indian tear drops, and countless others.
Favorite and productive sites include the Mt. Antero and Mt. White areas, as well as ruby
Mountain, and Taylor Mountain. Since many areas are located on private property, it's
best to talk with the many experts in the Valley for guidance on the best and most accessible
locations for rock hounding.
Did you know the Arkansas River is the most popular rafting river in the world? It's
because of the wide diversity of rafting choices... Class I thru Class V rapids... 1/2 day to
5 day trips... beginner to expert... accessibility to major drop off points... the most
whitewater per mile anywhere... and the length of the season. Where else can you and
your family take an exciting trip down a vibrant river, through a beautiful canyon and get
that little adrenal rush as you pass through whitewater rapids?
Or if you're a bit more adventurous how about blasting through some intense rapids like the
Graveyard, Numbers, Raft Ripper, Zoom Flume, Bid Drop and Widowmaker. Kayakers enjoy
this spectacular river as well, and thousands take advantage of this playground every year.
For more information, contact any one of the over 50 outfitters and guides listed here who
will make certain your trip down the Arkansas River is the most enjoyable you've ever experienced.
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