Salida, Colorado is the largest town in Chaffee County with a population around 6,000 people. The county is 80% public land and 20% private. 15 of the 54 fourteen thousand foot peaks of the Colorado Rocky Mountains reside in Chaffee County. All of this means recreational possibilities are endless and includes hunting, fishing, skiing/snowboarding, mountain biking, rafting/kayaking, golfing, hiking and trail running, within minutes of Salida.
The Banana belt is how locals refer to Salida's weather because of the mild winters in the valley and the 330 days of sunshine a year. However, during the winter nearby ski area, Monarch Mountain, averages 300 inches of snow a year.
Salida, a designated historic district founded in 1880, offers a downtown of independently owned arts galleries, shops and restaurants that will please the whole family along with a new regional medical center. An unpretentious town you will often see people moving about on old and new style cruiser bikes. During the summer Salida hosts many festivals, a farmers market and community gardens. The newly renovated Steam Plant Convention Center provides live entertainment all year round. Outside Magazine calls Salida one of the “Best American Dream Towns and Adventure Hideouts,” Men’s Journal says, "Salida is one of the 50 Best Places to Live” and U.S. News and World Report states, "Salida is a top 10 bargain retirement spot."
Salida is 2.5 hours from Denver or 2 hours from Colorado Springs, both of which offer major airports. Chaffee County offers 2 small airports, one in Salida and the other in Buena Vista. (20 minutes away)
Helpful links:
www.coloradoheadwaters.com Visitor's Bureau
www.salidachamber.org Salida's Chamber of Commerce
www.themountainmail.com Local Paper
www.skimonarch.com Monarch Mountain
www.hrrmc.com Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center
www.salida.k12.co.us/ Salida's Public School District R-32-J