Salida is one of the neatest towns in America. Whether you like to live life on the edge or keeps things casual there’s so much to do in Salida, Colorado. Something that makes Salida special is its remoteness. Given the nearest airport is 3 hours away, Salida never seems to get too crowded or touristy. If you are thinking about traveling to Salida or already booked your trip – you made one of the best decisions of your life! Seriously, you won’t regret it.
We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite things to do in Salida to make your stay a trip to remember.
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Outdoor Adventures in Salida, CO
1. Explore S Mountain
When you travel to downtown Salida, S Mountain is hard to miss. It’s something we always recommend our guests do and they always thanks us for it later. While visiting you’ll likely see a number of mountain bikers throughout town and on S Mountain. There are some amazing mountain biking trails throughout S Mountain such as the S-Mtn Tech Gnar Ride, but you can also hike up to the top and enjoy the same view! Either way it’s a great workout with beautiful scenery and it always seems to make the beer and food taste even better.
2. Ski at Monarch Mountain
Monarch Mountain is the closest ski and snowboarding mountain to Salida and offers amazing riding. With only 5 chair lifts, it’s not quite as crowded and popular as larger mountains like Copper or Vail, but this only makes it better. It’s super easy to navigate around the whole mountain, stop in the lodge for lunch, and get to your car unlike larger ski resorts throughout Colorado.
3. Experience the Arkansas River
One of Salida’s most beautiful features is the Arkansas River. Occupied by rafters, kayakers, fisherman and the occasional tuber, you could sit here and take in the scenery for hours.
Other ways to enjoy the Arkansas river include walking or riding a bike along the paved trail or grabbing a drink at one of the many restaurants along the river.
4. Rent Snowmobiles
This might be our top recommendation for the adventurous type. Going on a guided snowmobile tour through the incredible Rocky Mountains is a once in a lifetime experience. There are few things more fulfilling than experiencing the remote Rocky’s first hand. If it fits in your budget, you must go.
For a great snowmobile experience check out Rocky Mountain Adventure Rentals. We’ve gone on a few trips with RMAR and it’s been unforgettable every time.
Restaurants & Breweries
1. Moonlight Pizza & Brewpub
What’s better than margaritas, craft beer, and pizza? A food and drink staple in Salida is Moonlight Pizza. You can expect a fun atmosphere with an eclectic group of people and delicious food and drinks. You can’t go wrong with any of their thin crust pizzas or craft beers. It is so good! Check out their website for happy hours to make the experience all the more delicious!
2. Have a Craft Beer at Tres Litros
No town would be complete without a great local craft brewery and Salida is no exception. Tres Litros Beer Company provides a great ambience with indoor & outdoor seating, live music and a great selection of craft beers including IPAs, Stouts, Lagers & more. Read our best breweries in Salida guide for more info.
Vintage, Art & Music Shops
1. Rocky Mountain Guitars & Mercantile
One of the hidden gems of Salida is the Rocky Mountain Guitar Company owned by luthier Jeff Bamburg. This place is awesome whether you are a musician or not. Bamburg builds his custom acoustic guitars in the back of the shop which makes the experience all the more incredible. One time while stopping in, he even gave us a tour of the woodshop and his guitar building process.
The store is also a mercantile and sells cigars, knives, gifts, unique craft clothing, music accessories and other awesome items. If you are really serious about guitars, the shop offers a guitar building class.
2. Ruby Blues Vintage Clothes
Another favorite shop worth stopping into is Ruby Blues located in the heart of downtown Salida. We almost never walk out empty handed from this awesome store – you’ve been warned!
Places to Stay
1. Rent A Luxury Log Home
There are many incredibles places to stay throughout Salida, but one of the best ways to experience the beauty of Salida is to rent a remote log home. Staying a few minutes outside of downtown Salida will allow you to fully experience the shooting stars, mountain ranges and wildlife that inhabit the area.
Moonlight Acres is just a short drive or bike ride to town and offers the best of both worlds with privacy and close proximity to everything Salida has to offer.
Situated on 7 acres of private property, the log home comes equipped with a hot tub, sauna, 2-story woodburning fireplace & incredible views of the Rocky Mountains. There’s nothing better than putting your feet up next to a warm fire after a long day in town or on the mountains.