Salida Ranger District
The Salida Ranger District is part of the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands located near the towns of Salida, Buena Vista and Poncha Springs. The district encompasses over 440,000 acres in central Colorado, "the heart of the Rockies." It's an outdoor recreation paradise with seven 14,000-foot peaks, also known as "fourteeners" (Harvard, Tabeguache, Yale, Columbia, Shavano, Princeton and Antero); three wilderness areas (Buffalo Peaks, Collegiate Peaks and Sangre de Cristo) and Browns Canyon National Monument.
The Forest Service manages most of the higher elevation areas, while the Arkansas River corridor is managed by Colorado State Parks and the Bureau of Land Management. The Arkansas River is one of the nation's most popular rivers for whitewater rafting and kayaking. It's also a designated "gold medal" trout fishing river. For fishing & hunting licenses or off-highway-vehicle (OHV) licenses, please contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The majority of the Salida Ranger District is located within Chaffee County. Nearly 80% of Chaffee County lands are public lands. Small portions of the district are also located in Lake, Fremont, Saguache and Park counties.
General Information
This recreation region is managed by the Salida Ranger District.
Passes & Permits
Visit recreation.gov or call 1-877-444-6777 for campground reservations. Campground reservations cannot be made ranger district offices.
Special use permits are required for groups of 75 or more persons and all commercial activities including outfitting and guiding. Visit the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Recreation Special Use Permits page to learn more.
America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes are a suite of annual and lifetime passes that provides U.S. citizens and visitors an affordable and convenient way to access Federal recreational lands. Up to 100% of the Pass program's proceeds are used to improve and enhance visitor recreation services.
Complexes
The Browns Creek Area found along Forest Service Roads 272 and 274, offers visitors views of Mount White and Mount Antero. The area is popular for camping, hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.
Trails in the area include:
- Browns Creek Trail #1429
- Little Browns Creek Trail #1430
- Wagon Loop #1427
- Colorado Trail #1776-Segment 14 (Chalk Creek Trailhead to US-50)
Chalk Creek Canyon, one of the valley's most popular areas. The Chalk Creek canyon was once home to the Chalk Creek mining district, one of Colorado's richest mining districts. During the 1870's and 1880's the towns of Hortense, Alpine, St. Elmo, Romley and Hancock thrived as a result of the discovery of gold and silver-laden ore.
Camping and campfires are restricted in the Chalk Creek Canyon to Mt. Princeton Campground, Chalk Lake Campground, Cascade Campground and Iron City Campground only. Campers who are unable to find a campsite in one of the four developed campgrounds may camp above the townsite of St. Elmo on County Road 267 or near the Hancock townsite located 5 miles south on Forest Road 295. Additional camping is available in the Browns Creek area south of County Road 162 at the junction of County roads 270 and 272.
An information and interpretive kiosk detailing the history and geology of the area is located just off of County Road 162.
Trails in this area include:
- Alpine Tunnel Trail #1438
- Cascade Creek Loop Trail #1433
- Poplar Gulch Trail #1436
- Tunnel Lake Trail #1439
- Hancock Lakes Trail# 1422
- Pomeroy Lakes Trail #1437
- Narrow Gauge Trail #1433
- Colorado Trail #1776 Segment 14 (Chalk Creek Trailhead to US-50)
Cascade Campground offers 21 sites, each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Firewood is sold on-site.
Mount Princeton Campground offers 19 sites equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring with grill. Wheelchair accessible vault toilets are provided.
Chalk Lake Campground offers 19 sites each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring.
Chalk Lake Fishing Site is located next to the Chalk Lake Campground and is a great family fishing spot with rainbow, brook and brown trout.
Iron City Campground is located within the Chalk Creek Canyon, which is one of the valley's most popular areas, offering access to many ATV trails.
Baldwin Lake is a small alpine lake located to the west of Mount Antero (14,269 ft).
The Ghost House is located near the historic mining and railroading town of St. Elmo. Built by Mr. Ghost, an early mining and real estate developer in the 1880's.
The Grizzly Lake road is rough, rocky and considered a difficult route by most 4-wheel enthusiasts.
Upper and Lower Hancock lakes are located south of the historic townsite of St. Elmo.
The lakes have very good fishing for cutthroat and Rainbow crossed with cutthroat. It is stocked periodically and the average sized fish is 10 - 12 inches.
The historic stagecoach road (Forest Road 292) travels up the Chalk Creek Canyon from Alpine to the historic townsite of St. Elmo.
The Cottonwood Lake Area is found along County Road 344 near Buena Vista, Colorado. The area offers fishing, hiking and off-roading in the summer and snowmobiling, cross country skiing and ice fishing in the winter.
Trails in the area include:
- Green Timber Gulch/Poplar Gulch Trail #1436
- Colorado Trail #1776 Segment 13 Silver Creek Trailhead to Chalk Creek Trailhead
Cottonwood Lake is an 40 acre, man-made lake that serves as one of the water sources for the town of Buena Vista, Colorado.
Cottonwood Lake Campground has 25 sites and is situated on a gently sloping hillside surrounded by aspen trees, within walking distance to the lake. It is a popul
Cottonwood Lake Picnic Area is located on the eastern shore of Cottonwood Lake. The picnic area has 17 sites with picnic tables and grills.
Mineral Basin is located west of Cottonwood Lake campground. The groomed trail travels west up to Mineral Basin to the Continental Divide.
The Cottonwood Pass Area is found along County Road 306, near Buena Vista, Colorado. This area offers spectacular views of the Continental Divide at the 12,126-foot summit, access to the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, as well as camping and hiking opportunities in the summer and snowmobiling and cross-country skiing in the winter.
Trails in the area include:
- Ptarmigan Lake Trail #1444
- Lost Lake Trail #1532
- Kroenke Lake Trail #1448
- Horn Fork Basin Trail #1449
- Browns Pass #1442
- Hartenstein Lake #1443
The summit of Cottonwood Pass is located at an elevation of 12,126 feet. Views from the top show both sides of the Continental Divide.
Collegiate Peaks campground is heavily wooded with 56 campsites arranged along three loops.
Collegiate Peaks Wilderness was designated by the United States Congress in 1980, and it now has a total of 167,584 acres.
Denny Creek Trailhead is a major access point to the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness area.
The Fourmile Travel Management Area is located in northern Chaffee County, Colorado and consists of 100,000 acres of USDA Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands. The area offers an incredible variety of recreational activities from ATV and motorcycle riding to hiking, biking, rock climbing and horseback riding.
The Fourmile Travel Management Area can be accessed from many locations. From Buena Vista, Colorado you can access the area via County Road 371/375 and from the River Park Bridge on Main Street. Other access points are off of Highways 285/24 and include County roads 304, 305, 307, 308, 311 and 315. The southern portion of the Fourmile area can be accessed at County Road 301, 300 and 185 (Aspen Ridge north of Salida).
Fourmile Travel Management Area Map
Trails in this area include:
- ATV Trail #1414
- ATV Trail #1415
- ATV Trail #1434 & 1434.A
- ATV Trail #1450.A
- Arnold Gulch Trail #300.A
- Bald Mountain Spur Trail #300.B
- Davis Meadow Trail #1413
- Midland Bike Trail #1450
- Hefley Saddle Trail #1435
- Triad Ridge Trail #1423
- Triad Ridge East Trail #1424
- Triad Ridge Single Track Trail #1425
- Vitamin B Trail #1533
- Yan Sing Gulch Trail #1423.A
The Four Mile Trailhead provides access to: Rough and Tumbling Creek Trail #617 which ente
Browns Canyon National Monument is 21,566 acres that was officially designated in 2015 and remains relatively undeveloped.
The cabin was built around 1911 and was home to a Forest guard. Forest guards lived and worked in remote areas on National Forest lands.
The Hayden Pass area located on the banks of Hayden Creek and at the base of the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The area is thick with gamble oak, juniper, and cottonwood trees.
Trails in this area include:
- Rainbow Trail (#1336) Hayden Creek
Coaldale Campground will be closed until infrastructure repairs are completed.
Hayden Creek Campground is a hidden gem on the Salida Ranger District. The campground is small with only eleven sites.
Sangre de Cristo Wilderness was designated by Congress in 1993, and it now has a total of 220,803 acres.
Monarch Pass is between Gunnison and Poncha Springs along Colorado’s Highway 50, which crosses the Continental Divide at 11,312 feet, offering sweeping vistas of central Colorado’s Sawatch Range. A large parking area, gift shop, and gondola make this a popular rest stop. It also serves as the trailhead for the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail.
Trails in this area include:
- Hunt Lake Trail #1420
- Waterdog Lakes Trail #1417
- Greens Creek Trail #1412
- Boss Lake/CDNST Trail #1419
- Monarch Ridge #531
- Pass Creek Trail #1411
- Little Cochetopa Trail #1409
Campground will be closed until approximately July 4th weekend, 2025.
Monarch Ski Area is located near the summit of Monarch Pass just 20 miles west of Salida, Colorado.
Monarch Pass is between Gunnison and Poncha Springs along Colorado’s Highway 50, which crosses the Continental Divide at 11,312 feet, offering sweeping vista
The Angel of Shavano Campground is ideally suited for tent camping.
This group campground is located near the Angel of Shavano Campground and adjacent to the cree
North Fork Campground is the highest elevation campground on the Salida Ranger District.
Th O'Haver Lake area located off of Highway 285 and County Road 200 off Poncha Pass, south of Poncha Springs, Colorado. The area offers mountain views, creeks and a small lake. In the fall, this area delights visitors with the spectacular foliage golden yellow aspen trees.
The most popular activities are camping, hiking, mountain biking, fishing and OHV riding over Marshall Pass.
Trails in this area include:
- Silver Creek Trail #1407
- Starvation Creek Trail #1408
- Rainbow Trail (#1336) Mears Junction East
- Rainbow Trail (#1336) Mears Junction West
- Colorado Trail #1776-Segment 15 US-50 to Marshall Pass Trailhead
O'Haver Lake Campground sits at an elevation of 9,200 feet, with ponderosa pines and aspen, with campsites located on the shores O'Haver Lake.
O'Haver Lake Picnic Area has four picnic tables and four standing grills provided and located within the O'Haver Lake Campground. O'Haver Lake is a grea
Shirley Site is located off of Highway 285 and County Road 200 just below Poncha Pass.
The Colorado Trail is a backcountry multi-use trail connecting Denver and Durango, CO. It is over 483 miles of contiguous trail. The exact mileage for the trail is ever changing as trail segments are changed and re-routed. The project that was to be the Colorado Trail began in 1973 with a grant from the Gates Foundation and was completed in 1987.
The trail sees considerable usage from day hikers, mountain bikers (although not in sections in Wilderness), horseback riders, and die-hard thru hikers. The trail is maintained by the Colorado Trail Foundation and the USDA Forest Service.
The Colorado Trail and the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail follow the same path for approximately 200 miles.
The segments of the Colorado Trail #1776 on the Salida Ranger District include:
- Segment 13 Silver Creek Trailhead to Chalk Creek Trailhead
- Segment 14 Chalk Creek Trailhead to US-50
- Segment 15 US-50 to Marshall Pass Trailhead
Fourteeners are mountain peaks that reach 14,000 feet or more and are not to be taken lightly, and visitors should take the proper precautions when visiting these peaks. Along with high altitude sickness, visitors can experience exhaustion and dehydration. Visitors coming from low altitude areas should take some time to acclimatize themselves before attempting the peaks.
Many Fourteeners are located in Wilderness areas where special regulations apply. Wilderness areas are intended to be a place where the imprint of humans is substantially unnoticed; where natural processes are the primary influences, and human activity is limited to primitive recreation and minimum tools.
Mountain Safety Videos
Climbing is dangerous, even deadly! There are no shortcuts. Check out Colorado Fourteeners Initiative YouTube Channel to learn more about the risks associated with climbing and how to help protect the rare and fragile alpine tundra ecosystems on these peaks.
Safety and ethics
- Review outdoor recreation safety information and be prepared for your trip.
- Follow Leave No Trace principles to help protect our special places.
- Wilderness.net - This multi-agency site works to connect federal employees, scientists, educators, and the public with their wilderness heritage.
Mount Antero is one of the Colorado Fourtneers with an elevation of 14,276ft. The peak was named for Chief Antero of the Uintah band of Ute tribe.
This trail can be accessed via Forest Road 322 which climbs the east side of the peak from the Young Life Camp.
The trail travels along a saddle south of the summit and the last 0.5 miles to the summit is marked by a few rock cairns.
The Rainbow Trail #1336 which travels east from the Poncha Springs, Colorado area along the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The Rainbow Trail is over 100 miles in length and travels south from the Salida area into the Wet Mountain valley and terminates near the Great Sand Dunes National Park. The sections of the Rainbow Trail on the Salida Ranger District are open to motorcycles, mountain bikers, horse and foot traffic but closed to OHV's and 4-wheeled vehicles.
Sections of the trail include:
- Rainbow Trail (#1336) Mears Junction East
- Rainbow Trail (#1336) Mears Junction West
- Rainbow Trail (#1336) Methodist Mountain
- Rainbow Trail (#1336) at Bear Creek Trailhead
- Rainbow Trail (#1336) Hayden Creek
This trailhead is located east of Salida, off of County Road 101 and accesses the Rainbow Trail (#1336) which travels east from the Poncha Springs area along the base of th
The Sangre De Cristo Wilderness was established in 1993 to preserve its quality, character, and integrity. This area is intended to be a place where the imprint of humans is substantially unnoticed; where natural processes are the primary influences, and human activity is limited to primitive recreation and minimum tools. Please follow Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics to ensure that this and future generations experience this special place in its natural condition.
The trails in this area are steep and rugged, offering a challenge even to experienced hikers. These trails are non-motorized and non-mechanized wilderness trails.
Trails in this area include:
- Bushnell Lakes Trail #1402
- Stout Creek Lakes Trail #1403
- Hunts Lake Trail #1405
Recreation Sites
Angel of Shavano Campground
Angel of Shavano Group Area
Baldwin Lake
Bassam Guard Station/Cabin
Bootleg Campground
Browns Canyon National Monument
Cascade Campground
Chaffee County Shooting Range
Chalk Lake Campground
Chalk Lake Fishing Site