Chaffee County - 49 Attractions You Must Visit

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About Chaffee County

Chaffee County is one of the 64 counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is home to Buena Vista, Salida & Poncha Springs Colorado. 14,000-foot peaks to the west and the Arkansas River to the east make these communities unique. Create your own adventure and enjoy all that Colorado outdoors has to.

Types of Attractions in Chaffee County

Activities Around

List of Attractions in Chaffee County

Hope Pass

Hope Pass

Mountain Passes

Hope Pass sits just below 13,000 feet in the shadow of Hope Peak. It's a long and fairly technical trek that weaves through dense forest. Enjoy this 8.7-km out-and-back trail near Buena Vista, Colorado. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 4 h 21 min to complete. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring.

Hunt Lake Trail

Hunt Lake Trail

Lake/ River/ Ponds

Hunt Lake Trail is a short hike below the Continental Divide north of the summit of Monarch Pass and east of Salida, Colorado. The trail is fairly steep in places and moves over rocky, rough terrain. Hiking poles are a good idea to provide yourself with extra stability. Ensure that you have proper footwear that offer good stability for this rough granite trail with has lots of ups and downs.

Huron Peak

Huron Peak

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Huron Peak is a high mountain summit of the Collegiate Peaks in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. IT is separated from them by deep cols, resulting in a moderately high topographic prominence. The main route to the summit of Huron Peak begins from the Clear Creek / South Winfield Trailhead. To reach the trailhead, drive westbound on Chaffee County 390 off U.S. Highway 24.

La Plata Peak

La Plata Peak

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

La Plata Peak is another big and bulky Sawatch mountain, similar in configuration to Colorado's highest two mountains Mt. Elbert and Mt Massive. The nearby ghost towns of Winfield and Hamilton were prominent silver mining towns in the early part of the 20th century. Northwest Ridge and the Ellingwood Ridge are the prominent climbing routes in this area.

Midland Hill

Midland Hill

Viewpoints

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

A majestic hill that was located in the heart of Chaffee, which offers breathtaking views and its trail is an out-and-back trail where you may see local wildlife located near Buena Vista, Colorado.

Missouri Gulch Trailhead

Missouri Gulch Trailhead

Outdoors- Other

1 Day Treks

The Missouri Gulch trail is located in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area of the San Isabel National Forest between Leadville and Buena Vista, Colorado. It begins at a large parking area south of Clear Creek Road (Chaffee County Road 390) across the road from the old town of Vicksburg. This trail ends at its junction with the Pine Creek Trail. The first 3.5 miles are strenuous, with an elevation gain of 3,500 feet.

Missouri Mountain

Missouri Mountain

1 Day Treks

Rock Climbing Spots

Mountain Peaks

Missouri Mountain is a high mountain summit in the Collegiate Peaks of the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. This mountain offers one of the few opportunities for any technical climbing in the Sawatch Range. It is possible to climb Belford, Oxford and Missouri together, but it makes for a long, hard day. This is a popular trail for camping, hiking, and snowshoeing, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day.

Monarch Mountain

Monarch Mountain

Skiing Spots

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Monarch Mountain is one of the oldest Colorado ski areas, which opened in 1939. It’s located in the central Rocky Mountains near Salida and receives over 350 inches of snow each year. The resort is situated on Monarch Pass at the continental divide. It has 54 trails, two terrain parks, and an extreme terrain area called Mirkwood. The Monarch Mountain Lodge is located three miles (5 km) east of the ski area in the town of Garfield, Colorado.

Mount Antero

Mount Antero

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Mount Antero is the highest Colorado mountain named after a native American Indian. It is primarily known to have the highest gem field and high concentrations of aquamarine within the conterminous United States. There are several active private mining claims being exploited on Mount Antero and surrounding peaks. There are two popular climbing routes on Mount Antero.

Mount Belford

Mount Belford

Viewpoints

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Mount Belford is a high mountain summit of the Collegiate Peaks in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 14,203-foot fourteener is located in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, 15.0 miles northwest by west of the Town of Buena Vista in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. A good trekking destination and also it offers breath taking views.

Mount Columbia

Mount Columbia

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Mount Columbia is a high mountain summit of the Collegiate Peaks in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The 14,077-foot fourteener is located in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, 9.9 milesnorthwest by west of the Town of Buena Vista in Chaffee County, Colorado. This trail is great for birding, horseback riding, and mountain biking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring.

Mount Harvard

Mount Harvard

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Mt. Harvard is the third highest peak in Colorado and only one of three 14ers within Colorado that rises above 14,400 feet. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 8 h 49 min to complete. This is a very popular area for camping, fishing, and hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring.

Mount Hope

Mount Hope

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Mount Hope is a high mountain summit of the Collegiate Peaks in the Sawatch. The 13,939-foot thirteener is located in San Isabel National Forest, 20.1 miles northwest of the Town of Buena Vista in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. It is one of the iconic location for a trek and also there are so many things to see and do.

Mount Oxford

Mount Oxford

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Mount Oxford is a high mountain summit of the Collegiate Peaks in the Town of Buena Vista in Chaffee County. The 14,160-foot fourteener is located in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness of San Isabel National Forest, 14.2 miles northwest of the Town of Buena Vista in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. The mountain was named in honor of the University of Oxford.

Mount Princeton

Mount Princeton

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Mount Princeton rises dramatically from the upper Arkansas River valley, its 14,204-foot summit a stately sentinel over the land below. Mount Princeton carries many distinctions, both historic, geological and recreational. It is also a good trekking destination nd also it offers nice views of this area.

Mount Shavano

Mount Shavano

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Mount Shavano is a high mountain summit in the southern Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. It is famous for the Angel of Shavano, a snow formation in the image of an angel that emerges on the east face of the mountain during snow melt each spring. A good trekking destination and also it offers breathtaking views of this area.

Mount Yale

Mount Yale

1 Day Treks

Rock Climbing Spots

Mountain Peaks

Mount Yale is the eighth highest peak in the Sawatch Range and twenty-first in the state on Colorado. There are two routes up the mountain, each with accessible trailheads year-round. This makes it a good training peak for more difficult hikes and climbs. With lots of camping in the area, it’s a great opportunity to stay and climb several Sawatch 14ers in one trip.

Mt. Princeton Trailhead

Experience this 10.9-km out-and-back trail near Nathrop, Colorado. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 28 min to complete. This trailhead is at 8,900' and there is a large parking area. If you have a good clearance 4WD, you can continue up the narrow 322 (Mt. Princeton) road. Just after the lower parking area, there is a fork in the road - stay right on the main road. Drive 3 miles to the radio towers at 10,800'.

North Cottonwood Creek Trailhead

The North Cottonwood trail travels west for 4.3 miles to Kroenke Lake. The trail has numerous creek crossing and is lush and green with alpine vegetation. Take advantage of this trail in the peak of summer for wildflower season with July being the best month for the breathtaking flowers.

North Fork Reservoir

North Fork Reservoir

Lake/ River/ Ponds

North Fork Reservoir is a reservoir behind North Fork Dam, on the Clackamas River, upriver from Estacada. It is found at an elevation of 666 feet. It is a popular fishing area and it is near Portland, Oregon, is easily accessible, and is a popular recreation area. It is also a popular boating area.

Map of attractions in Chaffee County

Comments

For more information about Chaffee County, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaffee_County,_Colorado