Best Hikes Near Salida, Colorado

Salida is a former railroad town that has grown into a recreation hub for the upper Arkansas Valley. The hot springs at Mount Princeton are 30 minutes north, the Collegiate Peaks 14ers are within an hour, and Monarch Pass tops out the western drive at 11,312 feet. The town itself runs along the river with a strong rafting, biking, and climbing scene.

Mount Shavano (14,231 feet) is the local 14er. The standard Angel of Shavano route is 9 miles round trip with 4,600 feet of gain from the Blank Cabin Trailhead on CR 250. The peak gets its name from the snow-filled couloirs that form an angel shape visible from the valley in spring. Often climbed in combination with Tabeguache Peak (14,162 feet) for a long ridge traverse day. Read our Colorado 14ers reference before going.

S Mountain (Tenderfoot Hill) is the in-town hike: a 2-mile loop climbing the prominent hill on the north edge of town topped with the giant white S. The summit has the best views of the Sawatch Range you'll get without climbing one of the peaks. Trailhead is at the end of F Street; free parking, dog-friendly, open year-round.

Methodist Mountain Trail System sits south of town and provides 25 miles of multi-use trails (hiking, biking, horseback) with foothills views back across the valley. Good year-round running terrain.

Browns Canyon National Monument, 15 minutes north along the Arkansas River, has hiking and rafting on a designated wild and scenic river corridor. The Turret Trail provides 4.5 miles of canyon-rim hiking with overlooks of the river.

For Collegiate Peaks 14ers (Mount Antero, Mount Princeton, Mount Yale), Salida is 30-45 minutes south of the main trailheads. See our Buena Vista page for the closer access.

Monarch Pass and the Continental Divide Trail provide alpine hiking 25 minutes west of town. The Monarch Crest Trail is the popular ridge walk, 11 miles of high-elevation trail with views in both directions off the Divide.

Salida weather is warmer and drier than the high mountain towns to the north. Summer afternoon thunderstorms are reliable above treeline but milder in the valley. Winter brings limited snow at town elevation, making the foothills trails accessible most of the year with microspikes.