BUENA VISTA - It seems many people drive through Buena Vista.
Perhaps they stop for gas or a snack and then continue on their way to their destination.
But, the town is an outdoor paradise in its own right.
It’s near twelve of Colorado’s 14ers. The Arkansas River flows directly through town. A natural hot springs resort is only 15 minutes away. It’s home to the newly-designated Browns Canyon National Monument.
About 2,700 people live in Buena Vista and have created a tight-knit community that is at the same time welcoming to visitors.
A photo tour of Buena Vista
The history of Buena Vista
The first settlers arrived in what would become Buena Vista in the late 1860s, drawn by the abundant resources in the area.
Not only was it close to mining claims and the potential profit in that industry, but fertile soil and available water meant farming and ranching gave settlers a reliable source of income.
Originally, the town – made up of tents, shanties and plenty of saloons – was named Cottonwood, then Mahonville, after one of the first settlers.
In 1879, the town built its first church, which still stands today as the Little Park Chapel, home to the Buena Vista Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center.
The same year, on October 29, Buena Vista was officially incorporated as a town. Residents and property owners in the area held a meeting and voted to make it official, hoping the designation would help attract a railroad to their community. It was also at that meeting the name Buena Vista was chosen (more about that in a bit).
Just one year later, Buena Vista became the county seat of Chaffee County, won by a vote. Up to that time, Granite held that honor and apparently wasn’t all that ready to give it up. So they refused to hand over any of the county records to Buena Vista.
Late one night, a group of citizens from Buena Vista commandeered a railroad engine and flatcar and headed to Granite. They broke into the courthouse, took all the records they needed (and a heat stove for good measure) and headed back.
Buena Vista didn’t have a courthouse at the time, but construction began on one in 1882. It was completed a year later and served as the Chaffee County Courthouse until 1932 when the county seat was moved to Salida. The courthouse was then used as a school and is now the Buena Vista Heritage Museum.
By 1885, the town had not only attracted one railroad but three: the Denver, South Park and Pacific; the Denver & Rio Grande; and the Midland.
Soon after, a hydroelectric plant was built, bringing electricity to the town, and phone service followed right after.
What about the name?
The pronunciation of Buena Vista is something that you have probably heard many ways if you have been in Colorado long at all.
So how is it actually pronounced?
Back to that 1879 meeting we talked about above. When residents were voting on whether to become a town, they were also discussing what to call it. One of the property owners, Alsina Dearheimer, suggested Buena Vista, meaning “beautiful view” in Spanish.
However, she emphasized the pronunciation be changed to “BEW-na” as a play on the American word “beautiful.”
That is still the town’s preferred pronunciation and what you will hear most locals say, along with the acronym BV.
The Arkansas
While the water of Arkansas River attracted the settlers of the late 1800s because they needed it for farming and ranching, the powerful river is still bringing people to Buena Vista today, but for very different reasons.
The Arkansas is consistently named on the of the best places to go whitewater rafting in the state.
From Buena Vista, adventurers can tackle the rapids through Browns Canyon, one of the most rafted sections of the river, as well as a few other more challenging and family float areas. At least ten different commercial rafting companies operate out of the area.
Just as popular is the recently expanded Buena Vista Whitewater Park.
The section of river has been constructed to have five distinct waves of varying difficulty for kayakers, surfers, stand-up paddleboarders, etc. to practice on.
Each year, the season officially opens with the Paddlefest, this year held May 25 – 28.
The celebration and competition include whitewater events in SUP, kayaking and rafting for experienced paddlers, clinics and demos on flatwater for all ability levels, live music, races, bouldering, disc golf, a beer garden and more.
Those who aren’t quite ready to get wet can wander along the River Walk and Arkansas River trail to get a beautiful view of the rushing waves, kayakers and wildlife.
A day in town
While many people have driven through Buena Vista on their way to other mountain towns or camping areas nearby, it’s a town worthy of its own trip.
Here is a look at how you could spend a (very) full day in town:
Start with breakfast and a stroll down the historic main street. Many of Buena Vista’s original buildings are still there and will give you a good feel of the old town. There are a few different coffee shops to choose from to grab a quick breakfast and coffee.
Once you are full and caffeinated, take a short drive out to the Jumpin’ Good Goat Dairy.
The goat farm, owned by Dawn Jump, has been in operation in Buena Vista since 2008 and produces hand-crafted goat cheeses. Take the 11:30 a.m. farm tour so you can meet some adorable baby goats and then sample the cheese and buy some to take home as a souvenir.
After walking around the farm, you’ll probably be hungry again, so head back into town and stop at K’s for some ice cream and lunch.
K’s Dairy Delight has been serving Buena Vista burgers, shakes, dipped cones and sundaes since 1955. It’s a well-known classic, so be prepared to wait in line, then place your order at the window and wait for them to call the celebrity name you’re given. Then take your food and eat at one of the picnic tables in Clement Park behind the restaurant.
After lunch, head down to the River Park.
Walk along the river and watch the kayakers, take your pup to the dog park, let the kids climb on the rock walls or play a round of disc golf.
After you’ve had enough sun, grab a happy-hour drink and dinner. Some options include the Eddyline Restaurant and Brewery, which has two locations in Buena Vista; the Deerhammer Distilling Company on Main Street; or The Lariat, a restored 1885 saloon.
After a long day, there are two great options to wind down.
First, you could head about 15 minutes up the road to the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort. The historic bathhouse at the resort was built in the 1800s and is still the entrance to the hot springs. There are two pools fed by the spring, plus you can sit directly in Chalk Creek where small natural pools created by rock walls have individual springs bubbling directly up into them.
Or catch a movie at one of the few remaining drive-in theaters in the state. The Comanche Drive-In was first built in 1966. It closed in 2008 but reopened in 2012 and currently shows both classic and new movies on the single screen each summer.
If you want to stay the night, in the last few years a new development called South Main has added many more vacation homes and rentals to the market in Buena Vista.
Or, if you decide even longer, the median price for a home in the town is fairly-reasonable $315,000, according to real-estate website Trulia.com.
