Kids in tow? Let's go!
Riverside parks in Buena Vista and Salida are perfect places to skip rocks, race sticks down the river or cross over the Arkansas River on a bridge and peer down on rafters, kayakers or swimming dogs. Along the river spot trout, fingerlings and water bugs. Picnic tables, drinking water and restrooms are on site.
Share a walk on Buena Vista's Barbara Whipple Trail with deer, small lizards, birds and other little critters. An expansive view of the town below develops as you rise up on the trail.
Tenderfoot (S) Mountain sits as a sentinel above downtown Salida. The observatory on top gives a great view of the city, the expanse of the Sawatch Range to the west and the Sangre de Cristos to the southeast.
Entertainment for relatively small sums includes mini golf in Salida, disc golf in Poncha Springs, grabbing an ice cream cone or rolling a few frames at Salida's bowling alley. The Salida Trail is an ideal strolling and cycling path the entire family can enjoy.
Skateboarders can ramp up in downtown Salida at G and First streets and in Buena Vista at the community center on the east end of Main Street.
The unpretentious Upper Arkansas
River Valley is a great place
for families to unplug,
run nowhere in particular, skip down a trail, splash in the
river – reconnect with life’s
simple pleasures. A
wide selection of affordable, family-run restaurants makes
it an added pleasure to dine out with the whole family. Local
parents offered these helpful suggestions to visiting families.
Tyke trek. The hike to Agnes Vaille Falls can take as little as
20 minutes. Dawdling along the trail allows time to check out interpretive
signs or take a break on a trailside bench before reaching the
60-foot waterfall. A couple miles past Mount Princeton Hot Springs
look on the right for the obvious, signed trailhead parking area.
Along the way, keep an eye out for mountain goats and bighorn sheep
on the rocky hillsides especially on the north side of the canyon.
Small fry. Tours of state fish hatcheries are great places
to take the kids to see, and even feed, thousands of trout,
from newborn fingerlings to those ready to be set free to roam
the lakes and streams in the region. Fish hatcheries are also
great places for bird watching since they provide or enhance
riparian areas that attract birds. In this area, they include
sparrows to warblers, woodpeckers, herons and the occasional
trumpeter swan not to mention hawks, eagles and owls. Orientation
video and tour guides are available at the Mt. Shavano Trout
Rearing Unit visitor center daily June through August; next
to Frantz Lake in Salida. Self-guided tours are available at
the Chalk Cliffs Rearing Unit at the mouth of Chalk Creek Canyon
west of Nathrop.
Splish, splash. Naturally attracted to water, kids
squeal in delight on the waterslide at Mount Princeton Hot Springs.
Toddlers love wading into the delightfully warm water at Salida
Hot Springs Aquatic Center while older siblings take turns jumping
off the diving board on the cool side of the pool.
Spinning wheels. Biking is big here and the more the merrier
where kids are concerned. Try these trails when young ones are
in tow. Up in Buena Vista, the Cottonwood Creek Trail and E.
Alfred Marquard Nature Area combine for a fun, short, creekside
hike and/or bike combo. Start behind McGinnis Middle School at
South Railroad Street and Marquette Avenue.
Down in Salida, combine
the Salida Loop, Tenderfoot Hill and Powerline Trails. Pack some
water for the hour-long ride and pack stale bread to feed the
ducks as the trail passes Frantz and Sand lakes on its happy
way around Salida. For a really short loop, start at Bongo Billy’s
Salida Café and ride down Sackett to F Street, take a
spin through Riverside Park and follow the trail next to the
river back to Bongo’s. Teaches good manners for sharing
the trail with pedestrians. Turn it into a family criterium by
taking several laps.
Giggle a go-go & putt putt. Take a few laps at the go-kart
track at the intersection of US 285 and US 50. For tamer entertainment,
try the miniature golf course at the track or head to the newest
mini-golf course in the county, across the street from Salida Hot
Springs Aquatic Center.
Jump into it. The Jumpin' Good Goat Dairy is a great place to take the whole family. Tours that show you where the goats live, how they are fed, and most importantly, how they are milked are great family fun. The goats are friendly and seeing how the cheese is made and stored makes for a great afternoon. Check tour times and rates at Jumpin' Good Goat Dairy.
Kid-friendly events. Most community events in the Upper Arkansas
River Valley are family friendly. Perennially popular with kids
is BalloonaVista, FIBArk Whitewater Festival, Salida ArtWalk, Gold
Rush Days, Tenderfoot Du/Triathlon, Turner Farm Apple Festival
and Light Up Salida/Christmas Mountain. Buena Vista invites anyone
who’s ever wanted to join in a parade to do so during its
Fourth of July celebration; no registration and it’s free
so get a march on!
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