Buena Vista

Buena Vista serves as one of the main gateways to the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, and is cited as the "Whitewater Capital of Colorado." Buena Vista means "good view" in Spanish, and it is easy to see why this community was given the name. The town features views of seven different peaks over 14,000 ft high, including the Sawatch Range, which is the largest continuous high land mass in the lower 48 states.

The small, scenic community is a center for tourism and recreation; cross country skiing, hiking, backpacking, hunting, fishing, rafting, kayaking, and gold panning. Local guides and outfitters offer mountain bike, snowmobile and horseback tours that take in the Collegiate Range of mountains. An especially good view of this area can be had at an overlook located just east of the junction of Hwys 24 & 285.