Photo: Elisa.rolle · CC BY-SA 4.018% of Buena Vista’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 410 acres are parks and preserves, 136 per 1,000 residents. 18% of Buena Vista’s land is conserved, about 456 acres.
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #25 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Buena Vista?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Buena Vista have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Buena Vista is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #25 of 159 in Colorado. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
Colorado towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 7%; the U.S., 4%), so Buena Vista’s 18% is ahead of 82% of Colorado towns, while its trails per square mile lead 30% of them.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is River Park, with 0.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
456 conserved acres
18% of Buena Vista’s land. Who manages Buena Vista’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 36 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rodeo Grounds Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 357 | Open |
| Buena Vista River Park Local Park | Town or city | 44 | Open |
| Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area - Town of Buena State Park | State fish & wildlife | 8 | Open |
| McPhelemy Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Forest Square Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Columbine Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| South Main Open Space Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area - BLM Site State Park | State fish & wildlife | 1 | Open |
| Chesmore State Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 1 | Restricted |
16 places to go in Buena Vista
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
3 disc golf without a name on the map.
2 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
1.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
12 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Buena Vista: May to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 41 | 49 | 56 | 66 | 77 | 82 | 79 | 73 | 61 | 48 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
January is the driest month (0.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 1.7 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in Buena Vista →
Questions about parks and trails in Buena Vista
Where can I hike in Buena Vista?
The longest trail networks: River Park, 0.7 miles; McPhelemy Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Buena Vista is conserved land?
18% of its land, against a typical 7% for a Colorado town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Buena Vista’s trails?
River Park and McPhelemy Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Buena Vista?
1.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.3 of painted or protected lanes and 1.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Buena Vista?
80,786 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Buena Vista or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 412 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Buena Vista have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #25 of 159 in Colorado. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Buena Vista neighbors.
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →