Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.09% of Salida’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
4.2 miles of mapped trail cross Salida, 1.5 per square mile of land. 9% of Salida’s land is conserved, about 168 acres. 110 acres are parks and preserves, 19 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #55 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Salida?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Salida have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Salida is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #55 of 159 in Colorado. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
Colorado towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 7%; the U.S., 4%), so Salida’s 9% is ahead of 59% of Colorado towns, while its trails per square mile lead 56% 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 Alpine Park, with 0.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
168 conserved acres
9% of Salida’s land. Who manages Salida’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salida Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 79 | Open |
| Mount Shavano State Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 21 | Open |
| Tenderfoot Hill Recreation Area Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 20 | Open |
| Monarch Spur Trail Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Marvin Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Hot Springs Pool Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Salida-NRCS State Administrative Area State Other or Unknown | State fish & wildlife | 3 | Restricted |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Alpine Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Thonhoff Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
9 places to go in Salida
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
1 community garden without a name on the map.
3 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
6.6 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.
15 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
3 more on the History page.
The best walking months in Salida: April 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) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.8 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 42 | 45 | 53 | 60 | 70 | 81 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 65 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
January is the driest month (0.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 1.4 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in Salida →
Questions about parks and trails in Salida
Where can I hike in Salida?
The longest trail networks: Alpine Park, 0.2 miles; Riverside Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Salida is conserved land?
9% 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 Salida’s trails?
Alpine Park and Riverside Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Salida?
6.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.7 of painted or protected lanes and 3.8 of off-road paths. Named routes: Frontside.
Is there public land near Salida?
111,427 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Salida or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 110 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Salida have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #55 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 Salida 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 →