Salida, Colorado is just 23 miles from Monarch Pass, where Route 50 crosses the Continental Divide.
The Arkansas River flows through Salida, 60 miles from the river’s headwaters, formed by Rocky Mountain snow melt near Leadville, Colorado. The Arkansas is the sixth-longest river in the U.S., and 1,400 miles downstream the water you see passing through Salida will flow into the Mississippi River.
There’s already plenty of water for kayaking in the river, though, so head on over to the Boathouse Cantina, where you can watch the kayakers while you munch.
