The
Wet Mountain Valley is rich with opportunities for visitors and
residents both in town and in the outdoors. We are located
between the Wet Mountain Range to the east and the Sangre De Cristo
Mountain Range to our west. This location puts the valley
in the heart of an outdoor recreation paradise.
The peaks of
the Sangre De Cristo Mountain Range make up our western most border.
The Sangres as we call them are part of San Isabel National
Forest which consists of approximately 1,109,782 acres.
The Rainbow Trail runs north and south on the eastern side of the
mountains and offers access to many peak trails and passes.
Most of the high basins and valleys have lakes that offer awesome
fishing and amazing scenery to those willing to make the effort
to get there.
Our mountains
are rich with wildlife. Among the residents of the mountains you
will find elk, bear, deer (both mule deer and whitetail), mountain
lion, lynx, bobcat, marmots and a variety of small game and birds.
As you climb, you will be treated to some of the most awesome and
wide-spread views that nature has to offer. The Sangre side of our
valley is in Division of Wildlife Unit Number 86 and currently
offers over-the-counter elk licenses and draw licenses for deer,
bear, and bighorn sheep. The Wet Mountain side of the valley
includes units 691,69, and 84. These units offer draw licenses for
deer, elk, bears and antelope.
On the other
side of the Sangres (southwest of Westcliffe) is the San Luis
Valley. Here you will find the beautiful Sand Dunes National Monument.
The best way to describe the Sand Dunes is to call it North America’s
biggest and tallest sand box with incredible views. The Sand
Dunes can be accessed from the San Luis Valley via highway 150 or
for a fun adventure through Medano Pass in a 4 wheel drive.
To single out the sand Dunes is a little unfair to the rest of the
mountain range as it is all entirely spectacular.
To
the north of Westcliffe along highway 50 lies the Arkansas River,
home to some of the best trout fishing and whitewater rafting
in Colorado. It is also home to a large number of bighorn sheep
and is a good place to see them in their natural habitat.
Our valley
is also awesome horse territory. There are many riding opportunities
including large wide open spaces in the valley and adventurous trails
up in and over the mountains. Our mild climate and lush pastures
makes for very horse friendly country. For those without their own
steed, there are several outfitters in the valley that provide day
and overnight pack trips on horseback.
The town of
Westcliffe is the classic small western town. Ranching is still
a major industry in our valley. Westcliffe is far enough off of
the beaten path that it remains a quiet and peaceful mountain getaway.
It is a small town, yet is large enough to provide everything that
is needed to live in the valley. Westcliffe is close enough
to large cities to be convenient for shopping and “big city trips”.
We are about 45 minutes from Pueblo and 75 minutes from Colorado
Springs. Monarch Ski Area is about an hour away and offers
good skiing and open slopes for the avid skier.
Come out and
see what the Rocky Mountains have to offer you!
Links to
the Valley:
Custer County
Merchants and Chamber of Commerce
http://www.custercountyco.com/
Canon Daily, Wet Mountain Valley Visitors Information
http://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/Visitors/westcliffe/
