I have been to Colorado for over 18 straight winters and summers... I stay in Buena Vista do to the Central Location. The mountains east of the river are amazing..resemble desert terrain..east of Phoenix AZ. and if you go West of the River in Buena Vista..you have green...14,000 ft peaks with alot of remote lakes and areas. I take my small kayak on a trailer behind my ATV and go out in the remote lakes...amazing views and photos. I have found Thunder Lodge Cabins in Buena Vista 8 years ago..and will not stay anywhere else..CLEAN..COZY..AND $99..for a 2 bedroom cabin..that sleep 8...see for yourself. ATV friendly.. The owners ATV too..so they know the area..I can email photos and more info if someone like..hope this helps people...

Will be there this July ...for 10 days..15-25 if you can make it to Thunder Lodge in BV...come ride with us...We usually take inflatable kayaks to some of  the unspoiled upper mountain lakes and paddle out to the middle for some of the most majestic pictures you could ever take...total bliss...at the lodge they have giant outdoor cooking area and horseshoes so I will make fajitas and margaritas.. "Texas Style" if you come...bring a crowd...let me know..Glad to hear you enjoyed my recommendation for staying there.

Seems a bit early for riding up there.

all melted out of shaded areas...good riding..some mud...is fun...go enjoy..we did...woo hoo....then went and soaked at Cottonwood Hot Springs...magical...drop me a line will answer any questions...

Came up for Spring Break...rode the trails of cr375 East of the river near the tunnels just North of town..Had friends staying in the camping area, I stayed at Thunder Lodge..and they came over and we made BBQ and played horseshoes...The trails were challenging and the rock outcroppings were majestic..also friends really thought the carved out rock tunnels were amazing. I can email pictures of the adventure if someone wants details..the trip was amazing..the riding was an adventure..we also ate at a local Micro Brewery...really good and the beer..yummy..then went and soaked at the hot springs till 11 pm..have all the info for those planning a trip..

Well back in Bastrop..Texas.. what a bummer...miss the majestic mountains already. Did promised an update from my last visit to Buena Vista. The owners of Thunder Lodge rode with us out to their "new ride in and out" location near Mount Baldy. The area is stunning. Remote yet only 10 miles from downtown Buena Vista. They were talking to surveyors about final design. Trying to have done by Late July or Aug. We rode the 4 mile trail temp was 70 degrees, light breeze clear blue sky. We saw elk, a ram, tones of chipmunks and the views were mesmerizing. As evening prevailed we headed back to our cozy little cabin and changed into shorts for the Natural Hot Springs at Cottonwood. I must say if you love riding and nature this is the place to ride and relax. I will be back at Thunder Lodge week of July 4th, come I will show you one amazing ride. Until then send me some questions. Cheers One Mad Mudder

Came up from Oklahoma, took the recommendations of this posting and did some homework on tripadvisor and yahoo travel about Thunder Lodge in Buena Vista. All the reviews (which are outstanding) did not  prepare me for the place. The cabins of the lodge are along a large flowing creek under giant cottonwood trees. The owners helped us unpack the vehicle at check in, see if you get that kindness for free anywhere else. The cabins were so nice and beds were amazing, they even had snack baskets in the rooms and their own ratings on places to eat and things to do. THIS WAS NICE! After their suggestions and input we were off.  We headed up to Taylor park over Cottonwood pass, what an amazing drive of about 30 minutes. We rented from Darrel the owner at Colorado ATV in Taylor park. There was NO deposit, they just made a impression of my credit card encase I did not return with the RZR a mini dune buggy ATV. I drove all over the stunning mountain in 1/2 a day for about $200 (see the photo of mirror lake). Headed back over to the lodge and then went to the hot springs. Trust me when I say "my wife and I are still spellbound by it all". A vacation including ATV, cozy cabins and hot springs for less that $500. Call all three businesses and confirm what I am saying. We are coming back in July to ride with owners of Lodge and couple other families we met. Amazing!!

Went somewhat past the lake...road some trails...the pass over to St. Elmo was still snowed in. When you go over Cottonwood pass you can see the 6 foot snow bank they had to remove to clear the road, so it may be a little bit. You can still see the ice on the lake behind me in the photo, I think it was close to 70 degrees when we rode. I must admit that place is majestic and magical. Come ride with us in July. Take care