Plan an Elopement in Buena Vista, CO • Larsen Photo Co.

Buena Vista is one of my favorite laid-back mountain towns in Colorado, and the perfect place for an elopement if you want easy access to incredible views, lots of off-roading and hiking trails, adventure activities like rafting and rock climbing, and of course relaxing in the natural hot springs that the area is known for.

Keeping reading for everything you need to know about planning a Buena Vista elopement—or just visiting a great mountain town for a weekend!

Practical Info About Buena Vista

Buena Vista is a small town with around 3,000 inhabitants in Chaffee County, located between the Arkansas River to the east and the Collegiate Peaks to the west. As with most mountain towns in Colorado, BV has seen some major population growth recently, but it’s also handled the growth well while keeping the small-town feel we all love.

Buena Vista is around a 2.5-3 hour drive from Denver International Airport, and you can get here by driving highway 285 through Conifer and Fairplay, or by taking I-to 70 to Copper Mountain and highway 24 south through Leadville. 285 is usually your best bet, since traffic along I-70 is notoriously bad—especially on weekends during ski season. Buena Vista is also home to the Central Colorado Regional Airport (AEJ), but no commercial airlines service AEJ at this time.

Oh, and one important thing: how the heck do you pronounce Buena Vista anyway?

If you believe the local history, the town was named Buena Vista for the beautiful views, but with the pronunciation of “beau” in beautiful—”BEW-na VIS-ta.” (Say it in “American” and not Spanish, and you’re saying it right.)

Buena Vista hiking elopement — Buena Vista is one of the best places to see fall colors in Colorado, without the crowds of bigger mountain towns.

Best time to visit Buena Vista

Since you can find something to do in Buena Vista all year round, the best time to visit depends on what you’re coming out here for. If you want to go hiking, late June through September is ideal for snow-free trails and perfect hiking weather at high elevation (highs around 80° in town). Just watch out for afternoon thunderstorms in the middle of summer, start your day early, and get back down below treeline before noon.

The town slows down between Thanksgiving and Presidents’ Day weekend, but the area is starting to get more and more ski traffic as people want to hit Monarch, Cooper, and even Copper Mountain without dealing with I-70 traffic and the prices of bigger ski towns like Breckenridge and Vail.

Surf Hotel Buena Vista wedding venue — The bar at Wesley & Rose makes a darn good cocktail.

Terrace on Main wedding venue in Buena Vista — Terrace on Main is a new, modern rooftop wedding venue in Buena Vista.

Buena Vista Wedding Venues

The town of Buena Vista only has a handful of wedding venues, but if you expand your search to include nearby Salida, Monarch, Howard, and Nathrop, you’ll find quite a few venues to choose from. Many of the venues around here are ranches, both old and new. On the more modern side, Terrace on Main and Surf Hotel are great options for elopements and micro-weddings that want to combine photos in the mountains with a celebration in town.

Best places to elope in Buena Vista

While I can’t name exact hiking trails and elopement locations in a post like this without risking them going from private to crowded, these are the public lands in the area. All the best places to elope near Buena Vista are managed by one of these, and that’s where you’ll need to start researching permits, special use fees, commercial use authorizations (if you’re a photographer/vendor) and rules for what you can or cannot do when eloping on public lands.

Looking for more specific trail recommendations for your elopement? Get in touch with a local photographer (like me!) and we’ll help you find the right spot based on the time of year, group size, and what you want from your elopement.

Where to get your marriage license

If you are eloping in Buena Vista, you’ll likely want to get your marriage license from the Chaffee County Courthouse at 104 Crestone Ave in Salida. The Clerk’s office is open from 8am-4pm on weekdays, and closed on all county holidays, so make sure you plan accordingly and give yourselves at least one day before your elopement to pick up your license. You can schedule an appointment to get your marriage license by calling 719-530-5602 during their open hours, and save time by completing the application online before your appointment.

Where to stay in Buena Vista

Buena Vista is home to two of my favorite boutique hotels anywhere in Colorado: the Surf Hotel & Chateau, and The Inn at Railroad and Main. The Surf is a bigger hotel, with a great restaurant and hotel bar called Wesley & Rose, and they also host weddings and events. The Inn is much smaller, but with the most comfortable hotel bed I think I’ve ever slept in anywhere. While I haven’t stayed there yet, Mount Princeton Hot Springs is also a local favorite, with guests getting access to multiple hot spring pools on site.

Best hotels in Buena Vista

Surf Hotel in Buena Vista — If you’re staying at The Surf, splurge on a room with a balcony.

Merrifield Cabin with private hot springs in Buena Vista — The Merrifield Cabin has its own private hot spring!

Best vacation rentals in Buena Vista

There are plenty of vacation rentals to choose from in Buena Vista. While I usually prefer staying in hotels when I’m only visiting for a night or two (because let’s be real, no mountain town needs more investors buying up homes to make them short term rentals), vacation rentals are great for longer stays when you want access to a kitchen, and for elopements where you want a group of people to stay together at the same property.

Midland Stop coffee shop in Buena Vista — Get your caffeine and breakfast burritos at Midland Stop—right across the park from The Surf.

Simple Eatery in Buena Vista — Simple Eatery shares a building with The Trailhead, an outdoor gear store.

Where to eat and drink in Buena Vista

Buena Vista is not a foodie town like Aspen or Steamboat, but the restaurant scene has greatly improved over the decade I’ve been coming here, and you can get great food—and beer—in BV. I always end up going back to my favorites: The Midland Stop for coffee, Bread + Salt for a classic diner breakfast, Eddyline Brewery for lunch and beers, and Wesley & Rose for dinner and cocktails.

Joyful Bakery & Coffee — coffee, gelato, and a great breakfast frittata!
Bread + Salt — closes in winter, but a solid diner breakfast that hits extra hard after an early hike.
Eddyline Brewery — they have two locations, the one on South Main has the bigger food menu, but the original taproom off highway 24 has the bigger patio and wood-fired pizza.
Wesley & Rose — one of the nicest restaurants in town, and with an excellent cocktail menu.
Simple Eatery — good soups and sandwiches, great for a healthy lunch.

Buena Vista Elopement Guide