Lower Arkansas Valley
Around Lower Arkansas Valley
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Countryside and towns · Colorado · 29k people
Lower Arkansas Valley
“Ark Valley”
Where the river meets the plains
Otero College greenOtero College gold
Welcome to the Lower Arkansas Valley, where the melons are sweet and the people are down-to-earth. Whether you're here for the river, the history, or just passing through, you'll find a community that looks out for each other. Pull up a chair and stay a while.
Clubs for Lower Arkansas Valley
No clubs for Lower Arkansas Valley yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Lower Arkansas Valley. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Lower Arkansas Valley. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site Reconstructed 1840s adobe fur trading post on the Santa Fe Trail.
- Koshare Indian Museum Home to Native American art and the Koshare dance troupe.
- Arkansas River River that runs through the valley, popular for fishing and rafting.
- Comanche National Grassland Vast prairie with dinosaur tracks and the Picketwire Canyonlands.
- Otero College Junior college in La Junta, home of the Rattlers.
- La Junta Historic Downtown Early 20th-century storefronts along the old Santa Fe rail corridor.
- Outdoors Fish the Arkansas River
- Outdoors Hike the Picketwire Canyonlands
- With kids Visit Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
- With kids Explore the Koshare Indian Museum
- Evenings Catch a show at the Otero College theater
- Evenings Karaoke at a local bar
- Locals love Melon stands
- Locals love Small-town main streets
Through the year
- Rocky Ford Melon Festival August Celebrates the famous cantaloupe with tastings, contests, and a parade.
- Arkansas Valley Fair August County fair in Rocky Ford with carnival rides, livestock shows, and rodeo.
- Bent County Fair July Fair in Las Animas with 4-H exhibits, rodeo, and local food.
- Koshare Indian Museum Winter Night Dance December Native American dances performed by the Koshare youth group at the museum.
- La Junta Christmas Parade December Holiday parade through downtown La Junta with lights and local floats.
Semi-arid high plains climate with big temperature swings, low humidity, and about 12 inches of precipitation a year. Best: Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to be outside, with mild temperatures and less wind.
Talk like a local
- “The Valley”
- Short for the Arkansas Valley, the local name for this region.
- “The Ark”
- The Arkansas River, often called 'the Ark' by locals.
Getaways
- Pueblo Riverwalk, nature center, and the historic Union Avenue district.
- Colorado Springs Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, and the Olympic Training Center.
- Raton, NM Historic railroad town with the Raton Museum and nearby Capulin Volcano.
- Lamar Big Timbers Museum and the Santa Fe Trail landmarks.
Local flavour
Teams
- Otero College Rattlers NJCAA
Eat and drink
- Rocky Ford cantaloupe Prized local melon, celebrated at the annual Melon Festival.
- Green chile Staple of Colorado and New Mexican cooking, used in stews and on burgers.
- Sopapillas Fried pastries with honey, a sweet finish to local Mexican-influenced meals.
Where people go
- Melon fields Vast irrigated fields producing Rocky Ford's famous cantaloupe and other crops.
- Arkansas River The river runs through the valley, providing irrigation and recreation.
- Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site Reconstructed 1840s fur trading post, a landmark of frontier history.
- Small-town main streets Quaint downtowns with historic buildings and family-owned shops.
Make this page better
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Nearby
Every areaLamarColoradoWhere the prairie breathesPuebloColoradoWhere the river meets the chile fields.Trinidad–WalsenburgColoradoWhere the prairies rise to meet the Spanish Peaks.RatonNew MexicoWhere the mountains meet the plainsColorado SpringsColoradoWhere the mountains meet the plains and adventure is a way of life.Cañon CityColoradoWhere the river carves the canyonAlamosaColoradoHigh desert heart, wide open skies.DenverColoradoA mile high, full of sunshine, mountains, and craft beer.
Otero, Bent and Crowley counties, CO. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.