This beautiful valley is flanked on the west side by the mighty Collegiate Peaks, and the mighty Arkansas River makes up the eastern boundary. In between are beautiful valleys, filled with rich ranch land, ghost towns, mountain lakes and streams, abundant wildlife, the historic towns of Buena Vista, Salida and Poncha Springs, and the ski area of Monarch. Rafters, anglers, mountain bikers and hikers call this area their playground, and a burgeoning gallery and artist community is making this one of the state's top art districts.