Mountain Thistle Retreat Guidebook
Food scene
This is a great place to eat Chicago-style pizza and hotdogs! Excellent food and service. Just a short walk from the property.
6 locals recommend
Chuds
108 South 2nd StreetThis is a great place to eat Chicago-style pizza and hotdogs! Excellent food and service. Just a short walk from the property.
A wonderful pizza place with atmosphere and frequent live music. Great food and excellent service.
23 locals recommend
Tony's Mountain Pizza
630 Main StA wonderful pizza place with atmosphere and frequent live music. Great food and excellent service.
This is a top tier restaurant that serves a diverse menu of great culinary masterpieces. More of a fancy quiet restaurant experience. Loved the food and the staff. Call ahead and RSVP
15 locals recommend
Alpine Lodge
6848 Co Rd 140This is a top tier restaurant that serves a diverse menu of great culinary masterpieces. More of a fancy quiet restaurant experience. Loved the food and the staff. Call ahead and RSVP
Great place to get burgers. Good menu choices and good service.
26 locals recommend
Chappys Mountain View Bar & Grill
213 Main StGreat place to get burgers. Good menu choices and good service.
I liked the food here. Burgers and wings are awesome. Chicken fried steak was great too. Friendly staff and nice family-oriented place.
7 locals recommend
4Kings Bar & Grill
404 E Main StreetI liked the food here. Burgers and wings are awesome. Chicken fried steak was great too. Friendly staff and nice family-oriented place.
Great place to get Coffee, chai, Ice Cream, Breakfast, sweets, etc. Beautiful place and great service. Loved the unique menu.
7 locals recommend
Sugarlump Co. Coffee and Eats
202 Main StGreat place to get Coffee, chai, Ice Cream, Breakfast, sweets, etc. Beautiful place and great service. Loved the unique menu.
My favorite Coffee shop in town! Amazing beverages! Try any latte or a blood orange lemonade! Stephen and Arrott are great people that will amaze your sense of taste and smell. Prepare for incredible coffee.
10 locals recommend
Peregrine Coffee Roasters
102 S 7th StMy favorite Coffee shop in town! Amazing beverages! Try any latte or a blood orange lemonade! Stephen and Arrott are great people that will amaze your sense of taste and smell. Prepare for incredible coffee.
Want an amazing sandwich with premium ingredients and great prices? Walk over to this place!
11 locals recommend
Elevation Meat Market
101 S 2nd StWant an amazing sandwich with premium ingredients and great prices? Walk over to this place!
This place was absolutely amazing and affordable too! The sirloin steak was so tender and delicious!
20 locals recommend
Quincys Steak & Spirits
121 W Main StThis place was absolutely amazing and affordable too! The sirloin steak was so tender and delicious!
Great breakfast food and awesome service! Cheryl and Willie do it up right!
19 locals recommend
Silver Cliff Mountain Inn
700 Ohio StGreat breakfast food and awesome service! Cheryl and Willie do it up right!
OK, this pizza is my current favorite! On the 2nd floor of the Silver Dome (it's on the South side of Main Street in Silver Cliff.
https://www.facebook.com/Days-Pizza-108799574187413/
Day's Pizza
110 Main StOK, this pizza is my current favorite! On the 2nd floor of the Silver Dome (it's on the South side of Main Street in Silver Cliff.
https://www.facebook.com/Days-Pizza-108799574187413/
Stop in this place for a Grilled cheese and pesto sandwich and a steaming bowl of tomato basil soup. Incredible!
20 locals recommend
The Bean Pedaler
412 Main StStop in this place for a Grilled cheese and pesto sandwich and a steaming bowl of tomato basil soup. Incredible!
We love a great Tikka Marsala entree at Nirvana. Their naan is delectable! Great service and almost never a wait. Check it out if you like Indian food. Awesome place.
11 locals recommend
Nirvana Culinary Paradise
413 Main StWe love a great Tikka Marsala entree at Nirvana. Their naan is delectable! Great service and almost never a wait. Check it out if you like Indian food. Awesome place.
Sightseeing
Worth a visit if the ground is dry and the weather is good. Interesting sight to see and know that one man built all of this over several decades.
125 locals recommend
Bishop Castle
12705 CO-165Worth a visit if the ground is dry and the weather is good. Interesting sight to see and know that one man built all of this over several decades.
Beautiful spot to enjoy during the day or night. The observatory has several star parties throughout the year during the Spring-Fall. https://www.darkskiescolorado.org
13 locals recommend
Smokey Jack Observatory
100 S Adams BlvdBeautiful spot to enjoy during the day or night. The observatory has several star parties throughout the year during the Spring-Fall. https://www.darkskiescolorado.org
Cool things to do:
Great place to ride horses or do a family wagon ride and enjoy the amazing mountain views!
7 locals recommend
Music Meadows Ranch
6076 Co Rd 119Great place to ride horses or do a family wagon ride and enjoy the amazing mountain views!
This train ride along the Arkansas River and under the Royal Gorge is a true "bucket list" experience! Family friendly and exciting for everyone. Good food too! Turns into the Santa Express in December. The kids loved meeting Santa and his elves while having cookies and hot cocoa.
98 locals recommend
Royal Gorge Route Railroad station
South 3rd StreetThis train ride along the Arkansas River and under the Royal Gorge is a true "bucket list" experience! Family friendly and exciting for everyone. Good food too! Turns into the Santa Express in December. The kids loved meeting Santa and his elves while having cookies and hot cocoa.
Cool theme park for a family visit! Walk the bridge, take a gondola across the Gorge, enjoy the park, eat a great lunch. It's a good half-day experience with plenty of fun and excitement on the menu.
340 locals recommend
Royal Gorge Bridge and Park
4218 Co Rd 3ACool theme park for a family visit! Walk the bridge, take a gondola across the Gorge, enjoy the park, eat a great lunch. It's a good half-day experience with plenty of fun and excitement on the menu.
If you like hiking, there are some amazing hiking trails nearby this campsite:
- Rainbow Trail
- Comanche Trail
- Venable Falls
Alvarado Campground
County Road 140If you like hiking, there are some amazing hiking trails nearby this campsite:
- Rainbow Trail
- Comanche Trail
- Venable Falls
Come see and learn about wolves. Highly recommended. Call ahead to ensure that they are open.
22 locals recommend
Mission: Wolf
13388 County Road 634Come see and learn about wolves. Highly recommended. Call ahead to ensure that they are open.
Great place to ski. Reasonable pricing and family friendly. Only 1 hour and 20 minutes away from Westcliffe.
145 locals recommend
Monarch Mountain
123 N F StGreat place to ski. Reasonable pricing and family friendly. Only 1 hour and 20 minutes away from Westcliffe.
Gorgeous Lake to visit anytime of year. There's a place on the lake to sled in Winter when the lake is frozen.
20 locals recommend
Lake Isabel
Gorgeous Lake to visit anytime of year. There's a place on the lake to sled in Winter when the lake is frozen.
Fun for all ages and close proximity to the property. Good food at the Rancher's Roost.
7 locals recommend
Cliff Lanes
25 Main StFun for all ages and close proximity to the property. Good food at the Rancher's Roost.
Great outdoor animatronic dinosaur park that the kids will love! Great indoor museum and gift shop as well.
25 locals recommend
Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience
44895 W U.S. 50Great outdoor animatronic dinosaur park that the kids will love! Great indoor museum and gift shop as well.
City/town information
This is a magical town that time has simply seemed to have forgotten. You will find a charm to this quaint little place and it's friendly residents. People often visit here to get away from the fast, loud, and busy urban worlds that they live and work in. It's simply heaven on earth to me. I know that you'll love it as much as I do.
26 locals recommend
Westcliffe
This is a magical town that time has simply seemed to have forgotten. You will find a charm to this quaint little place and it's friendly residents. People often visit here to get away from the fast, loud, and busy urban worlds that they live and work in. It's simply heaven on earth to me. I know that you'll love it as much as I do.
Traveler advice
Traveling with kids
Break up your trip to Westcliffe, if needed.
If you're like me and live nearly 1000 miles away, I recommend spending two days driving instead of trying to drive straight for 15 hours. Especially with young kids who need lots of breaks. After 10 hours, my kids are ready to get out of the car seat for the day!
What to pack
Altitude Impact on Flatlanders
Attention, fellow flatlanders! If you come from places closer to sea level, the area around Westcliffe might initially make you feel a bit funny. Westcliffe is 7,888ft above sea level and very dry. The hike trails can be much higher. There's 6-8% less oxygen in the air, which can make you feel light-headed, headache, dizzy, tired, gassy, nauseous, etc. Your body needs a day or two to acclimate to the sudden rise in elevation. Relax, rest, "hydrate", eat light and avoid alcohol while you're adjusting. Oxygen bottles can be purchased at the "All The Range" Outdoor shop on Main Street.
Don't miss
Mountain Biking in Westcliffe
There are several great biking options in the area. You can see a map of two nearby bike trails that you can pick up in town. One is a 6-mile loop that begins in Silver Cliff, then there is another loop that you can take to go closer to the Lake, which adds 4 more miles to your loop. See details on https://www.visitwetmountainvalley.com I recently started renting mountain bikes in Westcliffe. Check out my fleet here: https://www.spinlister.com/profile/170366?fbclid=IwAR1cSoxTV_Y6boJ8_bNkSvl-bWv16wPjDjFvnPb_wqQJeKbpLCSTfHhnx40
Don't miss
Book a massage from Nova Rupp, our preferred LMT
Please visit https://www.yourkneedsbynova.com to book an onsite visit from Nova Rupp, our preferred licensed massage therapist. It's a perfect way to unwind after a day of outdoor play. Relax and enjoy.