Collegiate Peaks

As we made our way to Buena Vista on Hwy 24, we came to a picnic/overlook area outside of the small community of Johnson's Village (pop. 246). It was worth the stop, giving us our first real look at the Collegiate Peaks, a section of the Sawatch Range that were given names after prominent universities: Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Harvard and Oxford. They are among the tallest mountains in Colorado, all in excess of 14,000 feet (see Wiki page).

In the foreground of the second photo you can see the Buena Vista KOA where we stayed. It's one of the best KOAs I've ever visited, clean, well run, with great amenities. We rented a cabin for the night and didn't want to leave. :) 

There are some amazing views from this overlook area - and nicely done interpretive signs to help visitors identify what they're seeing and learn some of the history of this beautiful area.