This area, located west of Salida, includes the San Isabel National Forest and offers thousands of acres of public lands. Colorado Parks and Wildlife estimates a population of 200 bighorns living here.

Four peaks over 14,000 feet can be found within this area, with 14,269 foot Mount Antero being the highest. Surrounding these four peaks are a number of peaks over 13,000 feet with alpine lakes filling basins below. Cottonwood and Tin Cup Pass reach above 12,000 feet. The headwaters of North Fork South Arkansas, Chalk Creek, Middle and South Cottonwood Creek are found above 11,000 feet and empty into the Arkansas River.

Alpine basins above 11,550 feet are filled with wildflowers, willows, grasses, moss and lichens. Higher up on ridges and slopes forests of spruce, pine, fir and aspens are mixed with open grassy parks. Foothills have stands of ponderosa and lodgepole pine, aspens, oak brush, mountain mahogany, wildflowers and grasses. Valleys allow sagebrush, oak brush, grasses, pinyon/juniper, cottonwoods and willows to flourish.

San Isabel National Forest improved campgrounds include Iron City, Cascade, Chalk Lake, Mt. Princeton, Bootleg, North Fork Reservoir, Angel of Shavano, Collegiate Peaks and Cottonwood Lake. Mirror Lake is an improved campground found in the Gunnison National Forest. Buena Vista and Salida offer a wide selection of motels and bed and breakfast accommodations. Both communities have a variety of small cafes, restaurants and coffee houses, medical facilities and gas and diesel. Buena Vista has a regional airport.

The San Isabel National Forest, Gunnison National Forest Service and county roads reach many backcountry areas. Connecting to County Road 162 is County Road 277 leading to Baldwin Lake. County Road 360 heads west of Buena Vista crossing Cottonwood Pass and dropping down into Taylor Park. County Road 240 heads north of U.S. Highway 50 to North Fork Reservoir.