One Of Colorado's Best-Kept Secrets Boasts Historic Charm, Scenic Beauty, And A Low Cost Of Living

As the eighth-largest state by land mass, Colorado boasts a variety of landscapes and destinations to please visitors. It has earned the nickname "The Centennial State " due to its official entry into statehood in 1876, occurring 100 years after the Declaration of Independence. Whether you head to the ultimate destinations to visit on a trip to Colorado or the cool mountain town of Paonia, there's something to discover around every corner of the 38th state. In the southeast, you'll find La Junta, one of Colorado's best-kept secrets boasting historical charm, scenic beauty, and a low cost of living.

La Junta's beginnings date back to the 1800s as a hunting spot for buffalo, and then as a fort and outpost on the Santa Fe Trail. By 1875, the Santa Fe Railroad was expanding in the area, creating a settlement and serving as headquarters for the railroad's Colorado Division. Officially incorporated in 1881, the name La Junta, which is Spanish for "the junction," came to fruition because the area served as a junction of various trails and railways. In the heart of the Arkansas River Valley, La Junta is located along U.S. Highway 50, about 176 miles from the capital of Denver and 106 miles from Colorado Springs.

La Junta is brimming with historical charm and is designated a National Historic Landmark district, with many individual sites also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Take a driving tour to relive the experiences of those who traversed the Old Santa Fe Trail, known as America's first international highway, where you might catch a glimpse of old wagon ruts. The 850-mile trail was used in the 1800s as a merchant trail between the U.S. and Mexico. Along the trail, locate Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site, a reconstruction of the fur trading post once run by William and Charles Bent, brothers who established the spot in the 1830s. Other noteworthy historical sites in La Junta are the Otero Museum, which features artifacts from the county's history, and the Koshare Indian Museum, which highlights Native American art and history, along with an attached kiva structure.

For a scenic-meets-historic adventure, visit the Comanche National Grassland, whose Picketwire Canyon and Vogel Canyon are a short drive from La Junta. With over 443,000 acres of range land and home to 300 species of birds, reptiles, and other animals, there's plenty to explore. The Vogel Canyon Trail System offers four trails ranging from 1-mile to 3-mile round-trip treks, which embark from the parking area. Each trail offers a scenic experience through woodlands and prairie lands, highlighting the history of the canyon, including rock art and canyon overlooks. 

Finding affordable destinations to visit can be a challenge, but La Junta is budget friendly with a low cost of living for its over 7,300 residents. La Junta is similar to Clovis, California, providing small-town charm with a low cost of living, in a state where the costs are higher elsewhere for both visitors and residents. The median home price in La Junta is $210,000, lower than Colorado's median sale price of $621,800 and the nationwide average of $420,000 (as of the time of writing). Similarly, the median monthly rent in La Junta is $1,169, which is lower than the state's median of $2,134.  New and existing business owners can also take advantage of programs meant to encourage downtown revitalization through the program Main Street La Junta, which has been given a Main Street certification by the state — be sure to explore the area during your visit.

Some of the aforementioned attractions, such as Vogel Canyon, the Comanche National Grassland, and the town center, are among the free things to do in La Junta for visitors and locals alike. Colorado also fortunately receives an average of over 300 days of sunshine per year and is dubbed "Colorful Colorado," likely due to the vast color varieties seen across its landscapes. Enjoying the great outdoors won't use up much of your travel budget.

If you're looking for other low-cost American destinations, consider Dayton, Ohio, the Midwest mecca of art, shopping and dining, or McAllen, Texas, a bustling Southern foodie destination.

La Junta's affordability, scenic beauty, and history make for an ideal place to live and visit, but it's also home to two unique experiences not likely to be found elsewhere. First, if the sight of a giant spider doesn't make your skin crawl, consider visiting La Junta during the annual "tarantula trek." The Colorado brown tarantula (among other species) migrates through La Junta and Comanche National Grassland during the fall as part of an annual mating ritual. If you're lucky enough to spy one (or several), it's likely to be during the late afternoon through sunset, and September is the ideal month.

La Junta also features some of the largest remains of dinosaurs in North America, where viewing over 1,300 footprints in 100 separate tracks is possible. You can do this with a venture to Picket Wire Canyonlands to spy on the remains of the Apatosaurus and Allosaurus tracks. You can also embark on a guided auto tour of the Picket Wire Canyonlands to these dinosaur tracks, which starts at the USDA Forest Service office. You'll need a four-wheel-drive vehicle, and you should sign up ahead of time due to the tour's popularity.