Paonia, Colorado!

Few places offer such a wonderful combination of ...

CLIMATE,
SCENERY,
LIFESTYLE and
RECREATION.

Come Visit - Come Stay!

Paonia is nestled in a delightful valley in Western Colorado. The natural beauty of its countryside, clean air, and being surrounded by majestic mountains offer an endless combination of experiences.

Paonia sits at an elevation of 5,645 feet with approximately 1,500 residents. Another 5,000 inhabit the eight surrounding mesas.

Paonia's economic base, in addition to the orchards, consists of coal mining and ranching. Local ranchers raise cattle, horses, sheep and hay. In recent years, some have found their niche with llamas, alpaca, emu and domestic elk. The beauty of our area brings people from all over the world - the quality of life is why they stay. What a wonderful place to raise a family or plan your retirement!

Recreation is diverse and seemingly endless. Fish the Gold Medal waters of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of the 300 lakes on the Grand Mesa, or any of the numerous high country streams or beaver ponds. The nearby West Elk Wilderness is a magnificent area for hiking, camping and hunting.

Paonia is a focal point of back roads and trails leading into forest and wilderness. Hunters from all over the nation, singly or assisted by local guides outfitted in Paonia, disperse into the surrounding mountains in quest of elk, deer and bear.

Whether you drive or bike the West Elk Byway Loop, you will encounter truly spectacular sights to photograph and remember for a long time to come.

Winter finds skiers alternating between cross-country skiing close to town and skiing the nearby ski resorts of Powderhorn, Sunlight, Crested Butte, Aspen and Telluride. Snowmobilers have wide choices for exploratory trips on the largest flat-top mountain area in the world - the Grand Mesa National Forest.

Few places offer such a wonderful combination of climate, scenery, lifestyle and recreation. Know that you're invited to visit, experience time here or stay the rest of your life.