▁a ▁region ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁state ▁of ▁Colorado . ▁It ▁can ▁be ▁roughly ▁defined ▁by ▁Ch aff ee ▁County ▁in ▁the ▁north west , ▁El ▁Pas o ▁County ▁in ▁the ▁n ortheast , ▁Las ▁Anim as ▁County ▁in ▁the ▁sout heast , ▁and ▁C one jos ▁County ▁in ▁the ▁south west . ▁Some ▁notable ▁towns ▁and ▁cities ▁there ▁include ▁Colorado ▁Spr ings , ▁P ue blo , ▁C ri pp le ▁Creek , ▁C añ on ▁City , ▁Sal ida , ▁Bu ena ▁V ista , ▁Monte ▁V ista , ▁Al am osa , ▁W als enburg , ▁and ▁Tr in idad . ▁The ▁land sc apes ▁of ▁South - Cent ral ▁Colorado ▁were ▁made ▁known ▁to ▁the ▁Western ▁world ▁by ▁the ▁expl or ations ▁of ▁Z eb ul on ▁Pi ke ▁and ▁Kit ▁Car son , ▁who ▁were ▁later ▁followed ▁by ▁sett lers , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁came ▁by ▁the ▁Santa ▁Fe ▁Tra il . ▁The ▁upper ▁trib ut aries ▁of ▁the ▁Ark ansas ▁River ▁and ▁South ▁Pl atte ▁River ▁provide ▁am ple ▁white water ▁ra ft ing ▁and ▁are ▁famous ▁for ▁tr out ▁and ▁bass ▁fish ing ▁in ▁scen ic ▁settings ▁such ▁as ▁Royal ▁G orge . ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁economic ▁system ▁is ▁dependent ▁on ▁min ing , ▁forest ry , ▁ran ch ing , ▁and ▁tour ism ▁related ▁to ▁these ▁endeav ors . ▁South - Cent ral ▁Colorado ▁has ▁so ▁far ▁largely ▁escaped ▁urban ization , ▁allowing ▁visitors ▁to ▁experience ▁something ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Old ▁West