Ouray

A Victorian mining town at the bottom of a valley in Colorado's San Juan Mountains, nicknamed the "Switzerland of America": soak in hot springs, see waterfalls, take a jeep up to alpine basins, and drive the Million Dollar Highway over Red Mountain Pass to Silverton.

Ouray sits at the bottom of the Uncompahgre Gorge in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, at about 2,390 m, ringed by cliffs on all sides. It boomed with gold and silver mining in the 19th century, and its main street retains many Victorian brick and stone buildings, earning it the nickname "Switzerland of America". It marks the northern end of the Million Dollar Highway (US-550): heading south over Red Mountain Pass takes about 1 hour to Silverton, and Ridgway is 20 minutes north.

Seasons: Jun–Sep is the season for off-road jeeping, alpine hiking and wildflowers, with Yankee Boy Basin's wildflowers peaking in July. From late September to early October the aspens turn gold, and fall colours around Red Mountain Pass and Dallas Divide are superb. The Ice Park is open Dec–Mar, with the Ice Festival in January, and winter is a lovely time for hot springs. Spring (Apr–May) is the low season, when some high mountain roads are still closed by snow.

Things to do: in town, soak in the Ouray Hot Springs Pool and the Wiesbaden's vapor cave, and walk to Box Canyon Falls, Cascade Falls and along the Perimeter Trail. Off-roading is the town's signature activity: join a jeep tour or rent a 4WD for routes such as Yankee Boy Basin or Engineer Pass to the ghost town of Animas Forks. Driving the Million Dollar Highway to Silverton is a classic day trip.

Getting there: the nearest airport is Montrose (about 1 hour's drive), or it's about a 5.5–6 hour drive from Denver. Plan to stay 2–3 days. Note: altitude sickness and sunburn are common at this elevation, afternoon thunderstorms are frequent in summer, so start high-country activities early. The Million Dollar Highway has many sharp bends and no guardrails, so check road conditions before driving in winter.

Top sights

• Yankee Boy Basin – A high-mountain basin in the San Juan Mountains. In summer, wildflowers, waterfalls and abandoned mines fill the landscape, making it Ouray…
• Ouray – A Victorian-style mining town surrounded by mountains, nicknamed 'the Switzerland of America' and the northern starting point of the Millio…
• Box Cañon Falls Park – A roughly 87-meter waterfall thundering through a narrow rock crevice just outside Ouray. Steel walkways hung on the cliff let you approach…
• Ouray Hot Springs Pool – A public hot springs pool at the north end of Ouray, with natural mineral water divided into several pools of different temperatures and sn…
• Million Dollar Highway – The US-550 mountain road from Ouray to Silverton clings to the cliffs without guardrails and crosses 3,358-meter Red Mountain Pass, one of…
• Ouray Ice Park – More than 200 ice-climbing routes created by spraying water onto the walls of the Uncompahgre Gorge, one of the world's best-known artifici…
• Ouray Perimeter Trail – A roughly 9-kilometer trail along the hillside around Ouray, linking waterfalls, gorges and viewpoints overlooking the whole town.
• Silverton – A high-mountain mining town at the southern end of the Million Dollar Highway, preserving Old West streets and saloons. It is the terminus…
• Red Mountain Pass – The highest point of the Million Dollar Highway, at 3,358 meters, where rust-red mountains and abandoned mine shafts form a distinctive lan…
• Bachelor-Syracuse Mine Tour – A historic gold and silver mine about 1,000 meters into the mountain. Visitors ride a mine cart with a former miner as guide, and can also…
• Ouray County Museum – A county history museum housed in an 1887 former hospital building, displaying artifacts from the mining era, the Ute people and the town's…
• Cascade Falls – A tall waterfall on the mountainside east of town, just over ten minutes' walk from the town center to the base of the falls.
• Bear Creek Falls – A waterfall you pass as soon as you leave Ouray on the Million Dollar Highway. The road crosses over the top of the falls on a bridge, and…
• Wiesbaden Hot Springs – A long-established hot springs inn in town, most notable for its natural underground steam cave, the 'Steam Cave.'
• Alpine Loop & Engineer Pass – A high-mountain backcountry loop connecting Ouray, Silverton and Lake City, crossing 3,900-meter Engineer Pass.
• Animas Forks Ghost Town – A 19th-century mining ghost town at 3,400 meters, with several wooden houses and an ore-processing mill preserved. It is the most popular s…
• Blue Lakes Trail – Three vivid blue alpine lakes in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness, one of the most popular high-country hiking routes in the San Juans.
• Ridgway State Park – A reservoir-based state park north of Ouray for boating, fishing and camping, with the snowy peaks of the San Juans as a backdrop.
• Orvis Hot Springs – A natural hot springs resort near Ridgway with several rock-lined pools of different temperatures and views of the snowy San Juan peaks.
• Ironton Ghost Town – An abandoned mining town on the meadows below Red Mountain Pass, where a few wooden houses against the red mountains make a classic scene.
• Dallas Divide – A mountain pass on the road from Ridgway to Telluride, facing the Sneffels Range, and one of Colorado's most famous autumn viewpoints.
• Mount Sneffels – A 4,315-meter peak in the San Juan Mountains, whose jagged profile is the most iconic snow-capped view around Ouray.

Where to eat

• Brickhouse 737 – Ouray's top-rated dinner spot. Its cozy brick building has a central fireplace and serves modern American dishes such a…
• The Outlaw Restaurant – An old steakhouse opened in 1969. A hat once belonging to John Wayne, from when he filmed Rio Lobo, hangs above the bar.
• Ouray Brewery – A three-story brewpub with a rooftop deck offering nearly 360-degree views of the canyon and mountains. The first-floor…
• Maggie's Kitchen – A budget-friendly burger shop with walls covered in diners' graffiti. The green chile bacon cheeseburger is hefty, and…
• Mouse's Chocolates and Coffee – A family-run chocolate shop and coffee roastery opened in 2001, known for its Belgian chocolate desserts and Mexican ho…

Itineraries

• Colorado's Four National Parks: 13-Day Grand Loop – A clockwise grand loop from Denver, linking Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Rocky Mount…
• San Juan Skyway & Mesa Verde – In and out of Durango: experience the narrow-gauge railroad, the Million Dollar Highway, historic mining towns, and cli…