There are many beautiful places to see in the United States, but in my opinion, none are as beautiful as Ouray, Colorado and the mountains surrounding it. It is known as “The Switzerland of America” because of the picturesque mountains surrounding the town. It sits at about 7800 feet in altitude, completely surrounded by 13,000 plus and 14,000 plus foot peaks.
THE HISTORY OF OURAY
Ouray has a rich geographical history. Millions of years ago, the mountains that now surround Ouray formed from massive volcanic activities. Within the last couple of million years, ice formed along the San Juan mountains surrounding Ouray. The volcanic activies around the region are responsible for the recreational opportunities and natural beauty that are present today.
As explained on the http://ouraycolorado.com website, Centuries before the white men arrived, a nomadic band, the Tabeguache Ute, traveled to this rich setting in the summer, to hunt the flourishing game and to soak in what they referred to as the “sacred miracle waters. Even back then, it was a known fact that the springs beneath much of Ouray were therapeutic. In fact, the town’s original name was “Uncompahgre”, the Ute word for “hot water springs. The Ute’s served as guides for expeditions seeking passage through the southern Rockies in the 1700s. These Spanish explorers named this mountainous range the San Juan Mountains. The Spaniards had no interest in settling such a harsh climate. It was the miners, rushing into the region in the late 1800’s in search of silver and gold, which forever changed the face of the San Juan Mountains. Many of the country roads recreationists enjoy today are former access routes that the miners developed more than a hundred years ago. The century old towns of Red Mountain Town, Animas Forks, Sneffels, and Mineral Point, all ghost towns, as well as abandoned mines along the way, are evidence of the roots of this region.
In 1873, there lived a famous Ute Chief, by the name of Ouray, who with great reluctance, signed a government treaty releasing the Ute’s treasured San Juan Mountains to the white settlers. The town was officially incorporated in 1876 and was named in his honor. In its first year, there were approximately 400 inhabitants, who forged their way through the frozen winter and were happily greeted by spring with its beautiful alpine flowers, plush flowing brooks. By the year of 1880 with the widespread aspirations for precious metals, Ouray had grown into a successful mining town with over 2,600 settlers. They had built a school, several churches, a hospital, restaurants, saloons and brothels, hardware, clothing and supply stores for the miners, hotels and boarding houses. By 1888, the town happily welcomed the arrival of the Denver Rio Grande Railroad. A few years later, the value of silver crashed, severely challenging the Settlers of Ouray. The town proved to be strong though, when Tom Walsh discovered one of the richest mines in Colorado-the Camp Bird gold mine located southwest of Ouray. He was known for compensating his miners well and before he passed away, he gave Ouray a fully stocked library and saved the community hospital, presently the Ouray Historical Museum, from financial ruin.
There are many things to do and see, and a person could literally spend months in the area and still never see everything that there is to see.
Ouray’s Natural Hot Springs Pool: When first driving into the foot of the town, you can’t help but notice Ouray’s famous Natural Hot Springs pool, which is sectioned off by several different ranges of temperatures, which are anywhere from 96 to 106 Degrees Fahrenheit. The waters in the springs have been tested and found to contain rich natural minerals, which is said to have miraculous healing properties. I have spoken with multiple people while soaking in the pool, who regularly travel from over a hundred miles away, on a weekly and bi-weekly basis, just to enjoy the benefits of these healing waters. One lady who said she was in her early 70s was very adamant that the springs had cured her Arthritis. Another lady with Lupus said that since she had been soaking in the springs once a week for the past 8 months, her disease had gone into remission, and she felt better then she ever had in her life. As for myself, I can honestly say that my hip that had been hurting for months was no longer painful by the time I left, and has never hurt since!
Four Wheel Drives in the Mountains: The next thing of note is the mountains which completely surround Ouray. On several occasions, we took full day jeep tours up and over the mountains. (For those brave souls, jeeps can also be rented for self tours) We were treated with the awesome views of Yankee Boy Basin, and Twin Falls, at which the Coors Beer commercial was filmed on location. The mountains were covered with wild flowers (we always go in July!) and the mountains were still capped with snow. There are always deer and other wild life wandering about. On the way up the mountain, we passed several ghost towns which were once thriving gold and silver mining communities. Waterfalls are everywhere! Driving in a four wheel drive vehicle up the old mountain roads is my number one favorite thing to do. One could do it every day, and never tire of the same scenic overlooks.
Fourth of July in Ouray: On the fourth of July, the residents and visitors of Ouray celebrate in a way I have never seen anywhere else that I have ever been! First, is the morning parade, which includes several surrounding towns parading through the main street strip of Ouray, and is filled with dancing horses, local children riding on fire trucks, decorated vehicles of all sorts, and clowns walking on stilts. Next are old fashioned relay games for kids in the park. After that, comes the annual fire hose fight. This is the highlight of the entire day! It consists of 6 separate teams of 2 men/women each. Two teams stand in the middle of the street, facing one another and armed with fire hoses. The teams spray across the street at each other for as long as it takes to have only one team standing. The 6 teams take turns facing one another until all teams have had their turn. In the meantime as would be expected, the runaway water from the hoses soaks the crowd of spectators watching. Then at night, there is a parade of jeeps lit up by flares, which precedes the fireworks display.
Fishing: There is multiple fishing areas located within a short distance of Ouray, from popular catch-and-release areas to more serene small alpine lakes. There are abundant trout in the waters for those who enjoy trout fishing. The Colorado Division of Wildlife describes fishing in southern Colorado as “where the rivers run wilder and the trout grow larger”.
Hiking: The region has trails for all levels of fitness. Cascade Falls and Box Canon Waterfall & Park are both close to town and easy hikes on well-maintained trails. Cascade Falls Trail which is a fairly easy 5 mile round trip is a city park. When we walked up to the falls for the first time, a deer walked casually up to the bottom of the falls as we were standing and staring and taking photos. It began to drink from the pool at the foot of the fall, and just looked at us with no fear. It was an awesome moment! This is an easy half-hour hike on a trail which is kept is top condition. Another easy hike is the .6 round trip trail along the Baby Bathtubs, an impressive canyon with hollowed out rock formations (Portland Creek). This is an excellent hike for young children. Children can dip their toes into the water and play in the rocks of the stream beds. It is a delightful place for a picnic.
Snowmobiling: Ouray is the perfect place to venture the thrill of the back country snowmobile trails of the San Juan Mountains, for both beginners and the more advanced.
Ice Climbing: Ouray is very popular for ice climbing. There are many routes an experienced climber can take. The ice park consists of an entire mile of farmed ice, and sits right in town. For those who are not quite so adventurous, I highly encourage a look at it! Some incredible athletes come from far away to climb at this park.
WHERE TO STAY AND EAT IN OURAY
I have stayed at many places in Ouray, and I can honestly say that they are all wonderful! There are a variety of accommodations, from hotels, Bed and Breakfasts, to camping sites and cabin rentals. Many of the places have kitchenettes as well. There are numerous restaurants to choose from, and shops to explore.
Ouray is a place that any person could enjoy, at any time of year. There are many things to do and see. I highly recommend stopping in, the next time you are in Southwest Colorado.
