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Sign in with FacebookLatest Ouray hotel reviews
Pro
Exhilerating Off Road trails all around
Con
An out of the way location
In a nutshell
a little piece of the past
Martinewezel Says: The fall is 285 foot high. Thousands of gallons a minute are dropped into this boxed canyon. A quite dramatic scene.Stairs are going down into the canyon, to a dark little beach under the rock, where you get sprayed by the water (very welcome and cooling down in...
Get Into the Loop! - Alpine Loop
KiKitC Says: This is what we came to Colorado for...taking RedRover on these mountain 4wd trails. And it doesn't disappoint. The Alpine Loop Back Country Byway is a series of 65 miles of trails that wind up the side of the mountain peaks, past old mines, down into lush valleys and past...
360 Opinions
1 Review and 170 Opinions What a wonderful hotel. Rooms are very clean. I understand they have rooms with kitchenettes,...
Backstreet Bagels: Backstreet Bagels is on Main Street
uaamom Says: Good bagels. A little pricey ($6.35 for the Meatlover's) but so is everything else in Ouray, as it's expensive to transport things in and energy costs are high.My husband loves the cinnamon rolls but I didn't think they were anything to write home about.Luckily you can...
Bon Ton: A bad experience at one of my favorites
gjjim Says: Bon Ton is located on Ouray's main street in the basement of the St. Elmo, an old, restored hotel. The decor is cozy and the atmosphere strikes a nice balance between casual and elegant. On past visits we always experienced excellent food and service and I recommended Bon...
Helpfulness
Open at night, depending on the season. There's little to do in Ouray at night, so soaking in the hot springs under the stars on a clear night is about the best plan. See Must See Activities for contact info
Written Apr 25, 2004
goingsolo Says: There is no bus service to this area. The main road, hwy 550, is incredibly scenic and worth the drive. Heading south from Ouray, the road climbs Red Mountain Pass and then two other passes before passing through the San Juan National Forest en route to Durango. Heading...
GrumpynAM Says: To get there you go south of Ouray on US highway 550 to the Camp Bird Mine turnoff (this is also the turnoff for Box Canyon Falls) the road is marked County Road 361. At approximately 5 miles is the Camp Bird Mine, the road then narrows and starts to climb. It is here that a...
Apteka Pharmacy & Liquor: The best place for wine at fair prices
Martinewezel Says: First of all we thought it was funny this shop had two counters: one for the pharmacy stuff and at the other side, one for wine, beers and liquor. I thought these 2 articles were incompatible? Apparently not!As we know nothing about American wine, we asked the owner to help...
goingsolo Says: Ouray's small compact downtown has several craft stores and many which cater to ice climbing and other sports.
goingsolo Says: In late January, there is an ice climbing competition in Ouray Ice Park. Climbers from around the world travel to Ouray to take part in the competition.
goingsolo Says: An annual event in late September. Caravans of jeeps travel the mountain roads to view the autumn colors.
Ouray "law enforcement": beware!
MdnghtWander Says: PROLOGUE: A few weeks ago, I was driving south on Route 550 towards the town of Ouray, when I passed a local resident (legally). After a furious honk, she began tailgaiting me. I slowed down almost to a crawl, hoping she would pass, but she continued to tailgate. In town, I...
Small-town "law enforcement" tactics -- beware!!
MidnghtWander Says: Driving just outside of the town of Ouray, I passed (legally) a local resident. After furious honking, the car tailgaited me for about 7 miles into the town of Ouray itself. Not feeling safe, I pulled into a parking lot and the car followed me, but to my surprise, it passed...
Switzerland of America’s Jeeps do not have the heavy duty manufacturing package that other Jeep rental places in Ouray have; their tires are not as high quality as those used by other rental places; and they are aggressive in charging extra at the end of the day for any lateness, scratches and other cosmetic defects. Therefore, they are significantly more expensive. To top it off, their owner’s son who manages the place is surly, belligerent, and completely lacking in warmth or gratitude to his customers.
Don’t rent from Switzerland of America. Instead, rent from other rental companies in town because they are less expensive, kind and cheerful, and have better Jeeps with larger and better tires that are expressly made for off-roading and keep the Jeep higher off the ground.
Fun Alternatives: Riverside Inn & Cabins Jeep Rental
1805 North Main Street
Ouray, CO 81427
(800) 432-4170
www.ourayriversideinn.com
They are polite, cheerful, have superior Jeeps and tires, and are ready to pounce on their late fee.
Written Aug 18, 2006
Helpfulness
Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Always bring along a warm jacket or sweater in the summer. The weather in the mountains can change rapidly. It can be sunny and warm and 10 minutes later cold, cloudy and rainy. Since you cannot see the clouds moving in you can really be caught off guard.
Photo Equipment: Camera with extra memory cards or lots of film, extra batteries, telephoto lens, tripod.
Written Feb 25, 2003
goingsolo Says: There are several abandoned mining sites in this area as well as Mount Sneffels, one of Colorado's climbable 14ers.Take forest service road 853 (Camp Bird Road) near Box Canyon Falls
goingsolo Says: In 1884, three bachelors discovered silver near Ouray. The mine later produced $90 million in silver. The tour leads you through the mine on a mine train with real miners as guides. There's also an opportunity to pan for gold.1 mi north of Ouray on Hwy 550 and turn right on...
Helpfulness
Manmade park which caters to ice climbers all over the world. In January, the park hosts the Ouray Ice Festival, with ice climbing competitions for climbers of all levels
Equipment: Ouray Ice and Tower Guides provides climbing lessons and equipment.
www.towerguides.com
Written Apr 25, 2004
Website: www.ourayicepark.com
KiKitC Says: The following tips may seem second nature to some...but in case you were wondering...(courtesy of the OHV Colorado/Tread Lightly informational brochure for Colorado Trails)* Four-wheel drive and high-clearance vehicles are recommended in many places* Uphill traffic has the...
KiKitC Says: Take only photos, leave no trace...It goes without saying, to protect our natural areas, stay on maintained trails. Driving on delicate areas destroys wildlife, which in turn contributes to soil erosion in vast areas and causes a chain reaction of natural destruction....
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The town of Ouray is located at the base of the San Juan mountains which appear in the photo. It began as a mining town in the19th century. Hwy 550, the million dollar highway, runs through Red...
The group running the rally listed descriptions of some of the trails that they were running for the 2007 National Land Rover Rally, and we were able to pick and choose which trails we wanted to run....
Located on the way from Telluride to Silverton, along the scenic San Juan Skyway, Ouray is a small community which apparently is referred to as the "Switzerland of America". Wel, having been to...
The Yankee Boy Basin and the wildflowers is a magnificent area to see. This photo was taken on the 4th of July.
Ouray, Colorado "The Switzerland of America"
Ouray is a small mining town in Colorado. It is surrounded by the most gigantic, scary looking mountains (although beautiful) I think I have ever seen. The weather here is unpredictable and the...
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