The cozy community of Ouray, Colorado, hasn’t let 2020 stand in its way as it continues to charge ahead with new outdoor attractions and a vibrant outlook.
The Old West is still alive in this charming burg that began as a treasured location for the Tabeguache (pronounced “tabawach”) Utes who would camp in the area to enjoy the canyons, mountains, hot springs and waterfalls. The town is named after Ute Chief Ouray, who worked for years to bring peace to the area during the prospecting years.
The first miners came in 1861 after placer gold was discovered in the winter of that year in the canyon that would later be called Ouray. A decade later, the town was established and incorporated in 1876. The Ouray Times newspaper began publishing, and a school, post office, bank, two hotels and saloons, cabins and many other structures opened. After conflicts were resolved between the Ute tribal members and the prospectors, businesses and people began pouring into the area to establish the town. The Utes agreed to keep their lands in the valleys and plains to the west and north of the San Juan Mountains.
Mining is still a part of life in Ouray County and the original Camp Bird Mine recently reopened near the town. Ouray was electrified in 1885 and the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad reached the town in December 1887.
Today, the spirit of camping, recreating, mining, breweries and much more are still alive in Ouray.
Situated in a basin at 7,800 feet in altitude along the Uncompahgre River, Ouray is located on Highway 550, known as the Million Dollar Highway. This famous stretch of roadway that twists and turns through Colorado’s gorgeous scenic southern vistas was built in 1883 to link Ouray with they Red Mountain Mining District.
Nobody knows for sure the reason why people call the roadway by this name. Some people say they called the route the Million Dollar Highway because a million dollars worth of gold and precious minerals were paved over when they built the road. Others say the road was paved using nearby gravel that contained precious ore worth a million dollars and they only realized this after seeing how the silver and precious stones in the road sparkled in the sun after it was finished. Still, others say the roadway cost that much money just to build, which would have been a lot of money at the time.
Ouray has so much to do for all ages. It is an outdoor mecca and offers hiking trails for all levels of hiking ability, it offers historic hotels to stay in, RV parks, jeep tours, outdoor dining, coffee houses, shopping, hot springs where people can soak in the hot mineral springs and a world-renown ice park in the winter.
The small town is known as “The Switzerland of America” and one of the most beautiful places in Colorado. Many Hollywood Westerns and recent movies and television series have been made in the town and surrounding area.
The town is also known as the “Jeeping Capital of the World” with Jeep roads carved from historic wagon trails through high mountain passes and winding roads and flower-filled meadows.
Ouray Hot Springs Pool, 1220 Main St., is open for the season now from noon-8 p.m. Three pools are open: the shallow soaking pool, which is kept at 96-98 degrees, the hot pool, which is kept at about 104 degrees, and the lap lanes are open. Swimmers are encouraged to come to the pool “swim-ready” wearing swim gear and with their own towels, according to the hot springs staff. Swim suit and towel rentals are not available because of the pandemic. Restrooms are available at the facility and showers are available on a limited basis. Lockers are not available. Face coverings are required when on the deck or anywhere in the facility but not required when in the water. Call 970-325-7073 for information or visit cohotspringsloop.com.
The Ouray Historical Society and Ouray County Museum, 420 6th Ave., was providing private guided walking tours this summer for a small fee. The museum is now closed for the season but is worth checking out if travelling to the city in the future. Call the museum at 970-325-4576 for information or visit ouracountyhistoricalsociety.org.
Hollywood hotspot
Ouray and the surrounding area has been a favorite location for Hollywood movie and television producers for nearly a century.
Most recently, Actor and producer Ashton Kutcher selected Ouray for the Netflix sitcom “The Ranch.” Kutcher stars with Sam Elliot, Debra Winger, Danny Masterson and others who live in this rural setting on the Iron River Ranch that actually exists as a working ranch called the Last Dollar Ranch on the Last Dollar Road in Ouray County.
The show is set in the fictional town of Garrison, Colorado, and filmed on a sound stage in Burbank, California, but the opening scenes are Ouray.
Other notable films made in the area are “True Grit,” 1969, starring John Wayne, filmed in Ridgway, Ouray, Montrose, Owl Creek Pass and Gunnison; “Over the Top,” 1987, starring Sylvester Stallone, filmed in Ouray; and “How the West was Won,” 1962, starring Henry Fonda, filmed in Ridgway, Montrose, Silverton and Durango.
Outdoor mecca
This cozy mountain outpost is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts year-round, offering ice climbing, a 6-mile perimeter trail around the town, Box Canyon Trail, world-class off-road trails, a newly opened Via Ferrata.
The Ouray Via Ferratta, which means “iron way” in Italian, is a 4,000-linear-foot cable trail that crosses the Uncompahgre River. Markus Van Meter, digital marketing manager for Visit Ouray, said about 12,000 people visited the Via Ferrata this summer.
“The Via Ferrata they built here in Ouray is unique in that it is the only one built in the United States that has a ladder bridge and it is the only one in the United States that is built to two standards, and so this one, unlike the Telluride Via Ferrata, which is pretty much lateral, this Via Ferrata in Ouray goes up and down,” Van Meter said.
The feature is located in the same gorge as the Ouray Ice Park, just on the other side, he said.
“It offers another use of our backcountry that doesn’t involve gasoline vehicles or anything like that, so we’re pretty grateful to have it,” Van Meter said.
For those who just want to get out and take a walk, a new 6-mile hiking trail opened this year, linking several trails around the area.
“This trail has been being built for years, probably the last seven or eight years, and it was finally completed this year,” Van Meter said. “So now we have a loop that circles Ouray. Just about everywhere you go on it, you can see a version of Ouray, depending on what side and what part of the trail you’re on.”
For another option, the Uncompahgre River runs along the North Ouray Corridor. A two-mile walking loop takes visors along the river north of the Ouray Hot Springs Pool. The path is mostly level, following the river. On one side of the valley is Gold Hill with many old mine buildings visible high above the trail. There are also benches and fitness stations along the path. Leashed dogs are allowed.
And visitors should venture out to Box Canyon Falls Park when in Ouray. A short, easy hike on the Falls Trail is about 500 feet to the falls to see the 85-foot waterfall that plummets into a narrow, quartzite canyon is humbling. There is also the High Bridge Trail for those who want to hike a more difficult path but also want a view of high peaks of the Amphitheater Cirque. Also, the Native Plant Loop is an easy stroll trail with no steps. Visitors can also read about the wildlife, geology and history of the area while there. The visitor’s center closes in November but the trails stay open in the winter, weather permitting. Call 970-325-7080 for information.
Winter festival put on ice
Ouray is known throughout the world for its ice climbing. Every winter, the city usually welcomes droves of adventures who take advantage of the Ouray Ice Park and Ice Festival. The 2021 Ice Festival will be mostly virtual because of the pandemic, but it will still offer people everywhere an opportunity to see what the event is all about.
The all-day event celebrates “all things ice” but due to COVID-19, they will spread the celebration out over the course of winter, Van Meter said.
“Ouray is the ice-climbing mecca of the United States and it was one of the very first ice parks ever,” he said.
The festival dates are set for Jan. 21-24. For more information, visit ourayicepark.com.
Kick your boots up and stay awhile
For a small town, Ouray offers a smorgasbord of overnight accommodations.
We chose to stay at the Beaumont Hotel and Spa, a historic luxury hotel that was rumored to have spirits. I was equipped with my camera and a curiosity strong enough to wake up my friend in the middle of the night to see if a legend of a woman would, in fact, roam the hallways at 2:15 a.m every night of the quarter moon, according to local legend. Even though our ghost hunt only ended up with a lot of laughs and a good story to retell for anyone who would listen, we still had a great time and a memorable night staying at a gorgeous historic establishment.
Upon arrival, we opened the outside door to the Beaumont Hotel and stepped inside a cramped space with the scent of a cigar that had been enjoyed sometime last century. We rang a bell next to the second set of grandiose wooden doors with Victorian-era stained glass and were allowed into the main lobby of the grande luxury establishment.
We found ourselves taken back to a simpler time when craftsmen took pride in carving wooden staircases and framed doorways. I expected a smartly attired man with a top hat to greet us in the foyer in front of the grand staircase that led up to the rooms. In this time of the virus, when everything was still just starting to open back up, the silence amplified the rich red carpeting and tick-tocks from the hanging clocks.
“We have the only elevator in Ouray,” we were informed by the man at the front desk, who had just moved to the hotel with his wife from a nearby town of Silverton. They jumped at the chance to work at the historic inn, he said.
The hotel has hosted President Herbert Hoover, President Theodore Roosevelt and other celebrities in its day.
The 12-room boutique hotel is a sight to see as it stands proudly with its red brick exterior on the corner of Main Street. It has rooms from $200-$520 a night and was built in the late 1800s to attract mining magnates to the area. It was recently renovated and is now listed up for sale again for $8.5 million.
According to Misty, the Beaumont Hotel is open but has to take some precautions for the pandemic.
“We are taking extra precautions when cleaning and turning the rooms because of the virus. But we are open at full capacity,” Misty said. “We are not able to serve our typical continental breakfast that we usually have because of COVID restrictions, so instead we are putting out little baggies of to-go snacks for people with muffin and breakfast bars for people, but that’s the biggest changes. But we can’t come into the room and turn the room over when you’re staying more than one night and we can’t provide our breakfasts.”
Down the street but not too far away is the St. Elmo Hotel with its overflowing charm set beside a flowing stream. Lucky guests can ask for the Alpenglow Suite that looks overlooks Main Street. Once inside, guests can open the front window and take in the majestic view of Ouray Mountain or keep the window by the bed open at night to sleep to the sound of the flowing stream.
St. Elmo also offers breakfast in the morning. The rooms are decorated with Victorian furnishings and guests can congregate downstairs to watch television. There are no TVs in the rooms but it is equipped with WIFI. The couple that owns the 10-room hotel built in 1898 has operated almost continuously since it opened and it is also looking for new owners. The current owner said the sale of the hotel is not necessarily public knowledge but “if you look for it, you can find it,” he said.
Also, Ouray has RV parks, campgrounds, motels and hotels to suit most every taste.
“Lodging in Ouray, there’s a lot of choices for a lot of different choices, from the high-end traveler that’s used to a nice accommodation, which is historic, it’s been around forever, and it’s a luxury hotel, all the way down to the family-friendly RV campgrounds and cabins and so forth. So we’ve got quite a bit of lodging,” Van Meter. “I believe at last count we had around 2,000 rooms in Ouray, and so you can imagine there is a price point and a demographic that’s going to be attracted to something in there.”
Ouray, Silverton and the area was hit by a double whammy of misfortune this year, possibly causing hardship to local lodging and other businesses that are now selling. A historic avalanche season last winter closed Highway 550 into Ouray for three weeks crippling the winter tourist season, followed almost immediately by the COVID-19 closures when lodging facilities usually make most of their income.
At least seven of them have listed their properties. Some were selling before the pandemic hit. But those who are in the market to purchase an investment property have a variety of establishments from which to choose.
The Beaumont Hotel is listed for sale at $8.5 million, Hotel Ouray is listed for $2.475 million, the Historic Western Hotel & Saloon, an all-wooden historic hotel that dates back to the mining days, is listed for $1.325 million, the Black Bear Manor B&B is asking for $1.565 million, the Secret Garden B&B is asking $1.5 million, and Chipeta Solar Springs Resort in Ridgway is hoping to find a buyer for $5.725 million. The St. Elmo Hotel is also for sell but the price is upon request.
What’s for dinner
Ouray also has plenty of coffee shops, boutiques to find local crafts or memorabilia, eateries and brewpubs. We found the Ouray Brewery at 607 Main Street. The lively atmosphere and variety of pub food fare offered a welcome respite after spending so much time indoors this year, and the brewery offers rooftop dining that overlooks the breathtaking views that draw so many outdoor enthusiasts to the area. If you sit in the right place, you can even enjoy your award-winning brew while watching water pour out of Cascade Falls above the village. Try the Camp Bird Blond Ale for a light, refreshing taste of local craft.
Mojo’s Coffee Chai & Teas, open Wednesdays through Sundays from 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at 325 6th Ave., is a hidden gem that just opened. Along with their gourmet coffee and tea, they offer fresh croissants and other breakfast treats for the early starters, and serve tamales and lunch items later in the day. And, when we were there, they served from the door of the shop to make sure every safety measure was covered.
