Ouray
Ouray is a spectacularly beautiful little town in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. It retains a small town charm and boasts sublime natural Hot Springs and numerous trails as well as good vicinity to five star Alpine Lake hikes, including the nearby Ice Lakes. It is the perfect location for a solo vision trip. Beyond its beauty, Ouray is also very safe and the locals are very friendly and helpful.
Ouray has always been a place of great spiritual resonance for me. Trips there over the years have correlated with me having profound insights and making major life changes. It’s an ideal location for a vision quest/solo journey, especially with its unique combination of towering mountain walls, scenic hikes, and relaxing Hot Springs. Bring your trekking poles as everything is quite steep!
Exploring and Hiking
Featured Hikes
Things to Know
When to Visit
Ouray is a wonderful summer destination as it sits at an elevation of over 7,000 feet. Wildflowers are blooming in July but that is also monsoon season time. Late August/early September is also a great time to go as it is typically dry with comfortable temperatures. Unless camping, late September is ideal to see the Aspen’s changing color, particularly in neighboring forests. Winter can make an exciting time to visit if one is focused on enjoying Hot Springs.
Where to Stay
Ouray offers an ideal setting for summer camping, particularly at the Amphitheater Campground, which is located above the town and managed by the park service. The campground includes several first-come, first-served sites, typically available in the morning, although it usually reaches full capacity by midday.
Reservations can be made through recreation.gov, and it is advisable to do so six months in advance, on the day reservations open for your preferred arrival date. The Campground is renowned for its breathtaking mountain views and relatively private campsites. It also provides access to several trails, offering loops of varying lengths, routes to waterfalls, and entry to the Perimeter Trail. Amphitheater Campground also boasts clean vault toilets and exceptionally friendly and helpful camp hosts. The town features a beautiful public hot spring facility with showers, making it an excellent destination for hiking and relaxation.
Nearby, Orvis Hot Springs in Ridgway offers another wonderful place to unwind, with options to camp or stay in their lodge rooms if reserved early, or simply enjoy a day pass.
While most lodging options in Ouray are older and expensive, a few exceptions justify the higher rates, particularly those with private hot springs, such as Box Canyon Lodge and Twin Peaks Resort. Box Canyon Lodge is particularly favored for its private hot spring tubs set in natural surroundings with stunning mountain views and convenient access from motel rooms.