Ouray, CO - 4J+1+1 RV Park
Sept 7-9, 2022
Written By: H.Couch
After a short drive south through winding canyons and vast jagged mountain peaks we reach Ouray, Colorado. A prosperous mining town in the 1800’s, Ouray was founded for its lush gold and silver. Mining is all but obsolete and now a playground for Jeeps and ATVs has emerged. The outdoor enthusiast will not be disappointed in the town of Ouray that’s for sure. Besides the ATV adventures, you can find hiking, mountain biking and hot springs.
We find our campsite along the river at 4J+1+1 campground, unhook and unwind for a minute just taking in such beautiful scenery. The campground is perfectly located within a short walking distance to town and the hot spring. But I couldn’t sit still long and wanted to walk up into town and look around. The town of Ouray is set in a small valley between soaring mountain vistas, with boutique shops, restaurants and local tour companies lining the street. We stopped into a corner restaurant to share a light lunch, Gold Belt Bar & Grill. The menu comprised of mostly meaty burgers, sandwiches and pizza. It wasn’t the most vegan friendly but that’s ok, most places aren’t. They did however offer a veggie burger and fries. It was ok but to be honest the fries were cold. We did ask for some pizza dough to go as I had all the makings for a personal pizza back at the trailer.
After a light lunch we continued to walk around the small downtown and look in shops. Along the street, signs were posted about the town in its heyday. What the buildings used to be like, the bank, a saloon, tailor, barber shop or even the mercantile, compared to what is now, a t-shirt shop or a bookstore. Ouray has done a good job of preserving the past while making it an exciting destination for the present. It was defiantly very nice to have the ability to just be parked and walk wherever you wanted. From the trailer to town or the hot springs in the evening.
As the evening cooled, we walked over to the Ouray Hot Springs Pool, an outdoor oasis of peace and relaxation. It was very pleasant to have an almost adult only setting to soak in the minerals and the San Juan Mountain skyline. The 5 pools at Ouray Hot Springs are fairly large and accommodate comfortably. You can choose to relax in the shallow cooler pool or overlook the grounds in the warmer Overlook Pool. Whatever temperature you prefer you will be sure to find it at Ouray Hot Springs. A very relaxing evening watching the moon rise over the mountains while the steam from the water rises around us gives a peace you just can pay for. The hot springs is relatively affordable compared to many other hot springs and is very enjoyable after a day of 4 wheeling, hiking or biking.
Today is a new day and we booked an adventure through Switzerland of America Jeep Adventure tours. We were not daring enough to go on our own but after seeing the lay of the land, I realized quickly I am glad we didn’t. After loading into the back of a custom SUV (my seat belt on tight), it was time to explore, Destination Corkscrew Pass. First though we had to drive on the Million Dollar Highway, many legends exist about this highway. It costs a million dollars to make, there is a million dollars’ worth of gold and silver under the highway and my favorite, I wouldn’t drive on it again for a million dollars. I say that is my favorite because it is kind of true, sheer drop offs on one side and edgy cliff wall on the other. The narrow highway is a motorcyclist dream but driving it with a trailer is another story. Anyway, more about that later. Driving down the highway we stopped at the Via Ferrata, a rock-climbing wall for novices. You are hooked to a secure cable with a harness to keep you relativity safe. The same sheer rock cliffs used by the Via Ferrata is also used in the winter for ice climbing. In January people gather in Ouray from all over the world for ice climbing competition. Next stop, Bear Creek Falls, along the Million Dollar Highway. The cool thing about the falls, is that in nearly 70 years it has barely changed. I acknowledge this because I had a picture from 1951, my grandmother had taken in this same spot I am now. What a fascinating part of history that we can walk in the same footsteps through pictures.
As we continue up the pass, old mine shafts crumbled on the mountain side, leaving an image of the once booming mining time. Up a narrow boulder road, we bounce around climbing into the sky, 12,244 feet into the Red Mountains, one side Aspen trees the other side nothing but the edge of the earth. I was so glad I was sitting in the middle of truck (again seat belt on SUPER tight!). Reaching the top of the mountain was like touching the top of the sky. The views were endless and the imagination of a time long ago where miners lived in these rugged mountains loomed. How could anyone survive these rugged terrain and harsh winter conditions? After a bunch of pictures and few stories about survival, it was time to head back down the mountain. This tour up Corkscrew Pass was so amazing that it became too much to write about in this blog about Ouray so please check out the link here to read more about the fantastic tour through Switzerland of America tours.
Because we left fairly early in the morning for our tour, we didn’t get in much of a breakfast, so lunch in town it was going to be. The tour guide mentioned a good burger place across the street at 703 Main St, named, Maggie’s Kitchen. We were skeptical of a burger joint but figured we would manage somehow. Pleasantly surprised we ordered the homemade bean burger and fries, it was a little beany but very good. Maggie’s also had a vegan chicken sandwich that was my first choice, but since they were all out of that for the day, the bean burger it was. Maggie’s had a large selection of burgers to catfish po’boy sandwiches and deliciously fried onion rings. When looking for a lunch spot in Ouray, look no further. They don’t seem to have much of a website but they not hard to find, they are right in the middle of town, right next to Mr. Grumpy Pants Brewery.
We even left our mark in Ouray!
After lunch we drove up to the box canyon falls park and paid $5 a person to access the trail. Side note, if you are over 75 it is free. It’s a short hike to the falls which is located in a very tight rock canyon that the river has eroded away for millions of years. The trail ends at a steel staircase that you can take down to the river that’s flowing through. We walked back to the gift shop and then took the stairs up to a section of the Perimeter Trail that takes you across a bridge at the top of the falls. We continued across the bridge and through a tunnel in the rock and walked back into town. You could however continue on this Perimeter trail along a 6-mile loop that circles the entire town. But it was hot and dry and the thought of hiking 6 miles was not going to happen. Maybe one day when I am in shape and prepared. The good thing about the Perimeter Trail was you could get off and back into town and many different points. This is what we did to get back into town and stopped back at a store I wanted to buy a wooden postcard for our trailer.
After our day’s full adventure, we were ready to just sit and relax. Bumping up a boulder county road to hiking up a boulder path to see some falls, we were tired. Funny beer (non-alcoholic) and margaritas (alcohol) were waiting. A thunderstorm was rolling in and we were happy to watch the clouds billow and the thunder rumble through the mountains. It rained only for a short time and then it was gone. Colorado storms are funny like that sometimes, they can come and go so quickly that you could blink and miss it.
Jon’s parents were with us for our adventures and they wanted to go out for dinner so off we went. I wasn’t going to complain much about packing too much food and needing to cook at the campsite, since I didn’t really feel like cooking and this was our last evening with the folks. They wanted to try a Thai place aptly named Thai Chili. Jon and I shared the drunken noodles and a small Tom Kha Soup. The soup was good but I didn’t much care for the noodles, as it was seasoned with a smokey flavor I didn’t like. Jon added Siracha to drown the flavor he didn’t even notice. The menu was extensive and everything served to nearby patrons looked good. I think I just ordered something I normally don’t and didn’t like it as much. I guess this is when I should stick to ordering what I know I like, pad Thai noodles without the egg, oh well.
After dinner we enjoyed some tv and conversation in Wayne and Libby’s trailer before calling it an evening. But, before bed we wanted to head up the Million Dollar highway a little bit to get some more night sky photos. However, this did not go exactly as planned. No matter where we went, even for 9 pm at night, someone’s shining car headlights, a bike light or a full moon hindered our photo taking. I guess those popular star pictures were not our destiny.
Ouray, Colorado is a playground for the thrill seeker in all of us. In the summer or winter, it is a destination I would defiantly recommend and come back to. In fact, I may be trying to come up with a plan for next summer to get some of our friends to visit. Please remember to check out our link to the Corkscrew Pass tour and Switzerland of America tour guides when you book your next getaway to Ouray.
Thanks for wandering with us,
The Wandering Couchs
