Ouray

Ouray sits at about 2,400 metres in a box canyon with peaks rising over a thousand metres on three sides, which is why the town is small and dense - there is nowhere for it to go. Silver and gold built it from 1876 and most of the main street dates from that period, largely intact. Geothermal water feeds a municipal hot springs pool. The Uncompahgre Gorge just south holds the Ouray Ice Park, where in winter the town deliberately sprays water down the canyon walls to farm ice for climbing - the first park of its kind, entirely artificial in its formation and free to climb. The Million Dollar Highway south to Silverton is narrow, unguarded and spectacular.

What you actually see

• A box canyon town - peaks over a thousand metres on three sides.
• An intact Victorian main street - from the 1876 mining boom.
• The Ouray Ice Park - ice farmed on the canyon walls each winter.
• The Million Dollar Highway - unguarded switchbacks south.

When to go

June to September for the mountains; January for ice climbing. A full day.

Honest expectations

The highway south has no guardrails and severe drops - it frightens people. Winter closures and avalanche control affect access. The town is small and books out in summer. Altitude affects visitors arriving from sea level.

Nearby

Silverton is south over the pass; Telluride is west.