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Going to Ouray, What should I not miss?

DaJudge

NAXJA Member
NAXJA Member
Location
New Mexico
The wife and I are going to Ouray the week of the 4th. What should I not miss doing while I am there?

Thanks!
Glen
 
91 Jeep Project said:
Wheeling Black Bear into Telluride and taking Imogen Back out.


Ditto. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
Both of those ideas are OUTSTANDING!!!!!
The train ride from Durango to Silverton MIGHT be a little expensive, was like $65.00 a person when I rode it a few years back, BUT, was well worth it!!!
2 1/2 hrs up to Silverton, 2 hrs in Silverton and A 2 hr ride back to Durango.
Get an open car if the weather permits. Better view, but you get some smoke from the engine, just adds to the exprience.

The Black Bear and Imogene trip is AWESOME!!!! A MUST DO!!!!
from the Bear...
Picture24.jpg


the Bear from Imogene...
Picture65.jpg


The Red Mountians from the top of Imogene...
{click the link, big pic}
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/whitecherokee/Picture83.jpg
you can see the top of Corkscreww Pass in the upper right of the pic., thats another good trail.

Yankee Boy Basin is another one of my favorites. The wildflowers MIGHT be blooming while you are there. So that makes Yankeeboy VERY pretty.
from the top of Yankee Boy...
Potosi Peak 13,786ft(L) Stony Mountian 12,698ft.(R)
100_0605.jpg



Really ANYTHING in The San Juans is a "MUST DO".
Look.gif
 
Thanks! I actually did the train a few years ago. It was great! We had my Mom with us so no wheeling and we spent most of our time in Durango. Looking forward to Ouray/Telluride/Silverton.

What about trails on the east side of 550, Engineer etc. Anything over there I should do? I am a big history buff so any ghost town suggestions would be appreciated as well.

Thanks again for all of the suggestions already given!

Glen
 
I would love to head down that way but the little woman has me taking her east back to MO of all places to visit her family.

Judge...I've been using this site to find info. on ghost towns in CO. There are quite a few in the Ouray/Silverton area. Have fun. That area is my favorite. If only I could have found work down there.

http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/co/co.html
 
DaJudge said:
What about trails on the east side of 550, Engineer etc. Anything over there I should do? I am a big history buff so any ghost town suggestions would be appreciated as well.[/FONT]
There are LOTS of cool trails on the east side of 550.
I recomend(sp?) going up Corckscrew from 550 Hurricane Pass, on to California Gulch to the ghost town of Animas Forks, then to the top of Engineer and back down to 550.
OR... if you plan on some trail camping, from Animas Forks to Lake City by way of Cinnamon Pass. Then from there go to the north side of Lake city and go back to 550 by way of Engineer. There is a pretty cool place to camp before you get to Lake City called Mill Creek.
There are lots of old mines on the east side of 550.
I recomend getting a book by Charles A. Wells, Colorado Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails Vol.#1. Its a GREAT book!!!! It gives trail discriptions with difficulty levels, directions, ect....
Got a map of the area? A fantastic map is one put out by Trails Illustrated (National Geographic) its number 141 and titled "Telluride, Silverton, Ouray, Lake City.

All the trails can be done in a stock 4x4 except Poughkeepsie Gulch.
Check out http://mapsco.com for the book and map. I ordered mine from the store in Denver and had it in 3 days. GREAT service.
Here is a direct link to the map from National Geographic's Map Store...
http://www.ngmapstore.com/shopping/...RODUCT&iMainCat=54&iSubCat=122&iProductID=229

ANYWAY...
LOTS of good trails on the east side of 550.
Just wish more was open when I was there last month. :(

Check out this site for some info on the trails with pics...

http://www.narrowgauge.org/4x4/html/4X4.html

under the map are trail names, click on them.

Hope that helped ya out a little.
Any more questions... just ask.
my pics..
2004
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v455/drifto77/

2005
http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/whitecherokee/

2006
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i14/JeepPower/



EDIT: Trails I have done in the area

Owl Creek Pass from hwy 550 to hwy 50
Yankee Boy Basin
Governor Basin
Imogene Pass
Black Bear
Ophir Pass
Alta Lakes
1/2 of Clear Lake (was blocked by snow at the 1st mine)
Engineer Pass
Cinnamon Pass
Picayne and Placer Gulch
Corkscrew Pass/Gulch
California Pass/Gulch
Hurrican Pass
Arrasta Gulch

Hard to pic a favorite one, they are ALL GREAT!!!
Cant go wrong going to the San Juans!!!!!
 
Last edited:
Drifto,

What did you think of the Ouray KOA?

Glen
 
It was a GREAT place to stay!
The people there were VERY helpful and more than happy to help with any "needs/info" and it was pretty close to all the trails.
Clean hot showers too.
i HIGHLY recomend the campground!!!
If you plan on tent camping ... get a spot in the back under the aspins if you can.
Nothing like a campfire glowing off the aspins. ;)
# 46... or any of the 47's IMHO were the best ones, 41 thru 45 looked good too. IF i remember right... i had site #47 (no letter)

1-20030901135941.JPG


They say you have to move your tent every 3 days so you dont kill the grass but I was there for 5 and never got around to moveing mine and they never said anything to me.

Here is a link to their site...
http://rver.com/parkdetail.asp?parkid=1
 
Last edited:
This will be my fourth year at the KOA this July. We have the entire back section, all the 47”s and some 50’s with a few cabin and rv dwellers. I thought we were ban after last year. LOL.

Engineer might have the best wild flowers I’ve seen. They’re all cool.


Imogene was closed last year. Every morning they would grade the trail and then as the sun warmed the snow it would avalanche.

Imogene Pass at the top July, Ouray side.
100_2252-1.jpg
 
All of the above are excellent suggestions for trails. The Tom Boy mine on Imogene is a nice site to wander around and imagine what life was like "in the day".
Don't leave town without going into the Gator store... even if you're not the shopping type, it's just plain NEAT.
An evening in the Hot Springs feels GREAT after a long day and the wife will thank ya for it. :wink
Animas forks and Silverton are also on the must do list, in fact the drive down 550 from Ouray is incredible,ya don't even leave the pavement ( at least I hope you don't on that stretch of road).
I've been there and in the area numerous times over the last twenty years or so and we keep going back. It's actually harder to pick what NOT to do than what TO do.
Sigh, I'm missing it right now, enjoy. TC
 
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