Did the entire Perimeter Trail the other day...clocked 6.2 miles in just under 4 hours…read more Started in the am at the trailhead located in the parking lot across from the Ouray Visitor's Center (which I highly recommend). You'll understand as you begin your final descent. As you start your initial ascent and climb the wood stairs into the hillside, enter the cliff path...a .8 mile slightly narrower trail than I'd prefer and a drop-off...but hey, the views are stunning! You can see the Ouray Hot Springs and more! As you keep on trekkin' on you'll start to "hear" before you make it to the gorgeous Cascade Falls!!! Chill, explore...even hike up behind the falls if that's your thing! I think I was pretty "ok" until we passed through the tunnel after the upper Box Canyon Bridge. We almost took a bail-out trail back into town along the way but persevered. There are actually a few bail-outs along the trail. Anyway, there were some sketchy narrow, steep, rocky-dusty-slidy, drop-off sections along the trail that gave me the heebie-jeebies. If you have a fear of heights, this may not be for you. For the majority of hikers out there I'm sure it's easy, but nonetheless make sure you go prepared. 1. Depending on what time you hike, be sure to eat a healthy meal before you go and bring some extra snacks just in case. 2. Signage isn't the best and is lacking "you are here", so I'd recommend taking a photo of the trail map before you head out. 3. Staying properly hydrated is key along the trail. If you've got a camelback that's great! 4. Take breaks when needed and don't feel pressured by any of your overzealous hiking buddies...it's supposed to be fun, safe and not a competition. 5. A walking stick or trekking poles can prove very helpful! Many people leave sticks at the trailhead(s). If you use one be sure to leave it behind for the next person. 6. Wear appropriate shoes for hiking. Yeah some peeps can hike in Croc's or Chaco's, but not highly recommended. Enjoy the trail, be safe, and take some pix! The views are beautiful! Be Happy Outside!

This is a must do hike, plan to take about 5 hours or more if you take side trips. You will have…read moregreat views of the city, mountain ranges on all sides, Canyon views, waterfalls, an aspen grove, a tunnel, various bridges, some narrow heart pumping areas on the west side, and views of the rock climbers along the via Ferrata

What a gorgeous lake! Very peaceful area. We were lucky enough to be invited to stay with friends…read morein their cabin by the lake so have enjoyed it everyday.

Gorgeous and calm lake. Bring Your boards and your kayaks because this is the place to paddle! The…read morewater is clear and beautiful. Everyone there was super respectful of others and friendly

Heard about this company through a friend. I'm not sure how she found them, but they were able to…read moreassist us with our mountain climb and our Via Ferrata climb. Our guide, Jason was really informative and attentive when it came to our equipment and keeping us focus. Mountain Trip employees were all professional, but also kept it light and fun for us. They were on time with our schedule and gave us some tips on some local fun hikes! Overall, Mountain Trip was fun to work with and I would totally use them again on another trip. They have multiple locations that deal with different type of hike/climbs. I can attest the Telluride location was spot on! - Enjoy

From the very beginning the crew at peak went above and beyond. We had a last minute booking and…read moreneeded to change dates due to a canceled flight. No questions asked, Jared took care of everything and made sure we were set up. He scheduled us with Spence and we couldn't have lucked out more. Spence was incredible! He took us to the back country away from the chaos of the park. We found some fresh ice tucked into a little cut with no one around, it was amazing!! I had climbed before, but my partner hadn't. No stress at all, he made sure we both had an absolute blast! Can't say enough about Spence. He made sure we had all the equipment we were missing, was incredibly positive, experienced, courteous... the guy is a rockstar! He even went out of his way and found us in town after we left for the day when he realized we left a hat behind. Highly recommend peak... and especially SPENCE!!

Read about this road on a friend's travel link. He had been on it years ago and decided to add this…read moreto our itinerary. We started out on the Montrose end, south of Ridgway. It was not too bad at first but then it got a little dicey where vehicle wheels had made deep ruts in the mud which then dried. Some water puddles in spots. Rocky and gravel in others. We encountered a lot of vehicles to me. A convoy of jeeps and two trucks on their own trips, it made for a dusty drive and we held off so we could see the view without the dust clouds blocking it. And it was narrow in spots where if a vehicle was coming from the other direction we would have been stuck. Steep grades too. The positives? It was like a fairy land in spots. With fall leaves softly falling in the wind and the aspens pressing in on both sides. Then the dark green pines in forbidding rows. The overlooks with breathtaking scenery of colors - browns, greens and yellows. Houses here and there. We stopped and accidentally found the property where scenes from True Grit had been filmed. I was constantly charmed by the lovely magical feel of the woods. And then scared at the drive itself. It felt like woods where elves live. Then we were through to the Telluride side. Such an amazing experience. Im glad he's such a great driver and navigated us safely on the route. I'll never forget that gorgeous drive.

Beautiful views and easy access! It's a great spot to stop and take a walk.read more

To dispel all the rumors, this place is still open. Covid didn't make them go bankrupt and the…read morenearby Pickle Barrel is also going strong. This hidden gem is on the north side of Silverton, inside Smedley's ice cream parlor. The official address is 1314 Greene Street. Sharon and Paul Zimmerman own this establishment as well as the Pickle Barrel. My wife and I visited here on the morning of Sunday, August 7, 2022. Paul Zimmerman rang us up and he treated us extremely nicely. You pay once for unlimited hours of soaking, but if you leave you can't re-enter without paying again. Their soaking hours are 8 AM until 8 PM. They have three indoor mineral pools, each three feet deep. The combined capacity is approximately 30 people. The two largest pools are 99 and 101 degrees Fahrenheit, and the smaller pool is 103. This location is super convenient as you don't have to drive into Ouray (another hour) and pay $21 for their outdoor pools or Pagosa Springs and pay outrageous prices. Initially, there were four other people in the pools, but after about an hour, my wife and I were alone. We relaxed in the pools for about three hours. We enjoyed the ceiling, which looks like hundreds of stars in the night sky. The water is lit green for ultimate relaxation. The owner provided clean glasses and pitchers of ice water while we were soaking. You have to shower before and after soaking in gender separate bathrooms. I wish the lockers in these bathrooms had keys provided so I could have locked up my valuables. My only other gripe would be for the owners to get curtains or shades for the back door window. It ruined the romantic and dark atmosphere with sunlight blasting through this door window. My tip would be to bring your own towels (they charge for rentals) and arrive between 8 AM and 10 AM for happy hour. They offer free coffee during happy hour and the price is only $14 for adults versus the regular admission of $20. We paid a total of $28 for 3 hours of soaking. A great value and we'll be back next time we visit Silverton.

AWESOME! No hot springs in Silverton but this is the next best thing! I wish is was open a little…read morelater into the night (at least 9 or 10 for the guests for the Hotel). The star lights were very cool!

Ouray, Colorado is also known as the "Switzerland of America." At this lookout point you get a…read morepicturesque view of the city and an opportunity to grab a photo in front of the welcome sign. Ouray sits in a deep valley at 7,792 feet above sea level. The jagged, snow-capped peaks of the San Juan Mountains that encircle the town give Ouray its resemblance to the Swiss Alps. It is a great town to visit. Especially if you are an outdoor enthusiast and a fan of hot springs. The Switzerland of America Lookout Point sign is located on the Million Dollar Highway about a mile and a half south of town. It is a popular photo spot for tourists. The Million Dollar Highway is a 25-mile mountain road with stunning views that runs between the towns of Ouray and Silverton. We were able to spend some time in Ouray before driving the Million Dollar Highway. We visited Box Canyon and enjoyed some time in a hot spring.

Stopped at this lookout point for a rest to stretch our legs. There is a wide area where you can…read morepull over to enjoy the sights. Birds soaring overhead, the pretty blue sky, the town below and the mountains. Pretty, pretty mountain. Majestic and beautiful. We took some lovely photos against the backdrop of the mountains. Looking at them brings back the fun adventure we had on our road trip. I encourage you to stop and take some of your own. Make your own memories. There's also an informational board so you can read more about the history of the area.

I was able to return to take Mount Sneffles which has been on my bucket list of 14ers. I ascended…read morevia the standard rout (not blue lakes) which starts from a different trailhead:the yankee boy basin. If you have a good car you can get to the outhouse easily. I did this in my Subaru Crosstrek and car camped overnight. The outhouse actually is functional and very nice! The standard route is about 6 miles round trip with over 3K elevation gain. You walk about 2 miles up the road, then go straight up a bunch of scree. It's not technical, but was daunting. I thought it would be worse going down than it was in reality. After this section, veer left up a fun class 2 scramble to the top of a gully. Then go left again right before the top to the famous V notch. Not as scary as I thought it would be although a very nice person was helpful with descending as it's best to go through backwards. Then there is a short class 3 scramble to the summit with beautiful and rewarding views. You can see the blue lakes and mountains as far as the eye can see. This is a very special mountain and I met lots of nice people at the top! Id highly recommend this hike for anyone progressing to class 3s as it's a fairly easy one.

We ventured up Mount Sneffels last week. It is considered an "easy class 3" 14er. We opted to go…read moreup the standard route (south slopes) which starts at Yankee Boy Basin trailhead. However to get to the trailhead you will need 4WD nd high clearance vehicle. If you dont have that you will either need to park at the bottom of the road or at the lower lot. Exposure and rockfall potential is considerable. Route finding and commitment is moderate. From the lower lot parking lot, you would start at 11350 feet elevation and will end at 14150 feet elevation. From the lower lot, round trip length of this trail is 6 miles. This trail was tough. once you get to the actual trail head, you will have around .5 mile of okay trail and then 1.2 miles of lots of scree and loose rock. You need to bring a helmet for this hike. People can kick down rocks above you or they could just fall loose. Poles would also be highly recommended. I normally do not hike with poles (well ever) and i was wishing i had them for this hike. My knees actually hurt on this one on the way down. It was one of the most challenging experiences i have completed but it was extremely rewarding. The views from the top were like no other. It was undescribable. So amazing. My top peaks would be this one or uncompaghre, just be sure that you are up for the challenge as it is VERY physically challenging.

Uncompahgre is a class 2 14er. I did it via Wetterhorn combo on the Matterhorn trailhead to avoid…read morethe terrible road up. Since it's a long hike up the road and up the mountain, I'd recommend this so you can bag 2 peaks in one, as long as you feel comfortable with the easy class 3 that is Wetterhorn. Uncompahgre peak looked like something out of Ireland. I walked through a plush green valley with stunning views up the mountain. I walked up an incline that winded and went on forever as I slowly made my way up and up. Doing the combo is not for the faint of heart as it was 12 miles by the time I reached the summit and 18.6 round trip from .5 miles from the 4WD road! Just be careful of weather if you do this because I summited much later than normal. Nevertheless, it was a rewarding summit with some of the most beautiful views I've ever seen. The San Juan mountains are stunning and this peak is no exception. The class 2 scramble section is fun and manageable. I even saw a family with two little boys doing it. Of note, I saw a herd of hundreds of sheep which was strange but funny. I had a cute dog hike with me part of the way too!

Uncompahgre is a class 2 14er. It is near lake City, Colorado. Exposure is moderate, rockfall…read morepotential is considerable, route finding and commitment is moderate. The trailhead begins 11400 feet and ends at 14309 feet, This is a gain of 3000 feet. However, to get to this trailhead you will need a 4WD high clearance vehicle. If you do not have this, then you will need to park at the bottom of the road. This adds an additional 4 miles up and 4 miles down and also an additional 2505 feet of elevation gain. You may be able to get a ride up the road from someone else if you are fortunate but it really depends. We were there on a Saturday and did not really see that many people out on the peak. We were however fortunate enough to get a ride halfway up the road. The round trip length is 7.5 miles if you start from Nellie creek trailhead but if you have to start at the bottom of the road it will be 15.5 miles. This is a beautiful hike. Probably one of my most favorite 14er peaks in Colorado. The view at the top is absolutely stunning. Panoramic views as far as you can see. Just bring your lunch and peak snack so you can kick back and relax and just enjoy the view. There is some bouldering and there is also some scrambling at the top. I would definitely do this peak again. It is absolutely amazing!