At a Glance
- Avg High: 34°F / 1°C
- Avg Low: 9°F / -13°C
- Ice Park: Fully open
- Ice Festival: Mid-January (annual)
- Hot Springs: Open daily
- Snowfall: Moderate (7–12 in avg)
The Heart of Ice Season
No month transforms Ouray more completely than January. The Uncompahgre Gorge, a narrow canyon below town, fills with ice through December — and by January it has reached its peak. The park's pipe system, running continuously through cold nights, has built pillars and curtains of ice that can reach 60 feet or more. Routes that exist only as rock in summer become stunning frozen architecture.
The Ouray Ice Festival — held each January — is the centerpiece of the month and one of the most celebrated events in outdoor sports. Professional climbers, guided clinics, gear demos, and thousands of spectators fill the canyon. Admission to the park is free. The atmosphere is electric in a way that's hard to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it.
What to Do in Ouray in January
Ice climbing is the main event, but it's not the only one. The Ouray Hot Springs Pool becomes one of the most memorable experiences of a winter trip — soaking in 104°F water while the canyon walls rise above you and snow falls on your shoulders. January evenings at the hot springs, quiet and dark except for the steam and the stars, are the kind of thing people fly across the country for.
Snowshoeing on the Perimeter Trail and other accessible winter routes gives non-climbers a way to experience the canyon landscape. The town's restaurants and bars are open and active during festival week. And simply walking Ouray's compact Main Street — the buildings dusted with snow, the peaks catching late-afternoon alpenglow — is a worthy activity in itself.
Booking The Lumberyard in January
Ice Festival weekend is the most requested booking window of the year. All five Lumberyard condos fill quickly — sometimes months in advance for the festival dates. If you're coming for the festival, book as early as possible. If you're coming for general January ice season outside the festival window, mid-week stays in late January offer the best ice conditions with the least crowds.
The Lumberyard's location — two blocks from the Ice Park trailhead — is the primary appeal for January visitors. No driving. No parking. Walk out, climb, walk back. Gas fireplaces in 4 of the 5 condos make evenings genuinely comfortable even when temperatures drop into single digits overnight.