At a Glance
- Avg High: 40°F / 4°C
- Avg Low: 15°F / -9°C
- Ice Park: Usually not yet open
- Hot Springs: Open daily
- Crowds: Minimal
- Rates: Lowest of the year
The Quiet Before the Ice
November occupies a curious space in Ouray's calendar — between the fall's last visitors and the first ice climbers of December. The town is at its most local and most authentically itself. Restaurants run on quieter hours. The hot springs have space. The peaks are accumulating the snowpack that will become January's ice routes.
For travelers who find the idea of being somewhere that isn't performing for tourists deeply appealing, November in Ouray delivers. You're not competing for anything. The people you interact with are the people who chose to live here year-round — that's its own kind of travel experience.
What To Do in Ouray in November
The hot springs are the anchor of a November visit. Accessible lower trails for hiking and the river path for walks with dogs. Ouray's independent shops and restaurants. Drives on the Million Dollar Highway to Silverton and back, the peaks fully white above the red rock cliffs. A Thanksgiving visit to Ouray, with the holiday meal cooked in the Lumberyard's full kitchen, is something a number of guests do annually and swear by.