37 guides covering ouray trails & 4wd routes — written for guests staying at The Lumberyard Condos, two blocks from the Ouray Ice Park.
- Engineer Pass Road — Ouray to Lake CityOne of Colorado's great high-country drives. Engineer Pass tops out at 12,800 feet across American Flats before descending into the Lake City basin.
- Imogene Pass — Ouray to TellurideThe highest maintained road connecting Ouray and Telluride, through the Tomboy ghost town, at 13,114 feet. One of the San Juans' most celebrated drives.
- Black Bear Pass RoadColorado's most famous — and most feared — 4WD road. A one-way descent from 12,840 feet into Telluride on switchbacks carved into a cliff face above a waterfall.
- Yankee Boy BasinOne of the most photographed alpine destinations in Colorado. Wildflowers covering the cirque below Mt. Sneffels in colors that don't look real until you're standing in them.
- Blue Lakes TrailThree turquoise alpine lakes in a glacial cirque below the Sneffels Range. One of the most rewarding hikes accessible from Ouray.
- Ice Lake Basin TrailA 25-minute drive from Ouray toward Silverton leads to one of Colorado's most stunning alpine destinations — a glacial basin with a striking turquoise lake at 12,257 feet.
- Lower Cascade Falls TrailOne of the most accessible waterfall hikes in Colorado. A half-mile walk from the edge of Ouray leads to a stunning cascade in a cliff-walled setting.
- Ouray Perimeter TrailSix miles of trail that circles the entire town of Ouray at elevation, offering aerial views into the canyon, the valley, and the surrounding San Juan peaks.
- Box Canyon Falls ParkA 285-foot waterfall thundering through a canyon so narrow it blocks the sky. Accessed by boardwalk from central Ouray. One of Colorado's most dramatic natural landmarks.
- Bear Creek National Recreation TrailA canyon trail that follows Bear Creek through dramatic cliff terrain past mining ruins and natural hot springs seeps. One of Ouray's best backcountry-from-town hikes.
- Mt. Sneffels — Colorado 14erAt 14,158 feet, Mt. Sneffels stands at the center of its own wilderness area above Ouray. One of Colorado's most photogenic and rewarding fourteeners.
- Uncompahgre Peak — Colorado's Sixth HighestAt 14,309 feet, Uncompahgre is Colorado's sixth highest summit — a bold rectangular block visible across the San Juans, accessible from Lake City as a day trip from Ouray.
- The Alpine LoopA 65-mile 4WD circuit connecting three historic Colorado mountain towns through the highest and most remote terrain in the San Juans. The definitive San Juan backcountry drive.
- Corkscrew GulchNamed for its spiraling ascent through the ochre and rust terrain of the Red Mountains, Corkscrew Gulch is one of the most visually distinctive 4WD routes in the San Juans.
- Animas Forks Ghost TownA Victorian-era mining town at 11,200 feet, abandoned a century ago and remarkably preserved. The centerpiece of the Alpine Loop and a window into the San Juan mining era.
- Red Mountain Pass — The Million Dollar HighwayThe 25-mile stretch of US 550 between Ouray and Silverton crosses Red Mountain Pass at 11,018 feet through terrain that stops traffic and haunts memory.
- Poughkeepsie GulchOne of the most technically demanding 4WD routes in the San Juans, climbing through loose rock and ledges near the Engineer Pass corridor. Expert terrain only.
- Governor BasinA quieter alpine basin above Ouray with significant mining-era ruins, dramatic scenery, and access to the Sneffels Range on the less-traveled Camp Bird Road corridor.
- Ophir Pass RoadA 4WD pass at 11,789 feet connecting Silverton and Telluride through open alpine terrain. A moderate route with panoramic views and a shorter commitment than Engineer or Imogene.
- Ouray Via FerrataA network of iron rungs and cables bolted into the canyon walls lets non-climbers experience the Uncompahgre Gorge vertically. Two blocks from The Lumberyard.
- Ridgway State ParkA reservoir, fishing, kayaking, and sweeping views of the San Juan and Cimarron Ranges — 10 minutes from The Lumberyard in Ridgway, Colorado.
- Dallas Trail & Dallas DivideThe Dallas Divide is one of the most photographed viewpoints in Colorado — a highway pass with a direct sightline to Mt. Sneffels and the full Sneffels Range.
- American BasinA wildflower-saturated alpine basin near Lake City, accessible via the Alpine Loop from Ouray — with Handies Peak (14,048 ft) rising from the basin floor.
- Stony PassOne of the San Juans' most remote high passes — 12,588 feet of silence and wilderness connecting the Silverton drainage to the Creede basin.
- Weehawken TrailA canyon-wall hike that climbs directly above Ouray, offering aerial perspectives of the town, the Uncompahgre River corridor, and the surrounding peaks.
- Twin Falls TrailA moderate hike above Ouray leading to twin waterfalls in a narrow canyon setting — less trafficked than Lower Cascade Falls and more dramatic in the upper reach.
- Chief Ouray Mine TrailA short but historically loaded hike above Ouray to the ruins of the Chief Ouray silver mine — active in the 1880s at the heart of the San Juan mining boom.
- Treasury Mountain TrailA challenging alpine hike near Crested Butte in the Elk Mountains — accessible as a longer day trip from Ouray through the Gunnison country.
- The San Juan SkywayAmerica's finest alpine loop drive — 236 miles connecting Ouray, Silverton, Durango, Telluride, and Cortez through the heart of the San Juan Mountains.
- California PassA remote high-country 4WD route in the Engineer Pass network, offering access to the upper San Juan terrain that most visitors never see.
- Ironton Park TrailsAn expansive alpine meadow at the foot of the Red Mountains, with the ruins of the Ironton townsite and views toward the rusted peaks of the Red Mountain Pass area.
- Upper Cascade FallsThe continuation beyond Lower Cascade Falls into the upper canyon terrain above Ouray — more remote, less visited, and with views back toward the valley.
- Portland TrailA quiet forest hike above Box Canyon Falls that climbs through spruce and fir to open alpine terrain with views of the surrounding canyon walls.
- The Sneffels RangeA compact cluster of 13,000 and 14,000-foot peaks rising directly above Ouray — one of the most visually dramatic mountain groups in Colorado.
- Ouray Colorado Hiking — The Complete GuideFrom a half-mile walk to a 285-foot waterfall to a 14,000-foot summit, Ouray's trail network covers every experience level. Your base camp is The Lumberyard.
- Handies PeakColorado's most scenically situated fourteener sits above American Basin near Lake City — accessible from Ouray via the Alpine Loop for a full-day high-country adventure.
- Wetterhorn PeakAt 14,015 feet, Wetterhorn is one of Colorado's more technical fourteeners — a dramatic pyramid with a Class 3 summit ridge above the Cimarron country.