"Happy Trails....to you!!!!" a Ouray Travel Page by KiKitC

The group running the rally listed descriptions of some of the trails that they were running for the 2007 National Land Rover Rally, and we were able to pick and choose which trails we wanted to run. We had just spent a lot of money on pieces to protect the truck from rocks, but steered away from some of the trails that are listed as "vehicle body damage probable." We also steered away from any of them that discussed "not for those afraid of heights" or the one (Black Bear Pass) where every summer at least one vehicle falls off the cliff, with fatal results. No...not for me.

Ouray is the most popular destination for any off-road enthusiasts (Jeeping used broadly here for all 4wd drive vehicles). The official Jeep Jamboree is held here every fall, so to enjoy the beautiful fall scenery.

Outside Ouray, the Alpine Loop offers off-road entusiasts (4WD, ATV, unlicensed motorcycles) a trip into the heavens! The Alpine Loop is a series of trails climbing up the steep cliffs, through valleys and past waterfalls...

Those that have read my past tips know I AM afraid of heights, and after the "cliff incident" in Hawaii two years ago, I'm also somewhat afraid now of cliffs. I managed to get a lot of good pictures...beautiful in fact, and I will be sharing them as I go through them. But the GREAT shots? No...I was probably to busy holding on and praying then taking pictures....

For centuries, the Tabeguache Ute hunted the abundant forest game and soaked in what they called “sacred miracle waters”. Even they knew the therapeutic benefits of the hot springs under Ouray. The original name of the town was “Uncompahgre”, the Ute word for “hot water springs”. In 1873, Chief Ouray ceded these ancestral lands to the US Government, and the town's named was changed to Ouray in his honor.

It was the miners, searching the laden hills for silver and gold that made Ouray a booming minig town. Many of the high-country trails we road on were actually routes that the miners developed over a hundred years ago. The century-old ghost towns of Sneffels, Red Mountain Town, Animas Forks, and Mineral Point, as well as abandoned mines along the way, are undeniable evidence of this area’s roots.

More info to come...I am building many pages right now, as I am sorting through thousands of pictures. Thank goodness for digital cameras!

Ouray is surrounded on three sides by mountain peaks cresting at 13,000 feet. It's been a travel destination for over 100 years!

You will drive into a Victorian style, old mining town, preserved in it's age and glory!