Ouray, Colorado Weekend Guide (easy 3-day itinerary for summer!)

Looking for a mountain getaway in Colorado? Ouray should definitely be on your list.

This mountain town, situated in the San Juans, is known for excellent hiking, Jeeping and off-roading, historic architecture, and beautiful hot springs.

Ouray had long been on my list of places to visit in Colorado, it took nearly 20 years to get here, but I finally made it.

Thanks to its remote location in the southwest corner of Colorado, about 5.5 hours from Denver, it’s not the easiest to access, but it’s definitely worth the effort.  

I spent 3 days in Ouray as part of a Southwest Colorado road trip that also included stops in Durango and Silverton.

This is everything I did during my summer weekend in Ouray.

Ouray, Colorado Weekend Guide: Day 1

For the first day of my weekend in Ouray, we woke up in Silverton and headed out on the Million Dollar Highway. 

Drive The Million Dollar Highway 

The Million Dollar Highway is considered one of the most scenic drives in the United States. The famed portion of this route stretches 25 miles along US 550 between Silverton and Ouray.

It’s characterized by hair-raising sharp turns and steep drop-offs with no guardrails. But nonetheless, it’s extremely popular, which is a testament to the beauty found along this route.

We spent an hour navigating from Silverton to Ouray with a couple roadside stops along the way — Crystal Lake was my favorite!

For more ideas, check out Driving The Million Dollar Highway: Everywhere I Stopped.

Note: If arriving to Ouray from the south, you will follow this same route. Those coming in from the north or from Telluride, be sure to add this drive to your weekend itinerary.

Visit Telluride

We passed Ouray and headed to Telluride where we spent much of the afternoon. 

Telluride is about an hour from Ouray and a really beautiful drive.

Here we hiked Bear Creek Falls, walked the shops downtown, and rode the free gondola to Mountain Village and back.

This would also be a great place to grab a cold beer from Telluride Brewing Company or a bite from one of the town’s many excellent restaurants. 

After 4 hours in Telluride, we headed back to Ouray.

Itinerary Note: I was traveling with a girlfriend who’d never been to Telluride, so we felt it was worth the detour. If you’d rather skip this, consider other excursions around Ouray such as touring the Bachelor Syracuse Mine Tour, going for a hike, traversing the Ouray Via Ferrata, or 4x4ing Imogene Pass.

Explore Downtown Ouray

Upon arriving in Ouray that afternoon, we checked into our hotel, Ouray Inn, then walked around town a bit. 

The downtown area is small and easily walkable. We just explored for a bit, admiring the buildings and getting ourselves acquainted with the new destination (we’ll explore the Main Street area much more tomorrow!).

Mi Mexico Family Restaurant is where we stopped for dinner on night one, it was great! They offer vegan and meat-based options, perfect for groups with dietary restrictions. 

Note: Restaurant wait times can get quite long during summer in Ouray, if possible, try to eat outside of peak times.

Wiesbaden Hot Springs Spa & Lodging

Dinner was followed by a visit to Wiesbaden Hot Springs & Spa. 

There are traditional outdoor hot springs here, but the real gem is their vapor cave hot spring.

Inside a small cave below the hotel is a natural spring which collects water from deep within the mountain. It gets quite hot in here, with the water around 107 – 109°F, plus constant steam from the enclosed cave.

It was really awesome, and surprisingly, we were the only people in here on a weekday summer night.

To access the vapor caves you have to walk across uneven and wet surfaces, so this isn’t a good option for those with mobility issues. However, Wiesbaden also offers an outdoor private hot spring, which is a good alternative.

For more hot springs in Ouray, check out The Best Hot Springs In Ouray.

Ouray, Colorado Weekend Guide: Day 2

Day 2 was our only full day in Ouray, so it’s packed full of things to do.

Box Canyon Falls Park 

First, we got up early and walked to Box Canyon Falls Park. 

This spot was so beautiful, it’s a 285-foot waterfall powering through a super narrow quartzite chasm which eventually meets up with the Uncompahgre River.

Aside from an area of incredible natural beauty and excellent bird watching, it offers wonderful hiking trails and is easily accessible from the town of Ouray. 

Keep an eye out for the Black Swifts, a colony of these rare birds nest here in summer under the close watch of ornithologists and bird lovers.

We spent about an hour here. I recommend arriving early if possible, it can get quite crowded.

Hike The Perimeter Trail

Box Canyon Falls Park connects to the High Bridge and the popular Perimeter Trail. We hiked a small portion of this trail before heading back into town. 

If you’re up for a long hike, I recommend following the entire Perimeter Trail, which encircles Ouray.

The trail is a 5.4 mile loop, with 1,500 foot elevation change, rated moderate. Take the moderate rating with a grain of salt, this hike is surprisingly difficult, with lots of ups and downs and steep drop-offs. It’s also very exposed to sun, so bring proper hydration and sun protection.

Hike Lower Cascade Falls

After following a bit of the Perimeter Trail, we walked through town and made our way to Lower Cascade Falls.

(Those sticking to the Perimeter Trail, you can access this waterfall from the Perimeter Trail as well.)

It’s a short but steep hike from town to the falls, once here, we were able to walk right up to the base. This was a great spot to rest and enjoy a snack. Even doing so, we only needed about 30 minutes for this excursion.

Walk The Shops On Main Street 

After visiting the waterfalls, we grabbed ice cream sandwiches from Ouray Grocery, a small market on Main Street, and walked around town for a bit. It gets quite hot in Ouray so ice cream was a perfect way to cool off.

Along Main Street there’s a lot to check out, like boutique shops, outdoor gear stores, souvenir shops, art galleries, and more. All of which are tucked into extremely photogenic historic buildings. 

Main Street is part of the Ouray Historic District, the buildings here are 100+ years old and built in elaborate Italianate and Victorian styles. This is a very uncommon building style for Colorado mountain towns, I couldn’t stop taking photos.

We spent about an hour and a half walking around and browsing the shops.

Tip: If you’ve got extra time, consider touring the Ouray Alchemist Pharmacy Museum to learn about the oddities surrounding the pre-modern world of alchemy. The museum looks really cool, I’m bummed we couldn’t stop by during this visit.

Grab Drinks & Dinner At Ouray Brewery

Following our walk around, we went to Ouray Brewery for a late lunch / early dinner. 

The brewery has a rooftop deck with great views, plus cold beer and delicious food. As a result, the line to get into this place can get crazy, which is why we chose to eat at an off time. 

We waited about 15 minutes for a table at 3:30 on a Wednesday. The views, burgers, and vibes were all great. I say it’s worth the wait to eat here, but I really recommend avoiding peak hours.

Ouray Hot Springs

Finally, we wrapped up the evening at Ouray Hot Springs, one of the town’s most famous attractions.

These are developed hot springs, meaning they look like a typical pool, but still offer the healing properties of natural hot springs. 

The complex has various pool options, including lap pools, kid areas, and adult-only pools.

There were a lot of people here, but there’s plenty of space to spread out, especially in the adult-only area. No matter which pool you’re in, the views are incredible.

I recommend visiting around sunset in summer, it would be quite hot visiting during midday.

Tip: Bring your own towel to avoid a fee and bring quarters if you wish to use the lockers.

Ouray, Colorado Weekend Guide: Day 3

On the final day of the trip, we headed back to Denver with a stop along the way at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park – South Rim

After waking up early, we hit the road for Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park – South Rim, about an hour from Ouray. 

This is one of the deepest, steepest, and most narrow canyons in the United States. It’s so narrow in fact, parts of the canyon floor only see a few minutes of sunlight per day, giving the canyon its name: Black Canyon.

We read up on the geology of the canyon at the visitor center, then stopped by most of the park’s viewpoints. We had hoped to do a hike, but it was far too hot during our visit. 

The views here are absolutely incredible, especially for geology buffs, and the park isn’t nearly as crowded as other national parks.

After 2.5 hours of exploring, we made the 5-ish hour drive back to Denver. 

For a complete itinerary, check out: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park One Day Itinerary.

Additional Things To Do In Ouray, Colorado

Have more time? Or wish to mix up the itinerary a bit? Below are some additional things to do in Ouray:

• Join the Bachelor Syracuse Mine Tour.
• Off-road or Jeep a famous route such as Yankee Boy Basin or Imogene Pass.
• Traverse the Ouray Via Ferrata.
• Tour the Ouray Alchemist Pharmacy Museum.
• Hike a nearby lake such as Ice Lake, Blue Lakes, or Columbine Lake.

For a full list of ideas, check out The Top Things To Do In Ouray In Summer.

Where To Stay In Ouray

There are numerous hotel options in Ouray, most are small and of the boutique variety, chain hotels are very limited.

We had a lovely stay at a small hotel in downtown Ouray, Ouray Inn. This is a great option for budget-friendly lodging in a central location. We were within walking distance of many restaurants and attractions such as Box Canyon Falls and Ouray Hot Springs.

Note: Hotels book out in advance and many require a minimum stay during peak season.

A few more popular hotels in Ouray are:

• The Imogene Hotel
• Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs
• The Western Hotel
• Beaumont Hotel
• Hotel Ouray

For more information, check out Ouray Hotels: Best Places To Stay.

Additionally, there’s vacation rentals available on Airbnb/ VRBO. Carefully research where these rentals are located though, a property may appear close to Ouray but be difficult to access due to mountain roads. 

Getting To Ouray

There are three regional airports located near Ouray:

Montrose Airport (MTJ) –  50 minutes from Ouray
Telluride (TEX) – 1 hour from Ouray
Durango (DRO) – 2 hours, 5 minutes from Ouray 

Each of these airports has rental car options and shuttle options available to Ouray.

The nearest major airports are Salt Lake City International (SLC) and Denver International (DIA), each are just over 6 hours away. From here a rental car is your best option, but there may be shuttle options if booked in advance.

Those driving in from Salt Lake City or Denver will follow major highways the entire way.

If driving in from the far southwest corner of Colorado (around Durango), you will be driving US 550, portions of this highway have very steep drop-offs with no guardrails.

Check out road conditions at Colorado Department of Transportation.

Getting Around Ouray

Once in Ouray, there’s quite a bit visitors can see without a car, the town is small and easily walkable. 

However, if you wish to enjoy the many attractions surrounding Ouray, a car will be necessary.

Weather In Ouray

Summer in Ouray sees pleasant, mild temperatures. However, the sun here is very intense due to Ouray’s high elevation, it’s not uncommon for the temperature to feel warmer than the thermometer indicates.

In summer, afternoon thunderstorms are common, they’re usually brief but intense. It’s important to be at lower elevations during these storms, they can be very dangerous. It’s best to plan hiking and other mountain activities for the morning.

Fall is also mild and usually dry. Mornings and evenings will begin to cool off significantly and snow is a possibility, especially in late fall.

Winter in Ouray is cold with regular snow. The town averages about 20 – 25″ of snow per month, November – March.

Spring begins to warm up a bit but is still very winter-like. In fact, March and April are often very snowy in Colorado, this time of year sees a handful of moisture-heavy snow storms.

Average Monthly Temperatures In Ouray, Colorado:

• January – 36° / 15° (High / Low F°)
• February – 39° / 17°
• March – 45° / 23°
• April – 53° / 30°
• May – 63° / 38°
• June – 73° / 45°
• July – 78° / 51°
• August – 76° / 50°
• September – 69° / 43°
• October – 58° / 34°
• November – 44° / 23°
• December – 36° / 16°

Ouray Weekend Packing List

Ouray is a very laid-back destination. There’s no need to get dressed up for dinner or evening events.

Outdoor gear, jeans and a tee, a summer dress… it’s all welcome here. Just don’t forget a jacket, it gets quite cold after the sun sets.

Sun protection is also very important due to the high elevation. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses.

Below is what I packed for a summer weekend in Ouray:

• 1 pair of jeans or leggings
• 1 pair of shorts
• 2 t-shirts and/or tank tops
• 1 casual summer dress
• 1 lightweight long sleeve (such as cardigan or flannel)
• 1 lightweight jacket
• 1 pair of sandals
• 1 pair of tennis shoes
• Sun protection: hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen (due to high elevation, the sun is more intense here, you will burn easier than at home!)
• Reusable water bottle

If you’re planning to hike or enjoy outdoor activities, you’ll also need:

• Hiking boots
• Wool socks
• Athletic shorts or pants
• Breathable athletic top
• Fleece jacket
• Windbreaker or rain jacket
• Backpack

I loved my weekend visit to Ouray and can’t wait to return, there’s so much to do here! I hope you enjoy your visit to the “Switzerland of America” and have the best time!

Any questions? Please leave a comment below or reach out on social media!

Looking for more information? Head on over to Visit Ouray or check out my additional Ouray and Colorado guides below!

More Information For Your Visit To Ouray, Colorado:

• Summer In Ouray: Top Things To Do
• Best Hot Springs In Ouray
• One Day Itinerary: Ouray, CO
• Ouray Hotels: Best Places To Stay
• Day Trips From Ouray, Colorado
• Million Dollar Highway Stops: Everywhere I Stopped Along This Scenic Drive

More Information For Your Colorado Vacation:

• Top Colorado Mountain Towns To Visit In Summer
• Underrated Colorado Mountain Towns (you need to visit!)
• Colorado Travel Guide (how to plan your vacation!)
• All Colorado Guides