Ouray KOA – Ridgway CO

Ouray KOA

One of my biggest fears on this journey across the country was towing our Airstream over the Rocky Mountains! We left Moab and connected to highway 70 and although it was slow going and there were lots of semi-trucks, it turns out it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.  Whew!

We stayed at the KOA situated about halfway between the Ouray and Ridgway downtown areas.  This is by far one of the largest campgrounds we have seen on our trip and it boasts well over 100 sites. Several of the sites are pretty far from the main office so the staff will deliver wood and ice and even pick up the trash at no charge which is a nice touch.  This KOA has everything except a pool.  RV sites, tent sites, cabins, teepee’s, horse rides, restaurant and bar, general store, private bathrooms oh and the occasional bear visit.  Our site backed up to a rapid running creek which was basically an irrigation ditch. Although it was’t pretty, the sound of the water was peaceful and Sato clearly enjoyed it very much.

The town of Ouray was just down the road from our campground and according to the locals, spring and summer are the busier times of the year for them.  Main Street has that small mountain town charm with cool street signs and lamp posts, lots of shopping, restaurants, bars and cafés.  There is even a pretty waterfall to visit on 8th Avenue about a quarter mile from Main Street. One of the popular summertime activities is renting a jeep and cruising over the mountain and around the curvy roads of the Million Dollar highway. This area is known as the “Switzerland of America” with beautiful views of the town below.

Our visit corresponded with the NBA finals and we were able catch one game at a bar in Ouray and the other we watched at camp.  We took our tiny TV off the wall and set it up outside so we could enjoy the game with dinner by the campfire.  Luckily we had good enough cell service (which is rare)  and we were able to stream the game on YouTubeTV using my cell phone as a hot spot for internet connection.

Just over the mountain from Ouray is the “twin” city of Telluride – about 15 minutes away as the crow flies, but due to the mountain range separating the two, it takes about an hour to get there by car….  The locals in Ouray told us that their city is the best place to visit in the area and there was no reason for us to visit Telluride, but we decided to check it out anyway to form our own opinion ;-).  Well let’s see…..  Telluride is incredibly charming, has a similar small town main drag (West Colorado Ave) with retail shops, cafés, restaurants, bars, art galleries, a campground, two beautiful softball fields, quaint houses and an epic waterfall towering over the city that you can see from the center of town.  Ouray is charming, fun and has a lot to offer, but Telluride took the cake for us on this visit.  We originally tried to book our stay at Telluride Town Park Campground but when the online booking opened up for the season in mid-April, all the spaces sold out within a few minutes. Unfortunately, we missed our opportunity, but everything happens for a reason.  Had we been successful in booking a spot in Telluride, we most likely wouldn’t have visited Ouray, so it was great that we were able to experience both towns.

After we finished having lunch at Butcher & the Baker Cafe, we walked through town then decided to burn off more calories on the Bridal Veil falls trail.  We hiked up to three of the four tiers and the view become more and more spectacular the further we went.  It was a fantastic hike with a nice misting to cool us off when we got to the top.  We highly recommend this hike if you ever visit the area.

The view looking back toward Telluride from the hiking trail:

We also spent a day paddling our inflatable kayak on the Ridgway Reservoir at Ridgway State Park and did a bit of fishing at the trout ponds an on the Uncompahgre river.

Tips / Suggestions for this area:

• RIGS Fly Shop is a great spot for fishing supplies and to pick up a fishing license.
• Looking back on this trip we should have done the short drive up the hill to the Million Dollar Highway to take in the view…..  next time I guess.
• We did our grocery shopping at The Market at Ridgway. If you are planning on staying in this area, best bet is to stock up on groceries beforehand.  Although it is convenient, the selection here is limited and it’s going to be more expensive than the bigger box stores.
• Ridgway State Park is a great place to cool off in the water. Fly fishing is popular on the Uncompahgre river but it is catch and release.  If you want a sure thing and a fun day of fishing for fish you can keep, go to the ponds and use power bait (they pretty much bite right away) – great time for fishermen and fisherwomen of any age 😉

Cheers,

-Tiny Trailer Trips Crew