Things To Do
Ridgway State Park
Ridgway State Park has no shortage of things to do. You can go mountain biking, hiking, fishing, rent a pontoon boat or paddle boards. Check out the Blue Heron Marina for rentals. The Pa-Co-Chu-Puk Campground in this state park was voted one of the best campgrounds in the U.S! The park is part of the International Dark Sky program so if you want to see the milky way at night this is the place.
Blue Lakes Trail
It wouldn't feel right if we didn't include an epic hike on our wedding website. The Blue Lakes Trail is the number one hike to do in Ridgway. It's 8.7 miles and has 2,500ft of elevation gain, it will take around 5-7 hours to complete. It's a challenging hike so make sure to pack plenty of water and snacks!
Orvis Hot Springs
If you have ever wanted to soak in a hot spring, this is your chance. They have natural lithium water, never heated nor treated in any way. They have indoor and outdoor soaking areas feature water temperatures ranging from 65 to 112 degrees. Please note it's clothing optional for the outdoor hot springs, the indoor pool does require bathing suits.
Last Dollar Road
The Last Dollar Road was a mining supply route in the 1800's, now it's used for outdoor enthusiasts to get scenic views. It connects Ridgway to Telluride, it takes 2-3 hours to complete depending on how fast you drive. Keep a look out for Wilsons Peak, it will look familiar since its on every Coors Light can.
Ouray, Colorado
Ouray is a 15 minute drive from Ridgway. Ouray is known as the Switzerland of America for its scenery. I recommend every guest check it out! It's also known as the Outdoor Recreation Capitol of Colorado because there is so much to do there. There are a ton of hikes, local breweries, hot springs, canyoning tours, via-ferrate climb, horseback riding tours and ATV rentals. Ouray has an enormous variety of jeeping and OHV routes at every level. They have 5 trails that have been awarded Jeep’s Badge of Honor status. We recommend booking any tours or activities that require a reservation in advance.
Million Dollar Highway
The million dollar highway is considered one of the most awe inspiring, spectacular drives in the United States. Its also known as US highway 550, it connects Ouray to Silverton. It has several hairpin turns and narrow lanes so make sure to check the weather and have enough day light to complete it.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park exposes some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. There are two main areas of the park: the more popular and easily accessible south rim and the quiet, remote north rim. If you plan on visiting the south rim make sure to drive the South Rim road and stop at all 12 viewpoints for the best views. The Warner Point nature trail is the number one trail to do in the park. It's 1.5 miles, out and back trail and has amazing views of the canyon. The south rim is a 55 minute drive from Ridgway.
Telluride, Colorado
Telluride is a great outdoorsy town located 50 minutes away from Ridgway. Telluride has a free gondola ride that takes you up to San Sophia Peak. You can get off and walk around to get amazing mountain views. Fun fact, when we first started looking at venues San Sophia peak was one of our favorite options for our ceremony. Telluride has lots of hiking, fly fishing, white water rafting, off roading and climbing. Even if you aren't feeling something adventurous, its a great place to walk around, eat and/or get a drink.
Silverton, Colorado
Silverton looks like you stepped into an old western movie set. It's a great mountain town that is surrounded by 13,000ft peaks in all directions. We hitchhiked into this town while hiking the Colorado trail. We loved walking around and checking out all the fun stores and restaurants here. Silverton has lots of hiking, mountain biking, climbing, white water rafting here. It is best known for the the steam engine train ends here from Durango. See the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad for more info. Silverton is a 50 minute drive from Ridgway.
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
We hitchhiked on this train during our Colorado Trail hike. We were so happy to find out they serve beer, soda, and snacks. It should be on everyones bucket list! It's a steam engine train that cuts through the San Juans. We recommend taking the train only one way and taking the charter bus back. The charter bus takes the scenic San Juan skyway back so the great views will continue. If you visit the website provided they have plenty of options on how you can ride the train.