Tag Archive for: Ouray

Ridgway State Park: Day Trip from Grand Junction

Day Trips from Grand Junction: Ridgway State Park, Ridgway Reservoir, and a surprise drive over Owl Creek Pass

We have driven from Grand Junction to Ridgway multiple times and have always admired Ridgway State Park and the Ridgway Reservoir from the road. We decided to make a point to go to the park for the day, visit the town of Ridgway, then drive back. Ridgway State Park is about 1.5 hours south of Grand Junction, 86 miles. It’s at the base of the San Juan Mountains.

Our day didn’t exactly go as planned but our surprise drive over Owl Creek Pass made the day trip even more memorable! I will explain the mistake we made in changing our plans, so keep reading!

Ridgway Reservoir

The 1,000-acre reservoir is so beautiful, a real haven for recreational activities year-round. Cars can drive right down the beach to the water’s edge and park for the day. There is a quite bay area for swimming, and, of course, a dam that makes it all possible. All kinds of boats on the water, including sailboats and paddle boards. There are over 15 miles of hiking trails and three campground areas. We mainly visited the Dutch Charlie section with the Marina, Elk Ridge Campground and Dakota Terraces Campground. Then the Dallas Creek section.

Michelle scoped out a few hiking options for us before we left. Our first stop is always at the Visitor Center to pick up a paper map. Yes, maps on phones are nice but there’s still something special about looking at a map to determine your plans. Our plan was to hike the Forest Discovery Nature Trail, a short .6 mile loop, and the .1 mile Scenic Overlook Trail, then drive down to the beach and water itself.

Ridgway State Park Map, click to enlarge

Hiking to the Scenic Overlook

We chose to start with the Scenic Overlook Trail. We were very excited to see the view from the top. A fairly short trail led us right there, photos below. It was beautiful. The pinyon/juniper forest smelled so good! Hiking in the mountains is different than hiking in the desert.

Instead of going back to the Visitor Center and doing the Forest Discovery Trail, I saw a sign for another route called the Wapiti Trail that led to the Skyline Loop, which sounded fun. Michelle admitted she didn’t have the Wapiti Trail “saved” in her All Trails app as a route for us to take but we did it anyway. The first “change of plans” for the day turned out to be a strenuous one! The Wapiti Trail is only .6 miles but has an elevation change of 150 feet. That’s like climbing 15 flights of stairs, at 7,000’ elevation! We took it slow, rested and cursed a few times until we reached the top. We quickly understood why Michelle hadn’t bookmarked that one, so steep! Luckily, we had plenty of water and some electrolyte chews to keep us going.

We eventually did part of the Skyline Loop and headed back to the truck. We took much more time hiking than we planned, and we really wanted to get into the water. But first, we had to check out the Marina before we went to the Dallas Creek section with the big beach for cars.

Ridgway State Park View from the Overlook with the San Juan Mountains

Ridgway State Park View from the Overlook including the San Juan Mountains

Ridgway State Park Marina

There is a very large swimming beach and picnic area next to the Marina. We were there on a Saturday in early June and it wasn’t very busy at all. I bet it’s more popular during the height of summer. There are bathroom facilities. We stopped at the Marina to get information about boat rentals. There are pontoons available for half or full day rentals and the price seemed reasonable. Afterall, it’s much easier to rent a boat for a day than to own one! You can also rent stand-up paddle boards as well.

Ridgway State Park Swimming Beach near Marina

Ridgway Marina Ridgway State Park

Dallas Creek

The Dallas Creek entrance to Ridgway State Park provides the ability to drive onto the beach and park right next to the water. You can see the cars on the beach from the road. We found a spot and parked. We got in the water up to our ankles. It was somewhat chilly but not as bad as we expected for a body of water at 7,000’ elevation made from snowmelt from the surrounding mountains. Others were gleefully swimming and lots of people on SUPs (stand up paddle boards).

Ridgway Reservoir cars on the beach

We got a good feel for Ridgway State Park and now it was time to go into the town of Ridgway. As we approached the main stop light where you turn right to go into Ridgway, I said, “How can we be this close and not go to Ouray?” Ridgway was the focus of the day, but we “changed plans” and headed to Ouray. We always love driving through Ouray and taking a portion of the Million Dollar Highway to reach the Bear Creek Waterfall Overlook.

Taking the Scenic Route

Ouray was great, as expected. The waterfall was really flowing, and Michelle was able to capture a rainbow that appeared in the mist for a brief moment.

On Hwy. 550, just after the state park, and before the turn to the town of Ridgway, we saw a brown sign for Owl Creek Pass. Most of the reports Michelle read online from the area said that many of the upper mountain passes have been cleared of snow. She verified and this one was open. She did some quick investigation and learned cars can handle the road, you don’t need to have a high clearance 4×4. We were in our Toyota Tacoma, so we decided to make another “change of plans” and take the scenic road home. We make a lot of spontaneous decisions. And this is one we will remember for a long time.

View of Ouray, CO

Bear Creek Waterfall Overlook in Ouray

Owl Creek Pass

After Ouray, we took Owl Creek Pass east from Ridgway as a scenic way to get back to Grand Junction. THAT was amazing! It was an incredible drive. Just to give you an idea of driving a mountain pass vs the main roads, it only added 39 miles to our trip but took us an extra 2 hours because you drive so slow on high mountain pass roads.

The road was in pretty good condition, it was wide, no sharp drop-offs. Just a few piles of snow we had to drive through, but otherwise the road was mainly dry. We could see this one high mountain peak from the start, and it was cool because we kept getting closer and closer to it as we climbed higher and higher. Looking at maps afterwards we think it was Turret Ridge, it looked like a turret to us!

Why you should plan ahead

On this trip we learned we really should plan ahead. When we were near the top without cell service or a downloaded map we hesitated. There was a fork in the Forest Service Road and we had to guess which way to go. The road was not marked at all. Not good in the middle of the backcountry. Oops! We had maybe 3 cars pass us in the upper section of this road. We thought about turning around after about an hour into the drive because we were afraid we might get lost or be heading in the completely wrong direction.

We were supposed to go east, then north to hook up with Hwy 50. When we were heading south and southeast for a while, we doubted we were on the right Forest Road. After discussing it, we continued a bit further because we know that no mountain pass is a direct route. After about 10-20 more minutes we reached the summit of the pass. We laughed and exclaimed “We made it! We did it!”

We immediately hopped out of the car to take a picture of the pass sign and the beautiful scenery. There was a one-lane bridge over Owl Creek. We went in June just after the snow had melted, well mostly melted! I stepped in a snowbank along the creek. The water was rushing fast and the sound of the water in the otherwise quiet forest was so peaceful!

We soaked it all in. The air smells so fresh in the mountains, everyone should experience it at some time in their lives. Our mistake was not planning our route in more detail before we left. Next time, we will research a scenic way home ahead of time, should we decide to take it!

Wildlife near Owl Creek Pass

Elk on Owl Creek Pass

While on the pass we saw about 6-8 mule deer. After the creek, on the east side, we saw a sign saying we would be driving through private land for the next 7 miles. It was spectacular. Lots of cattle and lush green grass. We saw a couple dozen elk grazing in pastures and were able to stop and take pictures. There are always birds singing in the mountains too. We like to roll our windows down on drives like this to take in the sounds and the smells. Seeing the elk was like icing on the cake for this trip.

We loved Ridgway State Park and we will go back and rent a pontoon for an afternoon with family and friends. We will probably never go over Owl Creek Pass again given it’s not really “on the way” to other spots we want to see on our adventures but it sure was a memorable scenic way home! Even though we got home several hours after we expected to. It was a great day trip from Grand Junction.

Move to Grand Junction, we’ve been waiting for you!

Ridgway Reservoir at Ridgway State Park

If you are considering moving to Grand Junction, please give me a call. I’d love to show you round Grand Junction, Fruita, and Palisade and talk mountain passes with you!

It’s time to Live your Vacation!

PAUL ASPELIN, your Grand Junction Real Estate Expert
REALTOR®, GRI, SRES®, CNE
Text/Call (612) 306-9558

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Serving Mesa County and the Grand Valley of Colorado.

by Paul Aspelin, REALTOR

Top Day Trips from Grand Junction, Colorado

Use this area as a base camp to experience the top day trips from Grand Junction Colorado. When you visit Grand Junction, you’ll find so many wonderful things to do and see in the Grand Valley. It would be a challenge to list them all from here. Instead, I’d like to share some of the day trips from Grand Junction, Colorado that I have done with family and friends and would go again in a heartbeat. I include some tips and insights for each location.

I will warn you, cell service is spotty in this region, so be sure to download Google maps, bring a paper map, or know where you are going. And always pack snacks and plenty of water to drink. Read my post about avoiding altitude sickness if this is your first time at elevations of 5,000-10,000 feet. We took some of these top day trips from Grand Junction Colorado before we moved to the area and wouldn’t hesitate to go back with friends and family that visit.

ATVing can get messy on Moab, UT, especially when you ride the day after it snows!

Moab, Utah

Great for mountain biking, ATVing, “jeeping”, yes, that’s a thing in Moab. Exceptional trails for all sorts of outdoor activities. Plus, access to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. We’ve stayed in Moab twice now for Thanksgiving to use the ATV trails. Once we rode on a friend’s ATV and the second time, we did a full day rental with a trailer. It was expensive, but worth it, we had so much fun on the trails. One of our favorite restaurants there is Pasta Jay’s, exceptional Italian food! Check out the Corona Arch hike, the petroglyphs along “wall street” as the local climbers refer to it, and the many dinosaur track locations. The town has great shopping and a very laid-back vibe with an array of off-road vehicles lining the streets. There is always something to do and see in Moab! We really enjoyed seeing real dinosaur tracks just west of Moab.

Dinosaur National Monument

Dinosaur bones at Dinosaur National Park

Drive 2 hours north to see a pile of actual dinosaur bones still intact from inside the museum that was built around it. It’s pretty cool. The bones traveled down a river, and many came to a final resting place together. I have been to the museum and am planning to go back to hike the trails and see more fossils in the area. We stopped here on a drive back to Minnesota and it didn’t disappoint. On that trip we also hit nearby Flaming Gorge on our drive north, a beautiful area too! This route helped us avoid the I-70 closure due to a forest fire in Glenwood Canyon.

Telluride

2.5 hours south, Telluride is known for its winter skiing and snowboarding, but it’s an exceptional day trip for summer activities like hiking, biking, shopping, concerts and more. Standing on the street and looking at the town feels majestic with the towering mountains surrounding you.

View of Telluride from the Gondola

In Telluride, you can ride the gondola in town to the top of the mountain, for free, and onward to Mountain Village. Our first time there was in November and my wife said, “If there was such a thing as the North Pole, its Mountain Village”.

You’ll find plenty of shopping and dining at the foot of the ski mountain and in the downtown area of Telluride. While enjoying the scenery from the gondola, look for the tiny runway at the Telluride airport. Don’t know how those planes can take off and get high enough before they run out of runway at the end of the cliff! There isn’t any specific parking for the gondola, but you can hunt for a spot on the street or parking ramp and walk to the entrance. There is just something magical about a visit to Telluride any time of year.

Ouray and Silverton

Ouray is pronounced (yur-ay). These are beautiful mountain towns in the San Juan Mountains with so much history and allure. It takes 2 hours to get to Ouray and then you can take the famous “million dollar highway” to Silverton. A scary, but beautiful road. I don’t recommend driving it in the winter with its many 15 mph hairpin curves and lack of guardrails. Avalanches kept knocking down the guardrails and they got tired of replacing them, so they just don’t have any. And the shoulder is about 10 inches until the 1000-foot drop off, no kidding! It’s an adventure just to drive that stretch of highway.

Ouray at the “Switzerland of America” sign

Ouray, also referred to as the “Switzerland of America” offers an incredible quaint, historic mountain town experience with views you won’t soon forget. While in town, enjoy a soak at one of the local hot springs, or take a short hike to see the Box Canyon Waterfall, or just enjoy watching the ice climbers in the winter. Be prepared to be amazed.

Continue your scenic journey South, 24 miles to Silverton, which offers great shopping, dining, breweries, and lots of trails. Be warned, there is a tourist sightseeing train that travels between Durango and Silverton which can make for extended wait times at some restaurants depending on the timing of its arrival. We ate at the Lacey Rose Saloon located in the Grand Imperial Hotel in Silverton. The atmosphere was 100% Old West! Exactly what we came to experience. We enjoyed a great lunch listening to a live ragtime piano player and found out there was still a bullet in the woodwork behind the bar from a prior “shootout”. You can literally feel the Old West and mining history as you stroll the main street.

Snowshoeing on the Mesa

Grand Mesa

The world’s largest flat-top mountain is just 45 minutes from Grand Junction. There are 300+ lakes with miles and miles of hiking, ATV, snowmobiling, and cross-country ski trails. You can ski at Powderhorn Mountain Resort with much shorter wait times for the chair lifts. We attended their Octoberfest celebration with German food and beer while we were driving through looking at the stunning fall leaves. On the Grand Mesa, there are rental cabins, lodges, and campgrounds available for overnight stays. Be warned, the visitor center on the main road across “the Mesa” isn’t open on the weekends. In fact, we’ve been up there a dozen times and have yet to set foot inside the visitor center. Oh, and using the bathroom spurred my post about what I learned in the first 3 months of living in Grand Junction, always have toilet paper in your car as rest stops, pit toilets and visitor centers are often out of toilet paper!

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park view from the top. Photo by Emma Aspelin

Very picturesque just 1.5 hours SE of Grand Junction. You drive through Delta and Montrose, cute small towns to get to the Gunnison River gorge and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Here’s how the National Park Service describes it… “Big enough to be overwhelming, still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park exposes you to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. With two million years to work, the Gunnison River, along with the forces of weathering, has sculpted this vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky.” We were impressed. We stopped here on our way back from a trip to Ouray.

Read my post about our visit and awesome hike in the North Rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Glenwood Springs Hot Springs

If you drive East on I-70 right to Iron Mountain Hot Springs from Grand Junction, it’s about an hour and 20 minutes. However, our first time there we went onto the Mesa first to do some snowshoeing near Mesa Lakes Lodge and then drove to Glenwood Springs specifically to soak in the hot springs. Iron Mountain Hot Springs offers a 3-hour soaking “appointment” and that was just the right amount of time. They have a changing room with showers and lockers. We spent time in pretty much every pool they offered with a range of temperatures from 96-108 degrees. It was our first hot spring experience. It’s right next to I-70 so there was a little road noise. But you also viewed the Colorado River, so that was nice. We watched the sun set over the mountain. There’s another hot spring there too, Glenwood Hot Springs, also along the river and the interstate. We will be checking out other hot springs in Colorado, but this is definitely a great option for a day trip from Grand Junction.

For more Day Trip ideas, use the search box on the right to search for “day trips from Grand Junction”. I have made many more posts since this one of various places to go and sites to see!

Care for Colorado Leave No Trace Principles

https://www.colorado.com/articles/leave-no-trace-care-colorado The Care for Colorado Leave No Trace Principles were created in partnership between the Colorado Tourism Office and the Leave No Trace organization to address recreation-related impacts in Colorado. Read their tips of what to know before you go, sticking to the trails, and other topics like trash, fire and wildlife.

Living in Grand Junction

If you fly into the Grand Junction airport to visit Mesa County, let me know. I’d love to share what it’s like to move to Grand Junction AND living in Grand Junction now as a full-time resident. We relocated to the area in 2023. As a licensed REALTOR® I can show you some properties while you are here too! Read my posts about moving to Grand Junction, Fruita, or Palisade. Ask me about any town in Mesa County!

Read the Two Day Itinerary for Grand Junction Visit post for more ideas or Things to Do in Grand Junction: Easy Hikes.

Happy travels!