11 Fun Day Trips from Ouray, Colorado to Take

Looking for a few day trips from Ouray, Colorado? These bonus destinations can all be reached in under 3 hours, with most at 2 hours or under.

We had a BLAST in Ouray and saw everything we wanted in a couple days time. We even got to use one of our days as a day trip to explore nearby areas. If you’re staying for longer and want to venture out a bit, these destinations include waterfalls, lakes, history, trains, and even scenic drives around Ouray and beyond.

Make the most of your time in Ouray with these fun daytime getaways all under 3 hours away. If you go for the farther destinations, make an early morning of it to get the most out of your visit. But others (like Telluride or Ridgway) are a much quicker drive, allowing you to either sleep a bit longer.

The following day trips are organized from closest to Ouray to farthest (by drive time).

Making Ouray your Home Base

Ouray is a great place to stay, offering great lodging options that are more affordable than nearby Telluride. The town is known as the “Switzerland of America,” so you know you’ll get stunning scenery everyday you wake up.

There are also hot springs right in town (actually, quite a few options for hot springs, through the most popular are the town hot springs). You’ll get plenty of attractions and hiking in and around town. Then when you want to venture out, it makes a great base for mountain adventures around the area thanks to its location right among the San Juan mountains.

Top Day Trip Destinations from Ouray

1. Ridgway

11 miles, 15 minutes

Ridgway is a nice, easy drive from Ouray where you can spend the day. There’s plenty of fun and beauty in this outdoorsy town.

• Last Dollar Road is a popular scenic drive.
• Ridgway State Park is gorrrgeous, gives you all the views, a nice swim beach area, boating, and picnic areas.
• Ridgway Railroad Museum is great for the train-lover in your family. Get up close to old train cars.
• Dennis Weaver Memorial Park has hiking and biking trails without going far from town
• Owl Creek Pass is another scenic drive and especially beautiful in the fall when the colors begin to burst. The pass will take you to Silver Jack Reservoir, another scenic area with a few trails and the option to paddle board (bring your own!)

Grab lunch at Kate’s Place (breakfast/lunch cafe) or Thai Paradise.

3. Telluride

50 miles, 1 hour 4 minutes

Telluride is a destination on its own with plenty to stay busy with. When we stayed in Ouray we did a day trip to Telluride, starting at the crack of dawn for the balloon festival until night time. This is totally worth the minimal drive over to explore a whole other town.

Here are just a few of the many things to do in Telluride for a day:

• Hike to Bridal Veil Falls (tallest waterfall in Colorado)
• Play at Town Park
• Kids can fish in the pond at Town Park
• Ride the free gondola up to Mountain Village
• Go Rafting on the San Miguel
• Or just float down the river on a tube

Grab lunch at Brown Dog Pizza

5. Black Canyon of the Gunnison

48 miles, 58 minutes

This national park is way underrated, therefore one of the least visited Colorado national parks. Enter in from just east of Montrose and drive up along the south rim. Make sure to stop every chance you get! Here are a few must-stop pullovers:

• Pulpit Rock Overlook
• Painted Wall (pictured above)
• Sunset View
• Warner Point (at the end of the road)

Grab lunch at Montrose or even better, pack a lunch and eat it at one of the picnic areas in the park!

👉🏼 Grab a guided audio tour of the Canyon!

6. Curecanti Rec Area (Gunnison)

74 miles, 1 hour 26 minutes (to Pine Creek Trailhead at the reservoir)

With beautiful lakes, rivers, and hiking, Gunnison is a beautiful area to explore. While you visit, you’re most likely to hang out at the Curecanti Recreational Area. This large area includes Blue Mesa Reservoir, which is fed by the Gunnison River.

Blue Mesa Reservoir is the largest lake (by volume) in Colorado. If you’ve read the popular Go as a River by Shelley Read, this is where the book takes place. The reservoir was created by flooding the old town of Iona.

Today, it’s a popular area for boating, fishing, and hiking. You can also take out a pontoon for the day from Elk Creek Marina. In summary, spend a day at the Curecanti Recreation Area by:

• Take a boat or pontoon out from Elk Creek Marina
• Hike along the River at Pine Creek Trail
• Visit in winter with ice fishing, skating, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, or skiing!

Grab lunch in Gunnison at Mario’s Pizza and Pasta

7. Durango

70 miles, 2 hours

Found during the 1880’s during the gold rush, Durango is a classic old west town in Colorado. Today it’s visited for its outdoor beauty and recreation and famous narrow gauge railroad. Spending a day in Durango is easy to do with many activities to choose from. Here are a few:

• Ride the narrow gauge railway from Durango to Silverton (<– must do!)
• Eat a homemade meal at Bar D Chuckwagon with live music and comedy from the old west
• Take a family-friendly rafting trip down Las Animas River
• Zip line the mountains and trees of Durango
• Stroll through the historic downtown area and check out the railroad museum

Grab soup, salad, sandwiches, or other entrees at Steamworks Brewing Co. If you ride the train, order lunch for the ride (when you purchase your ticket).

8. Colorado National Monument

110 miles, 2 hours 27 minutes

While not an official national park, Colorado National Monument is a beautiful 20,000+ acre landscape of canyons and rock. And it’s really easy to visit with kids. You can simply drive through and stop at the pull overs (much like Black Canyon), or you can dig in a little more and do some hiking.

• Go to either entrance in Grand Junction
• Either entrance works- it’ll take you in one end and horseshoe you out the other end just 10 miles down highway 340
• The drive through the park is 26 miles
• Make sure to stop at Coke Ovens, Ute Canyon, and Grand View, though all the stops are worth it!
• If you’d like a hike, check out the Devil’s Kitchen which is only 1.5 miles roundtrip

This is another spot I would pack a lunch and eat on site. We ate at the visitor center in the outdoor picnic area.

The next few stops I would encourage only if you really have some extra time. They are the longer day trips from Ouray as each are closer to a 3 hour drive. Each area really awesome, so if you can’t make a day trip of it, perhaps one of them is on your route back home that you could stop at.

9. Moab

150 miles, 2 hours 52 minutes

Moab is a really fun town bursting with family-friendly fun. While many people go for Jeeping, biking, or the national parks, there is a variety of activities for all ages here. Here are a few great things to do in Moab for families on your day trip from Ouray:

• Go into Arches National Park, whose entrance is right on the edge of town. This is the main reason for visiting Moab!
• Go to Mill Canyon for dinosaur track sites
• Head to Potash Road for Dinosaur tracks and petroglyphs
• Hike through Moonflower Canyon which is easy, short, and feels like you’ve stepped into another world by the end

For lunch, head to the food truck park in town where everyone can pick their pallet’s desire!

10. Rifle Falls State Park

163 miles, 2 hours 52 minutes

Rifle Falls is a little longer of a drive, but the whole park area is pretty cool. If you’ve had the chance to see all the waterfalls in Ouray and you’d like some more, these are pretty awesome.

The waterfall area is the main attraction and is just a short walk from the parking area. Beyond that, you can also:

• Check out the caves in the park
• Hike to the fish hatchery
• Walk along Rifle Creek

This state park is a cool place to spend the day and is surrounded by trees and the running water of the creek.

For lunch, head to Brickhouse Pizzeria in town where you can get pizza, pasta, salads, and sandwiches.

Treasure Falls in March

11. Pagosa Springs

130 miles, 2 hours 58 minutes

Last but not least is the option to visit Pagosa Springs. This town is filled with fun year round. Its main draw is the beautiful hiking and hot springs, guaranteed to feel warm and cozy in any season. Pagosa offers many activities for families, like:

• Soak in the hot springs at the resort ($)
• or hop in the hot springs in the river (free)
• Hike to Treasure Falls
• Spend the day rafting on the San Juan River
• Walk through the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Park where you can check out wolves, foxes, and other animals

For lunch head to Kip’s Grill and Cantina for some street tacos.

Tips for Planning Your Day Trips

Best Time to Go to Ouray if you want all the day trips!

While winter brings ice climbing, skiing nearby, and other winter attractions, my personal favorite time to visit Ouray is in the summer. Summer also makes for easier driving when going out on your day trips, knowing the roads won’t be iced over or snowy.

What to Bring

When you pack up the car in the morning, some destinations will land you in another town with plenty of amenities and food. Others will land you in national parks or land-use areas. So make sure you include essentials like:

• Plenty of water
• Snacks for the road
• A packed lunch, if you don’t want to stop somewhere
• Comfortable shoes (hiking shoes if you’d like, but most things on here aren’t too strenuous)
• Your National Parks Pass, or money for entrance
• Swimsuit, towels, Stand Up Paddleboard, and life vest (or other things you might want on water outings)

Safety Tips for your Day Trips

Wildlife!!

Some of these places are farther away than others. For those, you’ll want to leave earlier in the morning. Take note that there is SO much wildlife in this area. If you leave at dawn, pay good attention to the wildlife waking up…and running into the road.

We hit a deer we did NOT see coming, right at dawn on our way to Telluride from Ouray. They are everywhere. A few minutes after we got everything cleaned and settled, a bunch of elk went across the road (luckily they weren’t as sneaky).

Always be on the lookout for wildlife!

Another tip, especially if you head out hiking, please leave the wildlife alone and do not approach. Even if you want a perfect photo for IG, give them plenty of space. It’s not worth your safety to ever approach wildlife.

Check the Weather

It’s always a good idea to check the weather before you head out, especially if you are going on longer hikes. Don’t get caught in a thunderstorm far from safety.

That said, Colorado weather comes and goes quickly and without warning sometimes.

Day Trips from Ouray Wrap Up

Ouray has so much to offer that anytime is a great time to visit Ouray. With waterfalls, Ouray hikes, and hot springs all to itself, it’s a fabulous destination in southern Colorado. And while you can see a lot with one day in Ouray, visiting for many days will get you a deeper appreciation and maybe even a little time to explore beyond town.

If you have time to explore beyond, there are some incredible places to see just a drive away that make great day trips from Ouray. Check out other national parks, dinosaur tracks, get on the water, ride a train, and so much more.

We have been all over the area, but especially loved our day in Telluride since it’s such a nice and quick location to get to. But any of these options provide great enhancements to your getaway.

Been to any of these great day trips? Come share it in my Colorado Family Travel Facebook group!

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