Ouray Perimeter Trail

Ouray, Colorado / 38.02934, -107.67298

5.6 mile loop trail / 1509 elevation gain

While staying at Ridgway State Park in Ridgway, CO I decided to take the 22 mile drive to the little Town of Ouray, CO and hike its famous Perimeter Trail. I originally discovered this trail while binge watching one of my favorite full time RVers channels on Youtube, Less Junk More Journey.

I parked the Jeep at the Visitor Center/Hot Spring pool and crossed the street (US 550) to the base of a wooden staircase and the beginning of the 6 mile trail.

I decided to hike the loop in a clockwise direction. I prefer loop trails because you are always walking new ground and seeing new things. However if you have been following my blog long you may have also heard me say that even on an out and back trail the scenery is different. Many times we forget to stop and look behind us and I believe we miss many great sites because we never take the time stop and turn around.

The beginning of the trail was quite steep (8% grade) with an elevation gain of about 300 feet in just .3 miles. From this point, the trail continues to rise for the next 2 miles but it was filled with a mixture of ups and downs that provided awesome views of the city below and the mountains that frames it.

At the .7 mile mark you will reach Cascade Falls. It was late in the year so there was not much water falling but it was still quite impressive and my mind could only image how spectacular it must be in the spring.

The trail descends to the base of the falls for an awesome view. The falls can also be accessed from a parking area and playground for the kids just a short walk from the base of the falls. So you can either end you hike here or continue. I of course pushed on and once again ascended a steep grade with switchback till it reaches a bench.

The forest transitions to a dryer hillside until you reach the Amphitheater Campground Road. When you reach the road turn right and look for the trail to resume on your left just before the bridge.

At this point you will reach the area referred to as the Baby Bath Tubs. In this section of the Portland Creek you will find small quartz bathtubs. As with the Cascade Falls there was very little water flowing however this would be a good place to stop and soak your feet when water is present.

The trail then continues up the left side of the creek until you will reach a bridge that services the Portland Trail. I should mention, that there are several spur trails that shoot off of the Perimeter Trail that could be hiked as a part of the loop or saved for additional excursions. I was tempted to see where one or two of these went but decided that if I finished the Perimeter Trail that would be enough for one day. Guess I’ll have to come back 🙂

After crossing the bridge you will cross through a day use area and have a small walk on the forest service road. Once you climb the Potatoe Patch (early miners grew potatoes here) you will will reach the highest part of the trail. This rocky upland area has a great view of the Uncompahgre Gorge and was a great place to stop for lunch and enjoy the view.

After a snack and a lot photos I descended the rocky slope to HWY 550. Here you have a decision to make. You can shorten your hike by taking the Ice Park short cut trail or to continue to the left down the old dam service road. Of course I chose the left and extended my trip.

The road led down hill to the base of the dam where you cross a bridge over the Uncompaghgre River then ascends to another service road that followed a three foot penstock pipe which supplies water to the Ouray Hydro-Electric Plant.

As I traveled north the Uncompahgre Gorge came into view on my right. In the winter the town sprays water over the edges of the gorge creating curtains of ice which is famous for ice or frozen waterfall climbers.

After the gorge you will cross CR 361 and head to the Box Canon Falls and Park. On my previous visit to Ouray, I visited this park. It is a short hike that leads you into a slot/box canyon featuring a waterfall. Admission is $5.00 but it is well worth it.

However today I just continued to the suspension bridge straddling the box canyon.

At the end of the bridge is a small tunnel which is cut through the hillside that requires you to duck and watch your head. As you can see at the end of the video below I forgot the second part.

I thought this was cool twist to the already awesome hike and as I emerged the trail descended perilously down a steep and narrow stone stair case.

Once the decent is completed and you stop clinging to the rock face on the left you will come to an iron bridge and a view of another yet smaller water fall.

Then you as you can guess its another climb up a dry hillside that provides great views of Ouray and the Mountains on the east side of the canyon.

After about .6 miles the Trail makes its final descent to Queen Street and from there is it is a road walk back to the the visitor center. Although road walks are not usually my thing I did enjoy seeing the many older and unique homes built at the base of the cliff and if you pay close attention you may even get an unexpected surprise.

At first, I thought those mule deer were fake until they moved. They paid me no mind and continued eating the beautiful flowers the owners had worked to plant.

This is a great hike with awesome views of both the City of Ouray and the tall peaks that surround the area. It didn’t hurt that the Aspens were in their full glory making the scenery even more spectacular!

All in all this hike took roughly 5 hours, with significant time spent at the falls, the southern most overlook, the Iron Bridge and other spots. It is not a hike to be rushed but to be enjoyed at a slow pace. You will find yourself losing track of time on the Ouray Perimeter trail.

Slow~LEE hiking