How to Spend 1 Full Day in Ouray, CO

Ouray is such a beautiful, small mountain town. It’s a special place and we really loved the day we spent there. Ouray is a great place to stop off if you’re on your way to Telluride (which was where we were heading). We felt like 1 day in Ouray was enough to see most of the attractions in the town, however if we had more time I would have loved to explore the surrounding area a bit more. It is a pretty small town though, so if you only have 1 day, that should be good. Here’s how you should spend 1 day in Ouray, CO.

Hike the Perimeter Trail

If you’re up for a scenic hike I would 100% recommend doing the Perimeter Trail. It circles above and around the town and stops at all the scenic points along the way (like Box Canyon, Cascade Falls, Baby Baths, etc). I’d start the hike early in the morning to give yourself plenty of time to do the loop. We parked by the Hot Springs and caught the Perimeter Trail across the street and then did the loop clockwise. It’s roughly 6 miles, but there were so many areas off the trail that we decided to explore so it was more like a 7 or 8 mile hike. And the great news is, that if during any time of the hike you’re not feeling it anymore, you can always find a trail that’ll lead you back into town. BUT if you are feeling it, I’d definitely recommend doing the full Perimeter Trail. Especially if it’s a beautiful day out!

Box Canyon Waterfall

The Box Canyon is a super cool waterfall tucked away in a narrow canyon. It literally comes out of nowhere, so it’s a little unexpected. You can walk inside the canyon, above the waterfall on the upper trail and right down below to the lower trail along the edge of the water as well. We went when the water was pretty high and rushing, so it was super impressive. Definitely a must see while you’re in Ouray!

Cascade Falls

Cascade Falls is a beautiful waterfall that drops over 200 ft. It’s such a big waterfall drop that it can be seen from other parts of around the town of Ouray. The waterfall flows out of this beautiful red jagged rock. It’s so pretty and you can hike right up to the bottom of the waterfall or see it from higher up, too. You walk right past it on the Perimeter Trail.

Baby Bath Tubs

The baby bath tubs are really rivers of rushing water that have smoothed out the rocks around them and have created little baths and some pretty colored rocks. It’s nothing crazy to go see. I wouldn’t go out of your way for them, but if you are doing the Perimeter Trail, you’ll walk past them so that’s a nice bonus! They did have some other trails in this area too, which would be nice for a day hike.

Check Out the Scenic Views at the Switzerland of America Sign

Ok this is a little touristy but I thought the little “Switzerland of America” sign was super cute, so we drove up to it, hopped out the car for a picture and took in the view. Honestly, after doing the Perimeter Trail hike though, it’s not a view you haven’t seen. I also just love Switzerland so it felt special to be in the Switzerland of America.

Walk The Main Street

After we hiked the Perimeter Trail and saw all the nature sights, we spent some time in town. We changed out of our hiking shoes, got a late lunch and some drinks, window shopped and then picked up some ice cream before heading to our next destination. We ate lunch at Red Mountain Brewing and then got ice cream at Mouse’s Chocolates and Coffee. Highly recommend both!

Ok, so if we had more time or had spent a weekend in Ouray, I would have also wanted to do:

Ouray Via Ferrata

If you’re not scared of heights, this looks like it could be a super cool and fun tour to do. I would love to try it one day.

Million Dollar Highway

If we had more time, I would have love to take a scenic drive along the famous Million Dollar Highway from Ouray to Silverton, CO. The views and the road itself both look unreal.

Ouray Hot Springs

We kept going back and forth on whether we should take a dip in the hot springs. We really wanted to, they looked nice, but ultimately we decided to get to our hotel in Telluride earlier so we ended up opting out. The hot springs were also under COVID protocols so it made getting in a little trickier. If you do have the time, I would check it out because who doesn’t love a relaxing dip in a hot spring!