Ridgway, Colorado (population 1,183) sits in a high mountain valley at 6,985 ft in rural Southwest Colorado. Dotted with cattle ranches and surrounded by mountains, rivers, forests and lakes, Ridgway is also close to canyon country and the desert Southwest creating an unparalleled outdoor play ground with access to diverse ecosystems and several National Parks and Monuments.
Ridgway is a state-designated "Colorado Creative District" and the 2015 Colorado Main Street of the Year in recognition of our support of the Arts and our historic downtown revitalization project.
Our home sits at the top of a cul de sac in a quiet residential neighborhood and encompasses 1.4 acres planted with natives grasses, shrubs, Spruce, Aspen, Cottonwood and fruit trees. It's an easy 10min walk to coffee shops, breweries, yoga, groceries, galleries, liquor store, parks and restaurants in historic downtown Ridgway (True Grit starring John Wayne was filmed here). Cottonwood Creek Park parallels our property and access to a 16-acre open space park with trails is a 3 minute walk.
The Ridgway Athletic Fields are a 0.3mi walk with free tennis, pickle ball and basketball courts, skate park and athletic fields (join the pickle ball club, $5/day; $31/year, to access free pickle ball nets, rackets and balls).
We have expansive views of the Cimarron Mountains to the East and the Mount Sneffel's mountain range to our south, sub-ranges within the San Juan Mountains and part of the Rocky Mountains, where day hikes are easily accessed.
Wildlife sightings are common in town and the surrounding mountains (deer, elk, moose, bear, bighorn sheep, etc).
SPRING/SUMMER/FALL ADVENTURE (May-October):
HIKING: Ridgway is surrounded by some of the best hiking trails and destinations on the planet. Discover turquoise alpine lakes, dinosaur tracks, waterfalls and mountains covered in wild flowers or golden Aspen depending on the season.
BIKING: Mountain biking is accessible from our front door with over 40 miles of trails between the Ridgway Area Trails (RAT) and Dennis Weaver Trail systems for beginners to experts. Or day-trip to Telluride, Montrose, Durango, Cortez, Grand Junction or Fruita for world class single track trails. Road biking and gravel grinding are also world class or access Ridgway's paved 8-mile R/T Uncompahgre River Trail for a flat, easy cruise to Ridgway State Park.
RIVERS/LAKES: Cool off at the Ridgway Reservoir Lake (1030 surface acres) at Ridgway State Park (4mi drive) for swimming, fishing, boating, SUPing and kayaking. Tubers, anglers, rafters, SUP’ers, surfers and kayakers have fun on the Uncompahgre River which flows through town or adventure further afield to the more thrilling San Miguel, Gunnison, Animas or Colorado Rivers.
HOT SPRINGS abound and can be enjoyed year-round in Ridgway and Ouray. Soak at Ridgway's Orvis Hot Springs (2mi drive and clothing optional) or drive 10mi to enjoy the Ouray Hot Springs with water slides, rock wall, lap lanes & obstacle course. Don’t miss the natural underground hot vapor cave, private Lorelei tub and hot pool at the Wiesbaden Motel in Ouray. You might also consider a visit to the Durango Hot Springs & Spa in Durango and historic Dunton Hot Springs near Telluride.
CLIMBING: Climbers can enjoy dozens of sporty crags, alpine adventures or mountaineering on numerous high altitude peaks including 14,000 ft. Mount Sneffels. Ouray has three new “Via Ferrata” climbing routes.
CANYONEERING is gaining a foothold here and is celebrated in Ouray with an annual Canyoning Festival.
GUIDED ADVENTURES: Several professional guide services can provide equipment and instruction for all local adventures (children-adult).
4X4 OFF-ROAD ADVENTURES: With Colorado’s rich mining history, our mountains are laced with old mining roads. Rent a 4x4 jeep, ATV, SxS or take a guided jeep trip on some hair-raising mountain roads to spectacular vistas.
HISTORY: Explore our historic ranching and mining past with Victorian architecture, ghost towns, abandoned mines, the Ranch History Museum, Ridgway Railroad Museum and the Ouray County Historical Museum. Checkout the historic Old Hundred Gold Mine Tour for underground adventure in Silverton (open year-round). And don't miss a train ride on the historic Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad through stunning mountain scenery (a MUST-DO activity).
NATIONAL PARKS & MONUMENTS nearby include the Black Canyon, Mesa Verde, Colorado National Monument, Hovenweep, Canyon of the Ancients and the numerous National Parks around Moab, Utah (Canyonlands, Arches, Natural Bridges, etc).
ASTRONOMY: “At night, Ridgway, Colorado offers you a whole other dimension for your outdoor adventures. Ridgway is designated as a Dark Sky Community by the International Dark-Sky Association. Ridgway was the third community in Colorado to be given this unique honor, due to the community's lack of light pollution that allows night skies to be viewed in great detail.” Star gazers welcome.
MUSIC: Our region is well known for its live music festivals in Summer and Fall (check out the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in June, the Ride Festival, the Jazz Festival in August or the Blues and Brews Festival in September). Ouray and Ridgway offer free live music in the park on Thursday nights in June and July and the historic Sherbino Theater in Ridgway attracts nationally known musicians year-round.
SCENIC DRIVES: No visit to the area is complete without a drive on the “Million Dollar Highway”, a hair-raising section of road along the stunning San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway's 236-mi loop drive from Ridgway to Silverton to Durango to Dolores to Rico and back to Ridgway.
CULTURE: Ancestral Puebloans and, later, Ute Indians inhabited these lands before ranchers and miners arrived in the 1800's. Explore our indigenous past at Mesa Verde National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, the Ute Mountain Tribal Park, Ute Indian Museum and Shavano Rock Art Site near Montrose.
FILM: The Telluride Mountain Film Festival in May and Telluride Film Festival in September draw international acclaim. Ouray hosts an International Film Festival every June.
GOLF at The Divide Ranch and Club 7mi from Ridgway is open to the public and rents clubs and carts.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Photographers flock to our mountains year-round; wildflowers, wildlife, Fall colors, clear night skies. Check out our photographer friend's website to see photos of the many beautiful places you can visit in the San Juan Mountains near Ridgway, Colorado:
https://www.mountainphotography.com/gallery/san-juan-mountains/
WINTER ADVENTURE-SKIING/ICE CLIMBING/HOT SPRINGS/SNOWMOBILING (December-April)
Driving Distance from our home in Ridgway*:
39mi to historic downtown Telluride, the Telluride Ski Resort (EPIC Pass Resort) and XC ski trails
40mi to the steeps and powder of Silverton Mountain or family-friendly Kendall Mountain Ski Area in Silverton, CO
56mi to Purgatory Ski Resort near Durango, Colorado
95mi to Powderhorn Mountain Ski Area
40mi to guided/unguided snowmobile tours on Molas Pass
3mi to groomed cross-country skiing at TOP of the Pines and the Miller Mesa Trail
24mi to Red Mountain Pass for guided/unguided backcountry ski touring, cross country & hut to hut skiing
2.4mi to Orvis Hot Springs
11mi to historic Ouray, Colorado, aka “the Switzerland of America”; world famous for its Ice Climbing Park, Ice Climbing Festival, hot springs, free ski rope tow and Victorian charm.
Equipment rental, instruction and/or guides available for all the above.
*Drive times may take longer with snow, ice, road construction or traffic
Whether you like active adventure holidays, National Parks, live music, soaking in hot springs or just simply “being” in beautiful places, you will find all this and more in Ridgway, Colorado.
Montrose Regional Airport/MTJ: 29mi
Grand Junction Airport/GJT: 94mi
Durango Airport/DRO: 96mi
Gunnison Airport/GUN: 90mi
Denver International Airport/DEN: 347mi/5:30 hrs
Salt Lake City International Airport/SLC: 374mi/5:30 hrs
Albuquerque International Airport/ABQ: 299mi/5:30 hrs
A car is recommended for exploring the area. There is little public transportation and very little Uber/Lyft presence. Rental cars or TURO are available at any of the airports. Western Slope Rides offers shuttle service from Montrose and Grand Junction airports to Ridgway. 4x4, AWD, high clearance and/or good snow tires are highly recommended for Winter driving conditions and to access some trailheads in Summer and Fall. You can rent jeeps locally for 1-day 4x4 excursions.
While our highways are paved, our county, city and town streets are mostly dirt and gravel.
Our home is ~10min or 0.5mi walking distance to historic downtown Ridgway's shops, restaurants and grocery store. Montrose (25mi) has big box stores (Walmart, Target, City Market, Natural Grocers, etc).
We have two adult mountain bikes (older models) for getting around town.
I'd be happy to meet-up but am most available to share information about our town, state and region, activities, etc.