Museums
History BuffOuray County Museum
Under $25A county history museum in Ouray's 1887 St. Joseph's Miners' Hospital, with 38 exhibits on mining, ranching and railroads.
Transit: reachable by public transit
Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sightseeing
Alpine Loop National Back Country Byway
A remote, rugged 63-mile backcountry drive through the San Juan Mountains linking Lake City, Ouray, and Silverton.
Lake City, CO
About Alpine Loop National Back Country Byway
The Alpine Loop is a rough backcountry route that runs through the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, connecting Lake City, Ouray, and Silverton. It crosses two passes above 12,000 feet, which call for a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle. Visitors find mountain views, hiking and biking trails, camping spots, and quiet stretches away from crowds. The road follows routes used by 19th-century miners, and seven ghost towns along the way recall the silver and mining era. The route is closed in winter, and roads can turn muddy.
- #scenic drive
- #backcountry byway
- #ghost towns
- #mining history
- #4WD required
What's around here?
The closest stops to Alpine Loop National Back Country Byway, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
5.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
- Sightseeing
Ouray Visitor Center
No admission feeOuray's visitor center on Main Street, with staff, maps of scenic drives, 4WD routes and hiking trails, and brochures.
Transit: reachable by public transit
6.1 mi awayMore like this
- ToursHistory Buff
Bachelor Syracuse Mine Tour
Under $25A seasonal underground mine train tour into a historic silver and gold mine near Ouray.
7.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
- Sports & OutdoorsOutdoor Adventure
Million Dollar Highway
No admission feeDrive a cliff-hugging stretch of U.S. 550 over Red Mountain Pass between the mountain towns of Ouray and Silverton.
8.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors
- Sightseeing
Telluride Visitors Center
No admission feeVisit Telluride's visitor center on West Colorado Avenue, where staff help with general information and lodging and activity reservations.
Transit: reachable by public transit
13 mi awayMore like this
- SightseeingLocal Gem
Ridgway
No admission feeA small San Juan Mountains gateway town known for its state park, hot springs and arts district.
Transit: reachable by public transit
15 mi awayMore like this
