Ouray, Colorado is one of our favorite places. It is truly a magical place.
We found it in 2001 on our way home from Yellowstone. We only planned on staying one night but that quickly changed to three. Our first stay was at the Ouray KOA north of town. We rented a Jeep right from the campground office and, map in hand, explored the tall mountains that almost surround the town.
The love affair with Little Switzerland began.
This time we wanted to stay closer to town and be able to walk to the hot springs and dinner. High on our list was to be near enough to hear the Uncompahgre River. We struck gold with Ouray Riverside Resort.
This great little campground sits on Highway 550 a half-mile north of the famous Ouray Hot Springs. Aside from being right in town behind a historic old building, this is the closest RV park to the town’s Main Street.
There are 72 all-gravel spaces and seven cabins, each coming with a picnic table. The cabins and 27 campsites back to the river. We lucked into site 34 along the river and had our windows open just to hear the water. Despite being along the highway, the campground is shockingly quiet. There are pull-through sites and back-ins. Our space was very wide.
Also along the river is a very nice path called River Walk that will take you right down into town or a mile north. It’s a great way to stretch your legs, see and hear the river and maybe see a deer. We walked it every evening before dinner.
The office is a cute little building right as you pull in and the camp hosts could not have been nicer. After checking in, a camp host will escort you to your site and help you get parked. Since I’m the parking guide, this was a nice perk.
It rained everyday of our stay which gave way to spectacular waterfalls seen right from our campsite.
While the rain meant we couldn’t get all of our planned hikes in, we still had a great few days. Ouray holds a special place in our hearts and will in yours, too. Like Mark says, “we always need something to come back for.”
We’re excited to be going back this fall and can’t wait to show our dear friends why we love this place!