Ridgeway State Park is located just north of Ridgeway, CO in the foot hills of the San Juan mountains. Barbara and I have stayed here in the past and find the park a great place to stay with scenic views and good facilities. We love the central location close to Orvis Hot Springs and Ouray, CO, two of our favorite places to visit when we are in this area of southwest Colorado. The Red Mountain Pass Highway over to Silverton, CO is located just north of Ouray, CO following a old wagon trail known as the Million Dollar Highway both today and when it was built back in the late 18 hundreds. It was a toll road back then with the owners charging 5 dollars a wagon which was a hefty fee back in those days. We also visited the famous silver mining community and ski town of Telluride, CO which is located just 37 miles away from Ridgeway State Park. Telluride is also known for the many special musical festivals that are held here every summer. We also decided to extend our stay one more day beyond the three days at Ridgeway and camped out at Orvis Hot Springs to soak in the warm hot springs one more time. We spent the first day we arrived at Ridgeway State Park soaking as well. I guess you could say you can get to much of a good thing. This special place beckons travelers to relax and enjoy the sheer beauty of the surrounding mountains. The following images provide a insight to many of the beautiful areas that make up this majestic part of Colorado which is dominated by the 14,000 foot peaks of the surrounding San Juan mountains. There are so many places to explore in this area that a traveler could spend a month here and not see it all. Or even perhaps a life time.
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| Ridgeway State Park Reservor |
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| View of San Juan mountains from our campsite at Ridgeway State Park |
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| Our Campsite at Ridgeway State Park |
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| Orvis Hot Springs |
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| Because this is a clothing optional hot springs I could not take pictures of the springs. I must say the grounds our beautifully landscaped with mountain flowers and the springs our natural and beautiful especially at night under the bright stars. |
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| View of the San Juan Mountains at Orvis Hot Springs |
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| Similar view looking north from Orvis Hot Springs |
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| Our Campsite at Orvis Hot Springs, 8-2-2016 |
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| Ouray, CO |
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| Main Street in Ouray, CO |
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| Cascade Falls, Ouray, CO |
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| Ouray Brewery |
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| The Western Hotel in Ouray, CO |
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| This image and the following images are views from the Red Mountain Pass Hwy. also known as The Million Dollar Hwy. |
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| Abandon Silver Mine near the summit of Red Mountain Hwy. |
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| The Idarado Silver mine which is not in operation today |
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| Red Mountain Pass, 11,018 feet |
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| Silverton, CO, City Hall |
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| American Legion Building in Silverton, CO |
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| The Shady Lady Saloon |
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| Miners Memorial in Silverton, CO from a distance |
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| Main Street in Silverton, CO |
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| This image and the following images our of the famous Durango & Silverton narrow gauge steam engine run. These two old steam locomotives were ready to take their passengers back to Durango, CO |
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| Main Street in Telluride, CO |
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| Barbara in front of The County Courthouse in Telluride, CO |
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| Galloping Goose Engine #4 used on the Rio Grand Southern Railroad years ago. This engine is adjacent to the court house in Telluride. |
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| Tram ride up to Mountain Air Village in Telluride, CO |
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| View of Telluride, CO from the tram |
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| Mountain Air Village from the tram |
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| San Jaun mountains back drop as seen from main street Telluride, CO |
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| Colorful rainbow as seen our drive back to Ridgeway State park from Telluride |
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