Ouray or Telluride? (In July)

Hi there!
I'll be visiting the Ouray/Telluride area in July this year. The trip is planned to take advantage of the seasonal wildflowers which are supposed to be out in mass during that time. Trouble is I'm not sure which town to find lodging in: Ouray or Telluride. I know Telluride is much more high-end, especially during ski season but wondered what it's like in July. I don't care about shopping much but a nice town life for the evenings or a day off would be nice. What's Ouray like? Which would be better suited for hiking trailheads? Mountain biking?
Lodging suggestions, recommended hikes, mountain bike trails, etc. Any info at all appreciated.

Tough choice! I'd opt for Ouray - sounds like it's less touristy. For that reason I'm heading for Lake City (just east of Ouray) in July. It's all about the wildflowers, yes! And the chance to climb a 14K: the American Basin approach to Handies Peak promises to be a beaut for flora and scenery.

Crested Butte is legend for its July flowers too. I'd like to hear what you finally decide.

Mt. Sneffels

I recommend climbing Mt. Sneffels near Ouray. It is one of the most beautiful peaks with an awesome view.

Here is a link with good info and pictures:

http://www.14ers.com/routemain.php?route=snef1&peak=Mt. Sneffels

I'll be in both in 10 days. We are at the Victorian Inn in Ouray. Ouray is quite a bit less expensive than Telluride. I can't comment on any hikes, as I am ice climbing and skiing. I'll let you know how Ouray is.
Sandy

I would visit them both if possible, each has its charms. I have great memories of camping near Telluride. Interesting architecture, well preserved, cool restaurants, a spectacular setting. There is single track for hiking or biking on the mountain slopes right above town, many different options.

Silverton, south of Ouray, was also a gem of a little town.

One nice thing about both Telluride and Silverton is that they are 'tucked away'; Ouray is bisected by Rt. 550.

Regardless of where you end up staying, be sure to hike to Ice Lake Basin.

7-miles round trip, 5 hours
Start: 9810ft
Finish: 12257ft

Directions: The trail starts from South Mineral Campground, which is off US 550 a little west of Silverton. Take Forest Road 585 off US 550 and follow along South Mineral Creek. It's 6 miles to the trailhead. Once you start hiking, take note there is a lower basin but the upper basin is much more impressive.

A picture from my visit last year:
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2388778900049791970GgLVXq

spiffy! I've got no experience in Colorado, so please let us know how it goes (& take lots of pictures!!!) (you too Audrey )

We did a Telluride, Ouray, Silverton Ski/Climbing trip a couple years back. All are nice. We stayed in Telluride and Silverton, drove to Ouray. I'll try to come up with the name of the place in Telluride if I can remember. It was right in town and was pretty reasonable even in ski season, so you can probaby find something in the summer I would think too. We paid a mint to eat at a couple of restaurants on the other hand, however half baked and fully brewed was yummy and affordable.

I just returned from Ouray. We were climbing/BC skiing, but visited Telluride for a day. Both have outstanding scenery.
Telluride is a bit larger and ( I found) more expensive than Ouray.
Lodging in Ouray ranges from B&B's to Motels, but they are all nice.Telluride has some resorts.
Nightlife in Ouray is quiet. There are several bars that have live bands. I did not partake, as I was tired from the days we spent in the Ice Park.
What I loved was sinking into natural hot springs at the end of the day, great for the sore muscles. In July, I imagine the area would be even more beautiful, and I will probably go back in the summer to hike/climb/river raft.
I found the restaurants in Ouray to be quite good, and not expensve at all.
Again the range was bar/pub food, to quiet romantic Italian food. I had no bad meals, and did not bleed the bank account.
In Telluride, we ate at Baked in Telluride, reasonable,and delicious, AND they had beer. Otherwise, most of the restaurants were only open for dinner, and were on the expensive side.
Hope this helps. If you want more details, PM me.
Sandy

Several years ago when my dad had a work stint in CO we went out there for a whirlwind tour. Jeepin it all the way. I was mostly interested in visiting and hiking to ghost towns and throughly enjoyed it. Minus the mining still going on I really enjoyed Summitville. Great location and old town set-up. Rio Grande county by the way. Hit Mesa Verde too. We were everywhere. Anyway we did stay and visit in some towns. I did like Telluride. But if forced between the two I would choose Ouray. It was the people and general atmosphere that caught my attention. As for time of year, we ironically were there the time period you would be, from mid-June to the end of July.

shadowcat said:

Hi there!
I'll be visiting the Ouray/Telluride area in July this year. The trip is planned to take advantage of the seasonal wildflowers which are supposed to be out in mass during that time. Trouble is I'm not sure which town to find lodging in: Ouray or Telluride. I know Telluride is much more high-end, especially during ski season but wondered what it's like in July. I don't care about shopping much but a nice town life for the evenings or a day off would be nice. What's Ouray like? Which would be better suited for hiking trailheads? Mountain biking?
Lodging suggestions, recommended hikes, mountain bike trails, etc. Any info at all appreciated.

Click to expand...

We stayed in Ouray a few years ago and just loved the less touristy feel of the place. Silverton is down the road over Red Mountain pass I believe. Both offer some great options and you can certainly do both. We took our rented Suburban over to Telluride straight thru the heart of the mtns via Ophir Pass (jeep road -difinitely go at your own risk!) which was very cool and challenging. Near Ouray is Yankee Boy Basin which is surrounded by 13 and 14ers and filled with wildflowers in early July when we went. Near Silverton we found an old abandoned mining town called Animas Forks. Those roads are not as hairy or dangerous as Ophir Pass. I suggest you talk to the locals and get the nice plasticized backcountry map if you make any forays into jeep country.

I'm sure you'll have a great time!

You could always hike over the top and get them both. Did that a few years ago. It was fun. Sun on both sides, but clouds and wind on top. Tride definately more 'up-scale', and more to do.