Ouray Colorado (Revision: 1.30)
Little switzerland. Gem of the Rockies. Beautiful names for a beautiful place.
Ouray, the "Switzerland of America" has been a destination of world travelers for more than 100 years.
The entire town is listed on the National Register of Historic Districts. Ouray is nestled in the San Juan Mountains, the "Shining Mountains" of the Ute Indians--their sacred hunting grounds. The San Juans are the youngest and most rugged mountains in the Rockies. Ouray is a year round paradise. . . come spend time with us and let your heart soar to new heights in the crystal air.
Ouray was founded in 1876. The first non-Indians in the valley were looking for gold and silver. They found it and settled here. Within ten years, Ouray had more than 1,200 inhabitants. The town had a school, several churches, a hospital, a four-star hotel, several restaurants, dozens of saloons and brothels, and the usual array of hardware, clothing, and mining supply stores. Most of Ouray's more permanent buildings were built between 1880 and 1900, and virtually all of them are still standing. Today Ouray looks like it did 100 years ago.
Websites
I am the web-guru for the Ouray Chamber Reseort Association which runs the tourist focused site for the Ouray Area.