How2Day: Jeep Trails in Ouray, CO

Sometimes known as "the Switzerland of America," Ouray is a small town nestled among some of the most staggering peaks of the Rocky Mountains. Ouray's own elevation is 7,792 feet, and it is surrounded on three sides with 13,000-foot snowy peaks. The Ouray Chamber Resort Association, a community of business owners, recommends "Jeeping" as a means to experience the grandeur of Ouray's surrounding landscape. The chamber rates trails according to difficulty, from Class 1, Easy, to Class 5, Use Extreme Caution.

Last Dollar Road is the only Jeep trail classified by the Ouray Chamber as Class 1. Parts of the trail are traversable in a passenger vehicle. However, after heavy rains the trail becomes markedly more difficult. Certain steep sections become very slippery. When followed through completely, the trail brings riders to the town of Telluride, another picturesque, touristic town located in a box valley. Riders can access this trail from County Highway 62.

Yankee Boy Basin is a Class 2 trail. To access it, drivers follow Camp Bird Road southwest out of Ouray. After the four-wheel drive road passes through the remains of the old town of Sneffels, the road forks, and the right fork leads to Yankee Boy Basin. Lookout points of note include Twin Falls and the basin just below Mt. Sneffels, a 14,000-foot mountain. In mid-summer, this basin is an ideal vantage point for the area's vast meadows of wildflowers. The Ouray chamber suggests parking and hiking the last two miles of the trail, as they can be steep and rough.

Corkscrew Gulch climbs the summit of Red Mountains 1, 2 and 3, traversing many switchbacks along the way. The last few switchbacks are steep and narrow and require skill behind the wheel. Corkscrew Gulch is a Class 3 trail. Upon descending down the eastern side into the Cement Creek drainage, drivers can choose between the southerly path to Silverton or the route north over Hurricane Pass and down into California Gulch. The route north connects to the road to Animas Forks -- high, scenic terrain above the timberline. The top of Hurricane Pass also affords a striking view of Lake Como. Corkscrew Gulch is accessible via Highway 550 in Ironton Park, about eight miles south of Ouray.

A Class 5 trail, Black Bear Pass gets the most ominous treatment in the Ouray chamber's Jeeping Guide. In fact, the chamber recommends going with one of the local tour companies. On Highway 550, just past Red Mountain, drivers turn right onto the two-way trail. The ascent of Red Mountain is easy and offers scenic views. The peak is the last place to reconsider Black Bear Pass, as the skinny descent is one way. Narrow vehicles with short wheelbase are recommended; others are prone to broken fenders and bent bumpers. This difficult descent moves in steep drops known as "steps" and sharp switchbacks. After Bridal Veil Falls, the remaining descent is easy. Drivers should be wary here of the mountain bikers on the trail.

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