Ouray Jeep Rental

Ouray Jeep Rental Listings

  •  Switzerland of America, Inc. – Ouray, CO
  • Colorado West Jeep Rentals & Tours – Ouray, CO
  • Canyon Creek Jeep – Ouray, CO
  • Mild to Wild Rafting & Jeep Trail Tours – Durango, CO
  • Ouray Mountain Adventures – Ouray, CO
  • Ouray Riverside Inn Jeep Rentals – Ouray, CO
  • San Juan Backcountry – Silverton, CO
  • San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours – Ouray, CO
  • Farabee Jeep Rentals – Ouray, CO
  • Outlaw Jeeping Adventures – Ouray, Durango, and Silverton, CO

 

Ouray Off Road Jeeping

Known as the “Jeep Capital of the World”, Ouray has a limitless amount of options for the Jeeping enthusiast. It is a great way to experience the mountains as well as the local attractions. There are many great Jeep Tours and Rentals to make your off-road experience in Ouray a real adventure!

Ouray Geography

Ouray is located at 38°1′24″N 107°40′20″W (38.023217, −107.672178), in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. It is about 40 miles (64 km) south of Montrose. It is only 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Telluride, but due to the severity of the landscape, the drive is about 50 miles (80 km). Ouray is connected to Silverton and then Durango to the south by Red Mountain Pass which crests at just over 11,000 feet (3,400 m). The drive along the Uncompahgre River and over the pass is nicknamed the Million Dollar Highway, although the exact origin of the name is disputed. Yankee Boy Basin, located a few miles from town, boasts a beautiful spectacle called Twin Falls.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2), all of it land.

Ouray History

Originally established by miners chasing silver and gold in the surrounding mountains, the town at one time boasted more horses and mules than people. Prospectors arrived in the area in 1875. At the height of the mining, Ouray had more than 30 active mines. The town—after changing its name and that of the county it was in several times—was incorporated on October 2, 1876, named after Chief Ouray of the Utes, a Native American tribe. By 1877 Ouray had grown to over 1,000 in population and was named county seat of the newly formed Ouray County on March 8, 1877.

The Denver & Rio Grande Railway arrived in Ouray on December 21, 1887. It would stay until the automobile and trucks caused a decline in traffic. The last regularly scheduled passenger train was September 14, 1930. The line between Ouray and Ridgway was abandoned on March 21, 1953.

In 1986, Bill Fries, a.k.a. C. W. McCall, was elected Mayor, ultimately serving for six years.

The entirety of Main Street is registered as a National Historic District with most of the buildings dating back to the late nineteenth century. The Beaumont Hotel and the Ouray City Hall and Walsh Library are listed on the National Register of Historic Places individually, while the Ouray County Courthouse, St. Elmo Hotel, St. Joseph’s Miners’ Hospital (currently housing the Ouray County Historical Society and Museum), Western Hotel, and Wright’s Opera House are included in the historic district.

Info Source: Wikipedia.org
Photo Source: Flickr.com CC
“Photo by Denis Adams, courtesy of National Scenic Byways Online (www.byways.org).”