Silverton, Ouray, and/or Telluride summer 2020 family trip/ Birthday celebration

[jeep monkey]

Hey everyone,
This year, I turn 40 and my wife is allowing me to choose how I want to celebrate. I’m not much for big parties or being the center of attention, so I am thinking of taking the family to Colorado.

For years, Jeep magazines and forums (like this one) have made this part of the country a top place that I think I’d like to visit. Since I’ve never been here before, I have absolutely no clue which activities are good for families and which are tourist traps. Also, what time of year has the best balance of open trails and activities in town for families.

I am not going to be driving my Jeep (too far) but will rent one for day or two.

What trails would you recommend for the first time visitor?

Hotels to have the best experience?

Also, I’m the only real Jeeper/ off roader in my family so I am trying to figure out what else to do to entertain my family of 4 (myself & wife, son 10, and 8 year old daughter.

Any advice or tips?

Thanks.


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[caveman]

Hey everyone,
This year, I turn 40 and my wife is allowing me to choose how I want to celebrate. I’m not much for big parties or being the center of attention, so I am thinking of taking the family to Colorado.

For years, Jeep magazines and forums (like this one) have made this part of the country a top place that I think I’d like to visit. Since I’ve never been here before, I have absolutely no clue which activities are good for families and which are tourist traps. Also, what time of year has the best balance of open trails and activities in town for families.

I am not going to be driving my Jeep (too far) but will rent one for day or two.

What trails would you recommend for the first time visitor?

Hotels to have the best experience?

Also, I’m the only real Jeeper/ off roader in my family so I am trying to figure out what else to do to entertain my family of 4 (myself & wife, son 10, and 8 year old daughter.

Any advice or tips?

Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Join this group for their annual run in this area. I went in 2018 and had a blast.

 

[JR74CJ5]

Hey everyone,
This year, I turn 40 and my wife is allowing me to choose how I want to celebrate. I’m not much for big parties or being the center of attention, so I am thinking of taking the family to Colorado.

For years, Jeep magazines and forums (like this one) have made this part of the country a top place that I think I’d like to visit. Since I’ve never been here before, I have absolutely no clue which activities are good for families and which are tourist traps. Also, what time of year has the best balance of open trails and activities in town for families.

I am not going to be driving my Jeep (too far) but will rent one for day or two.

What trails would you recommend for the first time visitor?

Hotels to have the best experience?

Also, I’m the only real Jeeper/ off roader in my family so I am trying to figure out what else to do to entertain my family of 4 (myself & wife, son 10, and 8 year old daughter.

Any advice or tips?

Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Awesome - the trails are great around in this area.

For the wheeling, the trails are scenic for the most part, not "much" as far as challenging on most. If they like history / high views etc, there is much that might interest them with the "jeeping" too. Here are some of my favorites:

Animas Ghost Town - between Silverton and Ouray - Neat ghost town to check out.

Forget the trail we took last year, but there was a pretty long one we found with Posi that get's back to a old quarry mine / mill. It had plaques to read about the different parts etc.

If you are staying in Ouray, there is Yankee Boy trail real close and easy. It has some great views and old mine up towards the top of the trail, some really cool ledges to drive along, etc.

Engineer pass is a little tougher wheeling, but not bad - goes up really high and gives a amazing view.

Imogeen pass goes from telluride to Hyw 550 i believe between Silverton and Ouray. Lots of ledges but really cool views / trail.

I don't think you can do black bear pass with rented jeep... It's really cool, but technical with very little room for error.

I haven't stayed in hotels there, always camp out. So can't help you there. But in Ouray there are nice old town vibes, really good food and drinks. Pizza place towards north side of main road is good, there's a distillery across the street that is good, burger and brewery place that's great with 3 stories to site and take in views.

There are mine tours that seemed pretty sweet and reasonable priced.

There is a train in Silverton that is supposed to be really cool.

This is all from top of head and two trips out there. The guys to talk to are:

BusaDave, he's local around there.

Posi - he helps run the colorado trail rides each year and knows the areas real well

MrIPlayBass, OldJeepLady, 007, - pretty much everyone you see in the Colorado trail rides trip reports in these sections - all are constant attendees to the area's trail rides, and have some more to offer too.

I bought a trails map, and trails book for the areas that tells you how to get to trail heads, what to expect and look for, etc. Bring a lunch and picnic out at a few good areas.

If you start looking and have some follow up questions, let us know here.

That's a really cool trip for birthday!

PS - some of those areas might be misspelled names... I'm going quick from memory... lol

 

[Posi]

Forget the trail we took last year, but there was a pretty long one we found with Posi that get's back to a old quarry mine / mill. It had plaques to read about the different parts etc.

It was the Sound Democrat Mine on Placer Gulch and Picayune Gulch Trails.

https://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f63/9th-annual-jeep-cj-trail-report-31390/

https://www.jeeptheusa.com/picayune---placer-gulches-25.html

Staying in Ouray I would recommend Quality Inn friendly owners and full breakfast included.

Take your time and go through the Ouray/Silverton trail planning and trail report threads.

 

[jeep monkey]

Join this group for their annual run in this area. I went in 2018 and had a blast.

This is absolutely on my bucket list (and is my preference) but I cannot be the guy who shows up to a CJ run in a rented JK. At some point in my life I need to get my 86 CJ put back together but I haven't been able to scrounge up the time to get it done.

Thanks for all the suggestions. This is a great help to get started.

 

[Posi]

This is absolutely on my bucket list (and is my preference) but I cannot be the guy who shows up to a CJ run in a rented JK. At some point in my life I need to get my 86 CJ put back together but I haven't been able to scrounge up the time to get it done.

Thanks for all the suggestions. This is a great help to get started.

Really? You would stop yourself from enjoying good company with some of the most beautiful land in the country because you didn’t have your CJ? If that was my path I wouldn’t have gone on the first 2 of that 6 runs I’ve attended.
First year I rode as a passenger the second year I rented a beat stock tj. And, because it was a rental I ran it like a rental had a lot of fun doing it.

We’ve had a 4 door jk, yj, toyotas, and fords. Don’t miss out because your CJ isn’t ready. The guys that rent 4 door jks on our Moab trail run have the most capable rigs in the group. The Moab rentals run 35”-36” tires, 5.13 gears F&R lockers with auto Transmission .

 

[007]

I'm a little late on this post, but in addition to the posters above, here are some ideas from someone who's had the whole family out there several times, and who went there as a child for years on end...

Bachelor Syracuse Mine Tour - good tour, good miner's breakfast (regardless of tour).

Horseback riding available in/near Ouray

Rafting - tours available in Ridgway or Durango

If your family isn't used to offroading with you, rent a JK/L Unlimited and look at these trails...

Yankee Boy Basin - easy access just south of town, easy trip up, beautiful views, tons of places to pull over hop out and explore. This trail will build faith in your passengers that both you can drive these - and they can enjoy them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwBi2sb4Heo

Corkscrew Gulch - easy access about 15mins south of town, starts out wooded and winds up with spectacular views. Take California/Hurricane back in to Silverton for lunch. You'll LOVE it. If I had to take someone in the mountains and I could only choose ONE trail - it's this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxVRY6yWgPQ