Ouray Slot Canyon
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Ouray Slot Canyon 3,8/5 7571 reviews
Rating: Known for its stunning, striped walls, the Zebra slot canyon is a great hike for those wanting to start canyoneering. It is a canyon for those of all ages, though its mileage is slightly longer than others on this list. Tripadvisor: 4 Bedrooms, 2 bathrooms in Ouray, CO. It came to a crashing, grinding stop in the narrowest section of the slot, about twenty to twenty-five feet below the bridge, and eighty feet or more above the canyon floor. The men died on the night of October 14, 1954, more than half a century ago, and their pickup still hangs high above the bottom of the gorge. Directions: In Ouray the park is located at the west end of Third Avenue. If walking from Ouray, you need to walk up the dirt road at the end of Third Ave to enter the park, it is not far at all. Box Canyon Falls is a wonder. The waterfall plunges 285 feet through a narrow slot canyon with amazing force.
Round Trip Distance: 1 mile
Difficulty: Easy - Moderate
Elevation: 7873 - 8062 feet
Cellphone: 0-5 bars
Time: 1 hr.
Trailhead: Box Canyon Falls
Fee: Adults and teens - $3.00
Children 5-12 - $1.50
Seniors 65+ - $2.50
Attractions: Scenic canyon, waterfall, mountain vistas
Box Canyon Falls is located almost 100 miles south of Grand Junction, Colorado in the town of Ouray, which bills itself as the 'Switzerland of America'. Box Canyon Park is managed by the City of Ouray. There are plenty of picnic sites, with some including grills, and flush toilets in the picnic area and inside the Gift Shop. There is no fee to use the picnic area but there is a small fee to see the Box Canyon Falls.
To get to Box Canyon Falls drive south through Ouray and watch for the sign just after the first switchback. Box Canyon Road passes through the Ouray Ice Park and after about a quarter mile it reaches Box Canyon Park. The park is open from 8 am until dusk.
The trail begins just inside the gate at the visitor center. Besides paying the entrance fee here you can also learn more about the geology, history, wildlife, and unique ecosystem of Box Canyon. Visitor Guides are available inside, for free, that provide additional information to augment the interpretive panels along the trails.
After departing from the visitor center the trail splits into the High Bridge Trail and the Box Canyon Falls trail. The High Bridge Trail is 1/2 mile round trip and takes you up the mountain to a bridge that is directly over Canyon Creek and the falls.
The high bridge is about 200 feet higher than the base of the trail. A sturdy set of stairs takes visitors up the first hundred feet or so. The trail after the stairs is much more primitive and requires careful footing.
The High Bridge, with its expanded metal walkway, spans Box Canyon directly above the falls. You might have a little trouble looking down at the falls without getting dizzy. The bridge is 300 feet above the falls. The tunnel at the end of the walkway once provided a route for a water pipeline but now it is part of the 4.5 mile long Ouray Parameter trail. The tunnel is only about 100 feet long and it is fun to walk through to see the other side of the mountain.
The narrow canyon formed along a fault line called the Ouray Fault.
After carefully hiking back down the mountain from the High Bridge visitors will find the Box Canyon Falls trail much easier. A 500 foot long metal walkway leads into Box Canyon. Box Canyon Falls has cut its way back into the rock to the point that depending on how much water is crashing down the falls it can be difficult to get a picture of it. There is no problem at all hearing the thundering maelstrom.
At the end of the walkway you have the option to descend a set of stairs all the way down to Canyon Creek at the base of the falls.
The view of Canyon Creek flowing out of Box Canyon is reminiscent of hiking in one of the slot canyons of Utah like Little Wild Horse Canyon. Without the water of course.
Ouray's Slot Canyon
The view overhead of the High Bridge give a good perspective of the depth of the canyon.
On the way back to the visitor center there is another short trail called the Native Plant Loop. The Native Plant Loop is another interpretive trail that provides an alternative route back to where you began.
All three trails together account for about 1 mile of hiking. We hiked the High Bridge Trail first because it can be easier to appreciate what it has to offer if you haven't already been into Box Canyon. You can also think of it as getting the hard part out of the way first. At times it is nice to get out of town and go for a drive. Ouray, with its shops and hot spring pool, is a nice place to spend the day and Box Canyon Falls is a great activity while you are there. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is drive to Ouray and 'Take a hike'.
At the Montrose Visitor Center, we learned about the nearby town (about 40 miles) of Ouray. The town is a designated National Historic District and is located in a canyon at the base of the San Juan Mountains at an elevation of 7,800'. It has the nickname of the 'Switzerland of America.'
There are various natural wonders to enjoy including hot springs, waterfalls, and surrounding mountains with many trails for hiking, mountain biking, or 4WD vehicles. Winter sports are also enjoyed here, including the annual Ice Climbing Festival (yes, they climb waterfalls!) Festivals are held many weekends year round. You can pick up additional information at the Ouray Visitor Center (although we got our info at the Montrose one). With a population of 1,000 and the end of mining opportunities in the area, tourism is now the primary business.
Arriving on Rte 550 South, the public Hot Springs Pool is on the right side of the road. We stopped for some photos, but did not take a dip (although it looked very pleasant!)
Many turtles and lots of fish can be seen in the naturally heated pond next to the pool for humans.
Our next stop was at Box Canyon Falls, a slot canyon with as 80' waterfall of rushing water of the Canyon Creek. There is an entrance fee ($4/adults, $3/seniors) that is paid at the small gift shop and nature center.
There are two trails. The first is a short walk (500') along a steel walkway to the Box Canyon. You can hear the roaring sound of the falls as you approach.
Steps take you to the bottom of the canyon where these photos were taken.
Black Swifts (a protected species) can be found here in their preferred habitat in canyon walls sheltered by overhanging rocks near waterfalls. This is their summer habitat before migration to Brazil for the winter. They return to this same location annually, often using the same nest. Most have already left, but there were a couple of nests that were still occupied.
We hiked up the High Bridge Trail here (a steep climb at this altitude of 8,000'). It took us to a suspension bridge over the falls (which are almost entirely hidden from view by the canyon walls). Here is Canyon Creek upstream from the falls. The town of Ouray can be seen from the bridge as well.
Ouray Slot Canyon
We met a lovely couple from Chicago (where our daughter lives). It's always fun to meet fellow hikers along the trail that are enjoying the scenery as much as we are. Of course, these two are much younger than us and had been doing some serious hiking at Black Canyon of the Gunnison the day before. Here are photos of them and one of us, too.
We drove the short distance back to town and strolled along picturesque Main Street where there are shops, restaurants, hotels, and historical buildings.
Ouray Slot Canyon
We dined at Bien Tiempo featuring Mexican food. We both enjoyed the food and our margaritas. Sadie was happy to be allowed on the deck.
Following lunch went to the Ourary County Museum that I cover in the next post. We very much enjoyed our visit to this lovely mountain town.
Website: www.ouraycolorado.com