Love the array of brochures and recommendations and the comfy seating to make a plan. Conveniently…read morelocated on the Main St.

We stopped here before walking around downtown Durango. Great idea! The place is big, with clean…read morebathrooms and plenty of seats for resting or checking out the brochures. The location is perfect--right on Main Street, and the ladies who assisted us were friendly and helpful. We walked out with two walking tour pamphlets, a couple of coupons and a map that included where to find the trolleys. They even told us where we could find a simple lunch. This is the perfect first stop for your trip to Durango.

Bottom Line: Welcoming and helpful staff, clean bathrooms, water bottle refilling station and…read moreplenty of parking. Upon arriving in Ouray my husband and I stopped at the Visitor Center. For starters, I like that the building seems to be an old train depot. We were immediately greeted by Patty and she was incredibly welcoming and helpful. She was able to answer all of our questions about sites, hiking, parking and stuff to see on our trek back down to Durango. Also, she did an awesome job juggling multiple visitors. After a long drive we also appreciated the clean restroom and place to refill our water bottles. Oh, and there was plenty of parking out back. I can't imagine a better welcoming to Ouray!

Stopped in at the visitor center on our drive through town as he wanted a map of the area. It's a…read morecute building with an upstairs and downstairs. There was a volunteer who got testy with me when I went looking for the locally made goods their signage seemed to advertise. Apparently I was wrong and they don't sell goods there. There's a spot to take a selfie with the landscape of Ouray - they have a picture hung where you can do that. And there's a lovely photo of trees with their fall colors as well. Lots of maps and informational brochures. And a water bottle filler plus restrooms. It's a good place to stop for information and to take a break.

I had an awesome time visiting box canyon waterfall while in Ouray! I came with my husband and…read moretoddler children. They absolutely loved it! Great for all ages. The waterfall was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. It was super loud inside of the canon which made it all the more exciting. Check out both the lower and upper box canon falls trails. The lower falls trail gets very close to the waterfall, we were getting wet from the spray we were so close. The upper trail has a great view of Ouray and a fun bridge to cross that leads into a tunnel. It is $7 for each adult, but super seniors, military, and children under 4 are free! No dogs allowed in the park. I don't think the dogs would want to come anyway with the metal bridges and aggressively loud waterfall. If you are in Ouray in the summertime this needs to be on your itinerary!

Truly magnificent. The lower trail is easy for all levels, it has stable footing and minimal…read moreelevation changes, yet still offers beautiful views of the creek, and waterfalls along steel walkways and short trail. There are also stairs to near bottom of the waterfall. The high bridge trail is much more challenging, although one can opt to only climb the stair portion for a better view of Ouray and a little cardio. At the top of the stairs there is a small shelter, if you're feeling the altitude at this point it's a good idea not to continue further, as the trail continues to climb and there are no stairs/structure. There is a cable above the trail in sections for stability, and cables below some sections for safety. I'd guess the top of the stairs is a little less than half way to the high bridge. The bridge is a very sturdy structure, over a steep narrow gorge, the views of Box Cañon, the creek, waterfall, and town below are breathtaking. There is a hallway-like tunnel on the far side of the bridge, which is part of the perimeter trail. It's low in some spots but walkable, and offers some shade and cooling after the climb. The trail was drub when we went, it would be significantly more challenging/difficult with any moisture or icy conditions.

Beautiful Facility with a Super Friendly lady at the desk who was also very helpful. Even had a dog…read moretreat for mine. Clean restrooms are a plus. My only concern was the employee who came in and out a few times with no mask and the live in dog who growled at my dog who wasn't even in the building. Also, I have severe allergies to anything other than a very few tyes. Other than that it was really quite nice.

Telluride seems like a nice place but I never got a chance to find out. I was traveling through the…read morearea after 9pm in the between season and there was absolutely no place to stay. Out of a dozen calls, only one live voice. Verrry disappointing. Not even a cheap roadside motel.

Unemotional, uninspiring help that undervalue all of what Telluride is about. Just wanted to get…read moresome input on some local hikes.

Great Sand Dunes National Park is otherworldly and honestly one of the most unique landscapes to be…read moreexperiences in North America. It's a bit of a smaller park in terms of trails and not going to be like RMNP so make sure you know what you're getting into. We planned our trip for May when the creek is usually flowing and the dunes are optimal for sledding. Unfortunately for us we hit a patch of bad weather and it was drizzling our whole day spent here. Additionally the park is experiencing a dry spell and the creek that is usually flowing in May was still dry. C'est la vie! We still had a blast climbing the dunes, letting the kids play in the sand, and taking in the views. To be honest the views are the best part - it's incredible to see these dunes and learn more about the history of the landscape in this region of Colorado. We didn't get to sled as the conditions were not ideal for it but we plan on someday returning and doing the full experience. If you're on the fence about coming here it's well worth a visit!

As home to the tallest sand dunes in North America, this place is absolutely worth checking out. We…read morecame over Memorial Day weekend and we had been hearing rumblings in town that this is typically one of their busiest seasons of the year so we were really nervous we would have to wait in long lines, it would be crowded, and we wouldn't be able to enjoy our hike up the sand dunes. It was actually totally chill, it took maybe 15 minutes to get situated and pay for our park pass, drive to the dunes, and find parking but nothing outrageous. I will say the park rangers here are not friendly and fairly rude if I'm being honest. The dunes themselves were super fun, we had never been to anything with this much sand before so it was a blast sledding down the hills! All of the visitors were really nice and friendly to one another which is always great to see. We specifically rented a 4x4 jeep so we could go on the Medano Pass Primitive Road and probably only made it about 5 miles. THIS was actually crowded and unruly as it's one lane and you have to park on the side every now and then to let cars from the opposite direction come through. It was bumpy, not scenic at all, and rather annoying having to stop so frequently so we ended up ditching it and leaving to go to the visitor center instead. If I were to redo this part, I would have just rented a cheaper car that wasn't a 4x4 and saved loads of gas. Because the park is open 24/7, we were especially excited to come back at night though and see the dunes. We returned around 10:30pm and although there were some really annoying people blasting music in the dunes parking lot that ruined the ambiance, the stars were absolutely magnificent. Since it's a certified International Dark Sky Park,they were absolutely stunning and radiating from the night sky. We got so lucky it was a clear night so we could see them so well! That was the highlight of our trip for sure.

This brings back fond memories for me…read more My husband and I had taken an outdoor education class here that was offered through Western State College almost 30 years ago. Even though we lived in the area for many years, this is the first time we have been back since. It is a most excellent stopping spot when making the drive along US 50. It is also the main ranger station for Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and for the Curecanti National Recreation Area. The staff are very helpful and informative (as to be expected from NPS staff). There are public facilities here and a small retail space for the requisite NPS tchotchkes. You can also get your passport stamps for all the area National Park sites. There is a nice restaurant at the Marina, but it is only open during the summer season.

The Elk Creek Visitor Center is part of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Folks come…read morehere for information and permits. A number of items are for sale: books, maps, and tourist trinkets. Public restrooms are available here, as well as a water fountain - and cold bottled water is available for purchase. The staff here are very friendly, helpful, and professional!

Black canyon is a really interesting park. It doesn't actually have a lot of trails for day hikers,…read morebut the one I did do was gorgeous - it was the trail to exclamation point. The view out there is STUNNING, and I also did one of the small walking trails (15 mins round trip) to view the painted wall from the north rim side. Bear in mind driving from the north to the south rim takes about 2 hrs bc there is no road/bridge across the canyon (obviously). The north and south side both have visitors centers but the hours are a little different. There is a small amount of parking near the north rim visitor center but I'm sure you could spread out parking along the gravel road even if it was full -- not to mention the day I came on a Monday morning, even that little lot was nowhere near full (it was my car, plus like 3-4 others). There is a bathroom outside, and the stamper/maps were available outside the station when I came because it was still closed. Of note, there is free wifi at the north rim station! You can use it to download the app/get online if you need to make a reservation for a permit to hike to the river from the canyon rim (you are required to get the permit, and need experience to do this hike - I did not). Overall, black canyon is really cool! I didn't stay long both because of time constraints and because the only hike i really wanted to do for sure was the hike to exclamation point which I was able to do within 1.5 hrs. I wouldn't seek out coming to this park again just bc it's out of the way and bc there weren't a lot of hikes I felt the urge to do - but I would absolutely recommend coming and seeing it at least once!

I didn't have the highest expectations going into our trip to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National…read morePark. I didn't know too much about the park and was a bit disappointed that we had to nix the plans to do our large hike in the North Rim of the park. That being said, BCGNP far surpassed all expectations on just our very first overlook - Tomichi Point - within minutes of driving into the South Rim. I was not prepared for the sheer beauty of the canyons. The South Rim is so very different from the North Rim, so if you only have time to go to one, make sure to do your research. The South Rim is much more developed, more popular, has plenty of tiny hikes and overlooks, and brings the easy, classic beauty. The South Rim drive is an easy 7 miles and features 12 overlooks with the longest hike to the overlook being about 0.5 of a mile. And most of the hikes are more like walks. Stunning views, perfect for sunset. You'll also find the BCGNP visitor center on the South Rim drive. The North Rim is much more underdeveloped and less visited. We visited in the late afternoon and only ran into one other group of people while driving their scenic North Rim drive. I believe it's about 4.5 miles, and it is unpaved - that being said, we drove it in a Toyota Corolla without any issues. These overlooks are equally gorgeous but give you a different perspective of the canyon. You'll find a lot of the bigger hikes in the North Rim. While we weren't able to fit one into our schedule, we did do part of the North Vista Trail to see Exclamation Point - wonderful hike, wish we had been able to do the full trail. Overall, I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I visited Black Canyon of the Gunnison, but it definitely wasn't how breathtakingly beautiful this park is. 100% worth a stop, and if all you do is stop at their overlooks, you will still get to experience so much beauty.

Did the entire Perimeter Trail the other day...clocked 6.2 miles in just under 4 hours…read more Started in the am at the trailhead located in the parking lot across from the Ouray Visitor's Center (which I highly recommend). You'll understand as you begin your final descent. As you start your initial ascent and climb the wood stairs into the hillside, enter the cliff path...a .8 mile slightly narrower trail than I'd prefer and a drop-off...but hey, the views are stunning! You can see the Ouray Hot Springs and more! As you keep on trekkin' on you'll start to "hear" before you make it to the gorgeous Cascade Falls!!! Chill, explore...even hike up behind the falls if that's your thing! I think I was pretty "ok" until we passed through the tunnel after the upper Box Canyon Bridge. We almost took a bail-out trail back into town along the way but persevered. There are actually a few bail-outs along the trail. Anyway, there were some sketchy narrow, steep, rocky-dusty-slidy, drop-off sections along the trail that gave me the heebie-jeebies. If you have a fear of heights, this may not be for you. For the majority of hikers out there I'm sure it's easy, but nonetheless make sure you go prepared. 1. Depending on what time you hike, be sure to eat a healthy meal before you go and bring some extra snacks just in case. 2. Signage isn't the best and is lacking "you are here", so I'd recommend taking a photo of the trail map before you head out. 3. Staying properly hydrated is key along the trail. If you've got a camelback that's great! 4. Take breaks when needed and don't feel pressured by any of your overzealous hiking buddies...it's supposed to be fun, safe and not a competition. 5. A walking stick or trekking poles can prove very helpful! Many people leave sticks at the trailhead(s). If you use one be sure to leave it behind for the next person. 6. Wear appropriate shoes for hiking. Yeah some peeps can hike in Croc's or Chaco's, but not highly recommended. Enjoy the trail, be safe, and take some pix! The views are beautiful! Be Happy Outside!

This is a must do hike, plan to take about 5 hours or more if you take side trips. You will have…read moregreat views of the city, mountain ranges on all sides, Canyon views, waterfalls, an aspen grove, a tunnel, various bridges, some narrow heart pumping areas on the west side, and views of the rock climbers along the via Ferrata