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At an elevation 7,760 feet and surrounded by 13,000' - 14,000' peaks of the San Juan Range, the youngest and steepest range of the Rocky Mountains, Ouray, Colorado is called the "Switzerland of America". The entire town, 9 blocks long & 6 blocks wide, is listed on the National Register of Historic Districts. Ouray was founded in 1876 in what the Ute Indians called the "Shining Mountains". The first non-Indians in the valley were looking for gold and silver. They found it here, a town was born, and within ten years, Ouray had more than 1,200 inhabitants. The town had a school, several churches, a hospital, a four-star hotel, several restaurants, dozens of saloons and brothels, and the usual assorment of hardware, clothing, and mining supply stores. Most of Ouray's more permanent buildings were built between 1880 and 1900, and virtually all of them are still standing. Today, Ouray looks much like it did 100 years ago. Take a historic walking tour and visit a museum, step back a century in time, and visit the various shops. Also, you can enjoy the waters of the Wiesbaden Hot Springs Spa and outdoor pool.
The part of the San Juan Skyway on U.S. Highway 550 between Ouray and Silverton is called the "Million Dollar Highway", also known as Red Mountain Pass Road, one of the most scenic and spectacular mountain drives in North America. "Million-Dollar Highway" derives its name from the low grade gold ore present in the mine tailings that were used as fill for the road bed. Allow plenty of time for these 23 miles of mountains, waterfalls, flowers, trees, and lots of hairpin turns between Silverton and Ouray - be careful, don't be in a hurry.
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