At the northern entrance to the scenic San Juan Skyway, nestled in the picturesque Uncompahgre Valley and surrounded by majestic snow-capped peaks of the Cimarron and San Juan Mountains, sits the little town of Ridgway, Colorado, named for the railroad superintendent, Robert M. Ridgway who established the town in 1891. The "Gateway to the San Juans" became a railhead for the Rio Grande Southern Railroad to service the nearby mining towns of Ouray and Telluride. Ridgway is now the home of a new museum dedicated to preserving the history of railroading in Ouray County.
Ridgway offers boating, fishing, hunting, hiking, mountain biking, golf, tennis, hot air ballooning, horseback riding, and also skiing at nearby Telluride. Historic mining roads, once only accessible by foot, horse, or mule train, now provide excellent four-wheeling. You can also just relax and picnic under the shade of 100+ year old cottonwoods in Ridgway Town Park, one of the prettiest spots there are. The park and surroundings were locations for the movies "True Grit" starring John Wayne and "How the West Was Won."
