Box Cañon Falls in Ouray

I have no idea how cold it got overnight, but it was cold enough to freeze the water coming out of the ground at the pedestal at our site. The good news? The Cruiser’s plumbing system was fine ... as evidenced by the water flowing out of the faucets when we engaged the pump!

It took five hours for the 31F we woke up to at 6:00a to break the 50F mark. As soon as it did, we deployed the awning and sat on the patio to read. Lunch was a simple affair. After which, Mui did some prep work for tomorrow’s departure from Ridgway. Chores done, we then headed off to Ouray ... approximately 15 miles from the campground.

When we set off, the plan was to just wander around town and grab an early al fresco dinner somewhere with a patio. Once in the car, however, Mui suggested we check out Box Cañon Falls first ... just outside the downtown area. Sounded good to me.

The 285-foot waterfall, formed by Canyon Creek plunging over a precipice, is in a park owned and operated by Ouray. Adult admission is $5pp, but the cashier let Mui in for free when he asked if they offered a military discount ... and honored the $4 senior rate for me ... even though I still have a few years before I reach that mark 🤪.

Since this was a pop-up activity for us, neither of us had appropriate footwear for hiking. So, we stuck to the 500-feet long lower trail, which consists of a steel walkway for much of the way.

Signs on the railing educated us about the ecosystem and geology of the slot canyon. We were advised that we were standing at the Ouray Fault and that some of the rocks here were formed some two billion years ago. One of the signs explained that the canyon is home to black swifts during the summer months. I looked for their nests, but the dim interior hid them from my view.

We heard the roar of the water reverberating through the canyon long before we saw the falls. As we got closer to the end of the walkway, we noticed a waterfall visible through a crack in the rocks. A few more steps showed us the rest of the falls, flowing out of a hole further down. The water pooled at the base and then continued downstream ... more than a trickle, but less than what I’d expect from a creek. From photos I’ve seen since, the flow is much higher in late spring ... and, subsequently, the falls are much more impressive.

At the end of the walkway, we took the stairs down to the creek level. From this vantage point, the falls were hidden behind some big boulders. We were happy enough to just enjoy the icy outflow waters of the creek cascading over the rocks.

The rest of our Ouray outing followed our original plan. We found free parking near the Library, checked our emails and social media accounts for a couple of minutes by tapping into the wi-fi, and then went for a stroll around town. The restaurants and bars were doing brisk business, but several of them had open tables on the patio. Perfect.

We ended up at a place called Goldbelt. Taking a photo of the menu on display at the patio entrance, we perused it on our phones at the table, and placed our order with the waitress when she came around. We both got chicken wraps ... me with avocado and homemade chips ... Mui with bacon and coleslaw.

The wraps were quite tasty, but the “delicious” award winner is the ice cream we picked up at a place called Mouse’s Chocolate & Coffee. Yummy, yummy! A great way to wrap up our week-long stay at Ridgway State Park.

If all goes as planned, we’ll be on the road at 7:30a tomorrow 🤞🏻 Our next destination is Mueller State Park in Divide.Read more