Explored the Colorado mining history in the San Juan Mountains near Ouray Colorado. Spend some time in Ouray and then ventured out to the Silver Cloud, Yankee Girl, Idarado and Chattanooga mines in one day. Great exploration, history, golden aspen trees… and a hidden hot spring! Visited October 1, 2020.

Ouray, Colorado is widely regarded as one of America’s most beautiful towns. Although the town was built by mining, it was the spectacular beauty of the area that gave Ouray long life as a tourist destination.

After the silver crash of 1893, when many mining communities were destined to become ghost towns, C.L. Hall remarked “Ouray is Peerless. She will be famous as a mountain resort when many of the now famous watering places are abandoned and forgotten”.