It was once again time to set off on another short trip, this time two nights in Ouray! If you’ve never been to Ouray, you need to go immediately!
It’s a 7 hour drive from Greeley, so much of the day consisted of driving. There are a few ghost towns south of Ouray that Nicholas wanted to explore, so we drove through town and up the road to Red Mountain Pass. Both of these ghost towns are easily accessed from the main highway.
Ghost Town of Red Mountain Town | Ouray, CO | 07/31/19
Our first stop (the farthest from Ouray) is Red Mountain Town. There is still active mine reclamation happening here, but the paved overlook and numerous interpretive signs are very interesting. There is even an old mining town with eerie white homes to explore.
(All of the photos were taken by Nicholas.)
Ghost Town of Ironton | Ouray, CO | 07/31/19
Our second stop was a bit harder to get to. It does require a high clearance vehicle to navigate a rutted dirt road, but my Crosstrek made it just fine! Ironton was a huge mining town and remnants are EVERYWHERE. There is a short hike here as well that we will have to do next time!
Chelsea
Colorado Chelsea 
If you ever have the time, it would be cool to see a summary post of your favorite old mining towns in CO. Maybe you already have one and I just missed it. 🙂
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That’s a good idea! I haven’t done anything like that yet, but maybe I can do an end of the year post!
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Pics are gorgeous as always. 7 hour drive???? We just went to VIR (working on post) less than 6 hours away and felt like eternity. Stoped for lunch to break it up a little. And we stayed there for 3 days. You guys are very adventurous.
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Oh yes, it felt like a very long drive. But it helps that it’s a pretty scenic the whole way!
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