Story by Kathryn Retzler. Photography by James Burke
SITUATED AT THE INTERSECTION of US 550 (top of the Million Dollar Highway) and Colorado 62 (to Telluride) Ridgway is the northern Gateway to the breathtaking San Juans. The Ouray County Fairgrounds, along the southwest corner of that intersection, is host to the annual Rodeo and County Fair, held each year over Labor Day Weekend. From May through September, the fairgrounds also hosts a Sunday Farmers’ Market, popular with locals from a four-county area who come for locally-grown fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, honey and flowers and a sprinkling of entertainment.
Visitors
Center and Railroad
Museum
At the back of the fairgrounds, the green building is home to the Ridgway Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center as well as the new Ridgway Railroad Museum. Parked out front, along with several boxcars and other rolling stock, is Karl Schaffer’s Motor No.1, an authentic replica of the first “Goose” to ply the narrow gauge tracks from the 1930s to early 1950s. The museum is dedicated to the preservation of the history of railroading in Ouray County and surrounding areas. It offers interpretive exhibits, a reference library, educational programs, publications and sharing of information with historical and modeling groups. For more information, visit their website at www.ridgwayrailroadmuseum.org/
Ranching
Although
Ridgway served as a railroad supply point for nearby mining towns, it
has
long-served the neighboring ranches, some of them (historically)
spreading
as far as the Utah border. Today, a number of huge ranches, some of the
largest in Colorado, meander beneath the shadows of the towering San
Juans.
If you drive west, across the impressive Dallas Divide toward
Telluride,
and alongside the 14,000 foot Mt Sneffels and Sneffels range, you pass
mile after mile of tidily maintained rail fence. Behind, graze
thousands
of head of cattle and horses. (Look closely, just west of Ridgway, and
you may also spot a field of camels and llamas.) In spring and fall,
you
may see a cattle drive, making its way to or from the “high
country.” While you're in town, be sure to visit the Ranch
History Museum at the old Colona School, off Hwy 550 in Colona.
Historical Downtown, Modern Amenities
Ridgway
got its start as a railroad town, serving the nearby mining towns of
Telluride
and Ouray with the Rio Grande Southern narrow gauge railroad. Much of
that
railroad history is still there, not only in the railroad museum, but
in
the many still-standing buildings on the old main street, one north
block
of the highway. Historical buildings are designated by a purple ribbon.
Stop by the Chamber for a walking tour guide. Some of the “old”
buildings
were actually built for the movie “True Grit,” starring John Wayne.
Others,
such as the picturesque old firehouse (now a sculptor’s studio), have
been
here a long time, but were “improved” a bit by Hollywood for the
several
movies filmed in this location. You will find a number of excellent
restaurants
and shops, both in the old downtown area, and on the east side of the
intersection
in the newer part of town. Be sure to check out Lupita’s Bizarre Bazaar
in the Rio Grande Southern Building. Town Park
Home to a number of
festivals, including the annual Arts and Crafts
Ridgway Rendezvous, the Town Park is also popular with locals who enjoy
picnics under the shade of the park’s century-old cottonwood trees. A
walking/bike
trail leading from the park heads north, along the Uncompahgre River,
crossing
over the old railroad bridge where the narrow gauge once ran to
Montrose.
(There are remnants of Ridgway’s railroad past everywhere you look.)
Ridgway
State Park
Just
north of town is the Ridgway State Park, rated one of the best parks in
Colorado. The 1000-acre reservoir offers fishing, boating, swimming,
hiking
and a full-service marina. Several campgrounds and a variety of
facilities
cater to every camping style, from the most primitive tent to the most
luxurious motor coach. Visit
online. A recreational paradise, Ridgway and Ouray County offer myriad outdoor activities, including summer water sports, hunting, golf, tennis, horseback riding. In winter, enjoy skiing, snowshoeing, nordic skiing, snowmobiling. Hot air balloon rides are available all year long.
For more information about Ridgway, visit the chamber website at www.ridgwaycolorado.com/.