Box Canyon Falls is the most accessible natural sight — a short walk from Main Street into a spectacular slot canyon. Cascade Falls above the Amphitheater campground requires a 45-minute climb but rewards with views back over the entire canyon setting.
The Ouray Ice Park in the Uncompahgre Gorge is the reason serious climbers come in winter, and the rim walk is dramatic for spectators. The Bachelor Syracuse Mine Tour above town is the best historical experience — a real mine with former miners as guides.
On Main Street, the Beaumont Hotel and Wright's Opera House anchor the Victorian commercial district. The Ouray Hot Springs Pool, in the center of town, is fed by natural hot springs and open to the public — a good way to end a day of hiking or cycling.
The unpaved 4WD roads into the surrounding mountains — the Alpine Loop to Silverton and Lake City, the Imogene Pass road to Telluride — are among the best of their kind in Colorado. A high-clearance 4WD vehicle opens up a remarkable network of ghost towns, mine ruins, and high-alpine passes.