Best Hiking in Southwest Colorado around Ouray, Telluride, Silverton and Lake City

Updated and expanded in 2021! An opinionated guide to the best hikes in one of Colorado’s best hiking areas, the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado around the towns of Ouray, Telluride, Silverton and Lake City, Colorado. The hikes in this guide appeal to day hikers who like to go high and hike between 6 to 12.5 miles a day. Trails gain between 500-ft. to 3,500-ft. in elevation. Many of the hikes offer great intermediate turnaround points for those seeking a shorter day. All are reached in less than an hour drive from four great base camps; Ouray, Telluride, Silverton and Lake City.

The first section of the guide describes the base camps, identifying local services, highlighting nearby attractions and suggesting activities for non-hiking/rainy days. The second section offers detailed trail description with ratings, elevation profiles, maps and photographs of the recommended hikes.

Hikes in this guide include Blue Lake, Wetterhorn Basin, Bear Creek, Bridge of Heaven, Ice Lakes, Highland Mary Lakes, Crater Lake, Sneffels Highline, Lewis Lake and Mine, Lake Hope, Bridal Veil Basin, Lizard Head, Navajo Lake and many more.