Ouray, Colorado

A historic mining town of about 1,000 people set inside a natural amphitheater of the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado, often called the Switzerland of America. The town sits at 7,800 feet elevation and is accessible by the Million Dollar Highway, a narrow alpine route with cliff faces, tight switchbacks, and no guardrails on sections of the approach. The Ouray Ice Park uses natural seeps to create a public ice climbing park in a canyon adjacent to town. Geothermal hot springs feed a municipal pool open year-round.