10 Towns in The Rockies that Were Ranked Among US Favorites
Ten small towns hold some of the Rocky Mountains' biggest reputations. Telluride holds Colorado's tallest free-falling waterfall. Cody packs five Western history museums under one roof. Each town stands out a different way. Some lean on silver-mining history. Others have box canyons, ancient adobe, or a rodeo every summer night. Here is what sets each one apart.
Telluride, Colorado
Telluride draws people to a box canyon at 8,750 feet. The San Juan Mountains close off the far end of town. Bridal Veil Falls drops 365 feet there. It is Colorado's tallest free-falling waterfall. A historic powerhouse clings to the cliff above it. Brown Dog Pizza serves Detroit-style squares downtown. The caramelized crust has won national pizza titles.
The Sneffels Highline Trail loops about 13 miles. It crosses alpine meadows and loose scree. Mount Sneffels stays in view most of the way. A free gondola links Telluride to Mountain Village. The ride takes 13 minutes over the ridge. The festival calendar fills fast. The Telluride Film Festival lands in early September. The Telluride Bluegrass Festival takes over town in June.
Ouray, Colorado
Ouray carries the nickname "Switzerland of America." A wall of 13,000-foot peaks rings its box canyon. The town stands about 50 miles north of Telluride. Box Canyon Falls pours 285 feet through a slot canyon. The slot opens a short walk from downtown. A suspended walkway puts you beside the roar. Cascade Falls Park lies just north. Its trail climbs to a tiered waterfall.
The Gold Mountain Via Ferrata crosses the Uncompahgre Gorge. A 270-foot suspension bridge stretches across it. Local outfitters guide the cable-and-rung routes. The Ouray Alchemist Museum fills a restored Main Street pharmacy. Its shelves hold old medical instruments and apothecary tools. The Ouray Hot Springs Pool draws soakers downtown. Five mineral sections hold different temperatures. Springs above town feed them.
Silverton, Colorado
Silverton stands among the highest towns people live in year-round. It stands at 9,318 feet. About 600 residents stay through the winters. The town opened as a silver-mining camp in 1874. Greene Street still shows its 19th-century storefronts. Silverton Mountain Ski Area covers 1,819 acres. A single chairlift serves the expert-only terrain. Kendall Mountain Recreation Area handles beginners just outside town.
The Alpine Loop climbs to Animas Forks. Preserved miners' cabins still stand there at 11,200 feet. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad arrives each summer afternoon. Steam locomotives work an 1882 line through the Animas River valley. The Villa Dallavalle Historic Inn has operated since 1901. An Italian immigrant family built the home.
Taos, New Mexico
Taos has drawn artists for more than a century. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains rise right behind town. The old plaza still sets downtown's rhythm. The San Francisco de Asis Mission Church stands in Ranchos de Taos. Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams both captured its adobe walls. O'Keeffe called it one of "the most beautiful buildings left in the United States by the early Spaniards." The walls read differently from every side.
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge spans 1,272 feet. It crosses a 565-foot drop. The bridge ranks among the highest highway crossings in the country. Michael's Kitchen serves New Mexican plates on Paseo del Pueblo Norte. The bakery has baked there since 1974. Taos Pueblo stands north of town. People have lived there over a thousand years. UNESCO lists it as a World Heritage Site.
Stanley, Idaho
Stanley is one of the smallest towns in the Rockies. Barely more than a hundred people live there year-round. The town opens onto the Sawtooth Valley at about 6,250 feet. Jagged Sawtooth peaks ring the valley. The Sawtooth National Recreation Area covers more than 750,000 acres. Over 1,000 miles of trail cross it. Redfish Lake draws the summer crowds. A lodge and visitor center stand on the shore.
Stanley Lake mirrors McGown Peak on calm mornings. Photographers show up all summer for it. Sunny Gulch Campground lines the Salmon River. Tent and RV sites stay within walking distance of the water. The trails range from easy strolls to multi-day routes. They push deep into the Sawtooth Wilderness.
Cañon City, Colorado
Cañon City spreads along the Arkansas River at the mouth of the Royal Gorge. About 17,000 people live there. The Royal Gorge Bridge hangs 955 feet above the water. It is the highest bridge in the United States. The deck reaches 1,260 feet across the canyon. The view from mid-span stops most first-timers cold.
This stretch of the Arkansas River runs fast. It is one of the busiest whitewater corridors in the country. Class III and IV rapids cut through the gorge. The Royal Gorge Route Railroad rolls trips out of downtown. The route drops into the canyon. The Royal Gorge Cabins put you close to the action.
Durango, Colorado
Durango pulls outdoor crowds to southwestern Colorado. The Animas River cuts straight through downtown. Rafters, mountain bikers, and skiers all start here. The Animas flows undammed through the heart of town. It serves as both scenery and recreation corridor.
The San Juan National Forest covers 1.8 million acres nearby. Black bears, elk, and mountain lions live in it. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum stands at the line's Durango end. Locomotives and rolling stock fill it. Restored Victorian storefronts line Historic Main Avenue. Restaurants and breweries fill a National Register district.
Park City, Utah
Park City pairs Sundance Film Festival fame with serious ski terrain. The town lies about 32 miles east of Salt Lake City. Park City Mountain Resort spreads across about 7,300 acres. The Canyons merger made it one of the largest in the country. Runs cover every ability level. Deer Valley grooms its slopes next door. It allows skiers only. No snowboarders ride there.
The Park City Historic District lines Main Street. 19th-century mining-era frame houses still stand. Shops, restaurants, and galleries fill them. The Kimball Art Center programs rotating exhibitions. Bloods Lake Trail makes a popular summer hike. It opens views of the Wasatch Range. The St. Regis Deer Valley holds the luxury end high above town.
Cody, Wyoming
Cody trades on Buffalo Bill's name. Buffalo Bill Cody and partners founded the town in 1896. It stands about 52 miles east of Yellowstone's east entrance. The Buffalo Bill Center of the West holds five museums under one roof. They cover Plains Indian culture, firearms, natural history, Western art, and Buffalo Bill himself. The complex holds Smithsonian Institution affiliate status.
The Cody Nite Rodeo runs every evening from June through August. It is the only rodeo in the country that goes nightly all summer. Bull riding, barrel racing, and saddle bronc fill the card. Old Trail Town stands on the western edge of Cody. It holds 26 frontier-era buildings from around Wyoming. Some cabins tie to Butch Cassidy's gang. Yellowstone National Park waits at the end of the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway. The road runs through the Wapiti Valley.
Dubois, Wyoming
Dubois draws wildlife watchers to the Wind River country. The Absaroka Range rises to the north. The Wind River Range climbs to the south. Whiskey Mountain stands directly behind town. The National Bighorn Sheep Center fills a downtown building. It covers the natural history of bighorn sheep. The Whiskey Mountain herd is the focus. That herd is one of the largest wintering bighorn populations in North America.
Groomed snowmobile trails open the Upper Wind River in winter. The Continental Divide Trail passes close by. Taylor Creek Deli serves sandwiches in the unincorporated town center. The Cowboy Cafe works the breakfast crowd. Chicken-fried steak and biscuits and gravy fill the menu. Grizzly bears, moose, and elk roam the country around town.
Earned at Altitude
Each of these towns proves itself the moment you show up. Silverton still wears its 1874 mining-camp bones along Greene Street. Ouray drops five mineral pools into a box canyon a few blocks off Main Street. Park City spreads the largest ski terrain in the country across one resort. Dubois looks straight up at Whiskey Mountain and the bighorn herd that winters there. The settings change and the histories change, but the pull stays the same. You feel it as soon as you stand in any one of them.
