serving Western Colorado and the Four Corners with elegant print and online publications since 1996
now offering CUSTOM ART & PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS and ELEGANT WEB DESIGN
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TOTALLY CUSTOM TOURS for artists and photographers.
You tell us the images you want to capture - we'll take you there. We can help with lodging and other trip planning as well. E-mail your contact information. |
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PHOTOGRAPH, PAINT, and explore one of the west’s most historic and
spectacular alpine areas: the majestic San Juan Mountains. We'll get you there - in four-wheel drive vehicles, and the rest is up to you. Capture unforgettable images of
wildflowers, waterfalls, magical aspens, mining relics, and some of the
most ruggedly scenic mountains in North America.
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Scenic Photography - Fall in the San Juans Dallas Divde in the Fall, © Kathryn R, Burke
FALL comes early and often stays late in
the San Juans. And it is undoubtedly the most spectacular seasons here,
when the shivering aspens turn gold and crimson and the sky is a deep
blue bowl above snow-capped peaks. Even the worst images you shoot will be nothing
short of spectacular! There will be snow on the peaks, and it can even
be deep in places, so we plan our trips accordingly.
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Townscape Tours - Ouray and Silverton
OURAY- aptly known as the “Gem
of the Rockies” and Colorado’s “Little Switzerland
of America" nestles in a valley surrounded by snow-capped, 14,000-foot mountains. The
charming Victorian atmosphere and abundant, natural hot springs make
soaking under the stars the perfect end to a perfect day.
The town is unique in the Colorado west in that it never suffered a major fire and the destruction of its downtown. Many of the brick buildings (such as the beautifully restored Beaumont Hotel) come from a brickyard once located near where the Ouray Hot Springs Pool is now. (Click here for more on Ouray. 
SILVERTON. Step back in time to a Victorian mining town and its Notorious Blair Street. Listen to the melodic whistles of the 1880s narrow gauge trains that still steam into town. Listen to honky-tonk piano while you lunch in an old bordello; enjoy a delightful dinner theater presentation at a Victorian Hotel, and experience the old-west saloon atmosphere of these San Juan Mountain towns. Take a walk through history accompanied by working professional photographers on historic walking tours of Ouray and Silverton as you photograph the beautifully preserved buildings of both towns. (Click here for more on Silverton.) |
Heritage - Mining
History Yankee Girl headworks in Red Mountain Mining District, © Kathryn R. Burke
Tour the Red Mountain Mining District and alpine passes of the
Alpine Loop
(weather and trails permitting.)
Visit the Bachelor Syracuse Mine in Ouray and enjoy lunch in their outdoor pavillion, and tour the Old
Hundred Mine in Silverton
where you can also test your luck panning for gold. While you are
touring the mining districts, look for current activity. Did you know that many
of the mines in the
San Juans have been reopened and are actively mining gold and other
base metals at this time?)
>Western Colorado and the San Juans are also rich in railroad history. Four railroads once served Silverton which today is the northen terminus of the D&S Narrow Gauge. Ouray had narrow gauge service until 1950 when the last engine steamed out of town. |
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Your scenic photography adventure may include many of the
following trails (and more), some ascending to over 12,000 feet.
Choice of trails, terrain, vistas, depends on weather, season, and scenic variety at
the time we head out.
If going into the mountains, expect snow any time of the year, even on July 4th! July is waterfall season, and wildflowers, although best in July, usually bloom through the end of August, even in the snow showers that are common in early fall. Fall, our most spectacular time of the year in Western, Colorado is... quite simply, breathatking. Mountain trails offering scenic alpine vistas you may want to photograh and paint: Howardsville - Eureka - Animas Forks Cunningham, Clear Lake, Highland Mary Lakes Yankee Boy Basin - Governor Basin Dallas Divide-Last Dollar Road-Alta Lakes-Ophir (fall) Alpine Loop: Silverton-Ouray-Lake City Red Mountain Mining District - Corkscrew Gulch & Turntable |
OURAY's history museum
was once the Miner's Hospital.
Today the lovely stone building houses a glowing mineral collection,
re-creation of a mine shaft and mine office, furnishings from the Walsh
House (in Animas Forks, and once home of the infamous Hope Diamond),
and numerous static and rotating displays of Ouray's rich Victorian
history.
SILVERTON'S museum was once the town jail, and still has a few jail cells intact if you want to spend a night behind bars. You'll also find collections related to mining. Behind the old jail is the fully restored Old Hundred Boarding house and a world-class mining museum. |
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San Juan Tours, PO Box 705, Ridgway, Colo. 81432 • E-mail: tours@sanjuanpub.com