Ridgway State Park
Encyclopedia
Ridgway State Park is a state park located in Ouray County, Colorado
. It is the westernmost state park
in Colorado
. The park is 21 miles southeast of Montrose
, 14 miles northeast of Ouray
, it is also 4 miles north of the town of Ridgway
and 312 miles southwest of Denver
. The current wildlife consists of deer, coyotes, rabbits, and elk. Due to the park's variety of animal life, the park is used as a hunting ground although hunting opportunities are extremely limited due to proximity to developed areas.
s and cabins are available for rent nightly. One of the Yurts is wheelchair accessible. Tent sites with Full RV hook ups are available. Several tent sites are wheelchair accessible. Lake access includes a marina for long term stays, boats docks, and a swim beach for the kids. Nature and hiking trails dot the area around the lake featuring great views of the Cimmaron range
of the San Juan Mountains
. One trail leads you through all of the parks' areas and back. Several portions of the trails provide wheelchair access, including trails to fishing ponds. The third entrance is most visited for its fishing. Pa-co-chu-puk has an assortment of fishing areas, including two ponds connected to Ridgway reservoir. Brown, rainbow, and cutthroat trout are commonly caught at Pa-co-chu-puk.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. It is the westernmost state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The park is 21 miles southeast of Montrose
Montrose, Colorado
The City of Montrose is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Montrose County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 15,479 in 2005. The main road that leads in and out of Montrose is U.S...
, 14 miles northeast of Ouray
Ouray, Colorado
The historic City of Ouray is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Ouray County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 813 at the U.S. Census 2000 and 1,000 as of the U.S. Census 2010...
, it is also 4 miles north of the town of Ridgway
Ridgway, Colorado
The Town of Ridgway, coined Gateway to the San Juans, is a Home Rule Municipality in Ouray County, in the southwestern portion of the U.S. State of Colorado. The town is a former railroad stop on the Uncompaghre River in the northern San Juan Mountains...
and 312 miles southwest of Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. The current wildlife consists of deer, coyotes, rabbits, and elk. Due to the park's variety of animal life, the park is used as a hunting ground although hunting opportunities are extremely limited due to proximity to developed areas.
Facilities
Three entrances to the park provide a range of options; Dallas Creek is a day-use only area, with facilities for picnicing, fishing and swimming in the summer, although it is not recommended. Dutch Charlie (the second entrance to the State Park) contains the camping facilities. YurtYurt
A yurt is a portable, bent wood-framed dwelling structure traditionally used by Turkic nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. The structure comprises a crown or compression wheel usually steam bent, supported by roof ribs which are bent down at the end where they meet the lattice wall...
s and cabins are available for rent nightly. One of the Yurts is wheelchair accessible. Tent sites with Full RV hook ups are available. Several tent sites are wheelchair accessible. Lake access includes a marina for long term stays, boats docks, and a swim beach for the kids. Nature and hiking trails dot the area around the lake featuring great views of the Cimmaron range
Cimmaron Range
The Cimmaron Range, locally Cimmarons, is a name given to a group of peaks in southwestern Colorado of the San Juan Mountains. The Cimmarons are within eastern Ouray County and are also oriented north-south.-Prominence:...
of the San Juan Mountains
San Juan Mountains
The San Juan Mountains are a high and rugged mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Colorado. The area is highly mineralized and figured in the gold and silver mining industry of early Colorado. Major towns, all old mining camps, include Creede, Lake City, Silverton, Ouray, and...
. One trail leads you through all of the parks' areas and back. Several portions of the trails provide wheelchair access, including trails to fishing ponds. The third entrance is most visited for its fishing. Pa-co-chu-puk has an assortment of fishing areas, including two ponds connected to Ridgway reservoir. Brown, rainbow, and cutthroat trout are commonly caught at Pa-co-chu-puk.