Ouray is a very special community snuggled among some of the most stunning scenery on the planet. Many people in Ouray are first attracted by the picturesque setting of the historic Victorian buildings and the steep mountain background. The Ute Indians, who came here for the spiritual qualities attributed to the hot springs waters, surely appreciated the mountain vistas, too. In the 1800s, people were attracted by the rich ore buried in the hardrock of the San Juan Mountains. Today, many of us enjoy hiking or riding in a comfortable four-wheel drive vehicle to explore these 100-year-old mining structures as we imagine what it was like in the miners’ quarters in the days of mules and long, cold winters at 12,000 feet above sea level.