Ridgway sits at the foot of the San Juan Mountains and works as a jumping-off point for everything in them. It's smaller and lower-key than the resort towns nearby, which is the point for a lot of people who base here on the Slope.

It's a backcountry route through the San Juans that you need a four-wheel-drive, high-clearance vehicle to handle. The payoff is high mountain passes, old mining sites, and scenery you can't reach any other way. Don't attempt it in a regular car.

The Uncompahgre National Forest is close by with trails running up into the mountains for hiking and biking. Ridgway State Park sits just outside town with a reservoir, which is where most people head for fishing, boating, and camping.

Ridgway's downtown is compact, with a handful of shops and places to eat that locals actually use. It's more a place to stop, eat, and stock up than a sightseeing destination, and that suits it fine.

Take Highway 62 in. It's about 30 minutes south of Montrose, where you'll find the closest airport, and roughly five hours west of Denver by car. Ridgway also makes a handy base if you want to day-trip out to Ouray or Telluride.