Colorado’s Uncompahgre River: Where Is The Deepest Spot?

The Uncompahgre River may not be Colorado’s biggest, deepest, or most powerful waterway, but for the farming communities of Delta, Montrose, and Ouray counties it’s easily one of the most important.

Keep scrolling to check out some cool facts you may not have known about Colorado's Uncompahgre River, and to learn more about its deepest spot, the Uncompahgre River Gorge.

What Is the Uncompahgre Gorge (and How Deep Is It)?

In Western Colorado, we are proud to keep many of the Ute-given names of our mountains and rivers to this day. The Uncompahgre is a vital natural resource that connects the Gunnison River Basin to the San Juan Mountains.

The river is just a few million years old, but in that time, it has cut out 1,000-foot cliffs around the town of Ouray to form the Uncompahgre Gorge. This gorge is the deepest spot along the river with vertical relief between the 1,500–2,000 feet range. 

See the Uncompahgre Gorge

If you want a closer look at the Uncompahgre River Gorge, there are a few different ways to see it. You can drive U.S 550 south of Ouray to the "Switzerland of America" and "Bear Creek Falls" overlooks. Both spots have limited parking, so you might need to wait for a spot - a challenge on a narrow mountain highway.

The Ouray Perimeter Trail, Sutton Mine Trail, and Ouray Ice Park Loop are all hikes you can take to get closer to the gorge. In some ways, the Uncompahgre Gorge starts to look very similar to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The Oak Creek Overlook Trail shows off the gorge from high above, while the perimeter trail & ice park loop get you a closer look.

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