Visit Ouray, the "Jeeping Capital of the World."

OURAY - "Does everybody drive Jeeps here?"

Erin asks me Tuesday morning in downtown Ouray, as we stand outside the historic Beaumont Hotel, watching another 4X4 drive by.

Red Jeep. White Jeep. Blue Jeep.

This isn't the annual Fourth of July parade, but rather a parade of 4X4s driving to the San Juans for a day of off-road play.

Seemingly everybody in this town of 1,000 drives Jeeps, because, Ouray, nestled in a box canyon surrounded by Southwest Colorado's San Juan Mountains, offers unlimited mountain roads to traverse.

Yankee Boy Basin. Corkscrew Gulch. Black Bear Pass. Engineer Pass.

All are popular off-road, four-wheel drive roads through the San Juans, attracting Coloradans and tourists. The town calls itself the "Jeeping Capital of the World."

Several local companies offer off-road Jeep tours. You can even rent your own off-road vehicle and try the roads yourself. Some people head to the roads for the challenge, others for the view of Colorado mountain tundra rarely accessed by vehicle.

Ouray is 360 miles from Fort Collins, about 40 miles south of Montrose and 10 miles as the crow flies northeast of Telluride. The two mountain towns are connected via Imogene Pass, a difficult four-wheel drive road that tops out at 13,114 feet. Many area off-road routes are of the don't-look-down variety, as vehicle tires come within inches of 1,000-foot drops.

Tuesday, Coloradoan photographer Erin Hull and I hop on a red Dodge Ram - the bed converted to three rows of open-air bench seating - for an off-road ride up Yankee Boy Basin.

Our Switzerland of America 4X4 Tour driver, Don, tells us its his third year driving for the commercial company, but as a longtime Montrose resident, he's driven these mountain roads for more than 20 years, he says.

"Oh good, 20 years. That makes me feel better," Erin says.

Monday night, she revealed she's afraid of heights.

Oh.

Sorry.

Lucky for her, we're not doing the notorious Class 5 Black Bear Pass, which has a sign at the road's beginning that reads, "Telluride - city of gold 12 miles - 2 hours. You don't have to be crazy to drive this road. But it helps."

Yankee Boy Basin is a more mild, Class 2.5 four-wheel drive road that does feature a section with 1,000-foot sheer drops, but the road is plenty wide for two vehicles and doesn't have the hairpin turns or steep descents Black Bear presents.

There are no "Oh-my-God" moments, instead, our 3-hour roundtrip journey is steeped in Ouray history and stunning, beautiful views of the San Juans.

Established in the 1870s during the silver and gold mine rush, Ouray was once a booming mining town, highlighted by the highly productive and famous Camp Bird Mine. We pass Camp Bird Mine, which is named after the "camp birds" - probably Rocky Mountain jays - that ate many a miners' lunch.

The mine, Don tells us, produced about 1.5 million troy ounces of gold, and 4 million troy ounces in a nearly 100 year period beginning in 1896. By today's economy, Camp Bird's production would be valued over $1.5 billion.

The dirt road winds past the Camp Bird Mine and through ghost town, Sneffels, before forking right to Yankee Boy Basin and the gem of the drive, Twin Falls.

Fed by Sneffels Creek, Twin Falls roars, whitewater spilling down two tiers, creating a beautiful cascade and sending mist to the sky. Hillsides are green in this alpine basin. In July, the basin will bloom beautiful wildflowers, some of the best I've ever seen in the state.

The San Juans, still sporting the May and June snow that dumped throughout all of Colorado, are as rugged and majestic as ever. The San Juan range's highest peak, Mount Sneffels, 14,158-feet, can be accessed from Yankee Boy Basin.

After taking our photos, Erin and I and the five other guests on the off-road tour begin the descent back to Ouray.

We pass about a dozen Jeeps on their way up Yankee Boy Basin.

Whether it's the "Jeeping Capital of the World," the "Switzerland of America" or the preeminent ice-climbing destination in the country, Ouray is small mountain-town Colorado at its best.

Hop in a Jeep and visit.

IF YOU GO

Ouray is 360 miles southwest of Fort Collins, about 40 miles south of Montrose on U.S. Highway 550.

DO

Jeep tour: Surrounded by mountains, Ouray is a haven for off-road adventuring. Book a summer trip with San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours or Switzerland of America Scenic Tours.

Waterfalls:Cascade Falls is located downtown, Box Canyon Falls is a must-see.

Hot springs: Take the kids for a fun soak at Ouray Hot Springs Pool, or have a more intimate experience at Wiesbaden Hot Springs Spa, where you can book your own private cave.

Ice climb: Come back in the winter to participate - or watch - in the Ouray Ice Festival. The Ouray Ice Park is the premier ice climbing facility in the country.

DRINK

Ouray Brewing Company: Try the 550 Red Ale, named for U.S. Highway 550, which traverses Red Mountain Pass, a narrow, windy road that connects Ouray and Silverton. Snag a rooftop seat for equiste views of downtown and the San Juan Mountains.

Xplore reporter Stephen Meyers covers the outdoors and recreation for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter @stemeyer or @XploreNoCo. Follow eXplore Colorado at roadtrip.coloradoan.com.