The Uncompahgre Gorge is a deep mountain canyon formed by the

Uncompahgre River The Uncompahgre River is a tributary of the Gunnison River, approximately long, in southwestern Colorado in the United States. Lake Como at in northern San Juan County, in the Uncompahgre National Forest in the northwestern San Juan Mountain ...

and Red Mountain Creek in the Uncompahgre National Forest. It is located just south of Ouray, in

Ouray County, Colorado Ouray County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population was 4,874. The county seat is Ouray, Colorado, Ouray. Because of its rugged mountain topography, Ouray County is ...

. At the north end of the Gorge the Uncompahgre River flows into a deep box canyon which is home to Ouray Ice Park.Ouray Ice Park
/ref> Access to the gorge is via U.S. Highway 550 along the Million Dollar Highway which is cut through the steep cliffs high above the river. Several

waterfalls A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several ...

fall into the canyon, including Bear Creek Falls, right under a bridge on Highway 550 about 3 miles (5 km) south of Ouray.

References

External links

* Canyons and gorges of Colorado Landforms of Ouray County, Colorado San Juan National Forest {{Colorado-protected-area-stub