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Show and Lake City, a former mining town, has been converted into a resort center. Ouray, a county seat which prospered during the heyday of mining, is beginning to realize that its future economic life will depend to a large extent on the wise use of the recreational resources. The town is ideally suited to serve as a center for vacationists, being situated in a beautiful little basin surrounded by colorful high mountains. The town of Silverton retains much of its original flavor. Most of its construction took place 40 to 50 years ago and little modernization has taken place. It is an interesting representation of an era in the development of the Rocky Mountain region. The setting of the town, 9,300 feet above sea level, is dramatic. Bleak, high, rugged mountains enclose the narrow valley floor on which the town rests. There are few roads in the San Juan- San Miguel- Uncompahgre area, but trails lead to the high country from the roads that approach the area from the north and south and from United States Highway 550. Fishing, hunting, hiking, mountain climbing, horseback riding, and camping are the main recreational activities. A branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad follows the Animas River from Durango to Silverton, another follows the Uncompahgre River from Montrose to Ouray, and a third runs southwest from Ouray to Tellu- ride and down the Dolores River to Dolores, Colo., near Mesa Verde National Park. Trips on these narrow- gage railroads are capable of being developed into a major tourist attraction. • Most of the area is included within the boundaries of the San Juan, Montezuma, and Uncompahgre National Forests and the higher, more remote portions of each have been designated as primitive areas. There is some virgin forest^ but the bulk of the timber within the area has little value for timber production. Its primary value is watershed protection. Mining has been important in the past. In the future, recreation probably will be the major value of the area. 2. Elk Mountain area in the White River and Gunnison National Forests is bordered on the north by State Highway 82 which crosses the Continental Divide near its highest point at Independence Pass, elevation 12,095 feet. The highway is unexcelled for the views it affords of lofty moun- Figure 117.- View of Silverton, Colo., from United States Highway 550. 205 |