Camping in Ouray Colorado: A Review of 4J + 1 + 1 RV Park & RV Campground

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Last summer we went camping in Ouray Colorado as we were road tripping in southwest Colorado from Texas. After googling around, we felt like 4J + 1 + 1 RV Park & RV Campgrounds would be good for us. We were tent campers, and we chose the campground for these reasons:

1. Pet-friendly

2. Location

3. Clean bathroom

4. Free WiFi

Since 2017 we traveled with our dog Snoopy, so it’s very important to find a place that is pet-friendly. We’ve been to Colorado several times, and I know people in Colorado love dogs. They even let Snoopy (and other dogs) in a trolley in Breckenridge. We went to see a troll in Breckenridge when we visited Colorado in November. On this summer road trip in Colorado, we also found out that dogs are allowed to ride a gondola in Telluride. A ski town about 50 miles southwest of Ouray. Isn’t it awesome?

Camping in Ouray Colorado

When we traveled to Colorado some places just started to reopen while some places were still closed. After all, it was still in the middle of pandemic. We chose places we wanted to go carefully as well as the places we stayed in. Staying in a hotel was a no because I preferred to be outdoor as much as possible. That’s why we went with full camping for this summer road trip, and camping in Ouray Colorado was one of them.

A Brief Info on 4J RV Park & Campground

The campground is located only 2 blocks away from downtown Ouray. With only a short walk you can find yourself sitting in a restaurant, cafe, or ice cream shop, or browsing the unique stores in town.

At the north end of the campground, there’s a footbridge that will take you to Ouray Hot Springs and Fellin Park.

If you walk a few more blocks, you will get to Ouray River Walk. A pleasant two mile round trip walk on the Uncompahgre river.

Or walk across town to Cascade Falls or Box Canyon Falls. Of course you can always drive to these destinations.

The Clark Family has owned and operated the campground for over 60 years. There are 58 RV sites, 10 tent sites, and 1 camping cabin in this campground. Tent sites are level and gravel filled, their locations are separated from the RV sites. The RV sites are divided into electric hookups (7 sites), electric & water hookups (6 sites), and full hookups (45 sites.)

As for the site size and amenities, there are sites with 50 amp electrical service, sites for 45+ feet RV, and pull-thru sites. All of the RV sites are wide enough for slideout(s). Click the following link for the campsite map and campsites rates.

Besides restrooms and hot showers, the campground also provides a laundry room, recreation room, and playground. Ice, propane bottles, and firewood are available for purchase.

Sounds like camping in Ouray Colorado will be a wonderful experience!

How to Reserve a Site

To reserve a site, you must call the park. Here’s the number: 970-325-4418. Someone will assist you with the reservation.

When I called, a lady told me that all tent sites were booked on the days we were there. I asked if we could stay on an electric site and she said yes. One site was still available and I booked it for 2 nights. After a couple of days I called again to change our reservation to 3 nights. She said she could do it but we must move to a different site. Somebody else had booked our first two nights site. It wasn’t a problem for us.

For the payment, I only had to pay the first night and paid the rest when we got there. Our booking code was the name of the lady on the phone. It’s that simple.

Our Camping Experience at 4J RV Campground

After driving the Million Dollar Hwy from Durango, we arrived at 4J in Ouray in the afternoon. The checked in process was fast and we didn’t have to move on our third night. Yay!

Our electric only site was located by the road side with a wooden fence separating the sites from the road. There are 4 sites that are located on the right side of the entrance, and 3 more electric only sites right across our sites. The ground was graveled, and there’s a picnic table at every site. All are in good condition.

Bathrooms are within walking distance and clean like they promised in the website. I noticed there were 2 showers where water flowed from the shower to the drainage between shower rooms. So, that area was always wet when someone used those two showers. The sink area was spacious and I didn’t even have to move to give someone a space when using it. The owner also gave us code to get into the bathroom, so non-campers couldn’t get in.

Too bad the WiFi connection was poor. Even when I sat by the office, my connection dropped almost all the time. So, you can’t rely on this free WiFi.

My husband and I walked around the campground. It’s not really big, but they manage to give spaces between the RVs. The tent sites were on the west part of the campground with a cliff behind the sites. We also took a leisure walk to the hot springs (it was closed during our stay) and Fellin Park through the footbridge on the north side of the campground. Then we walked through town on the way back. The campground is definitely located conveniently from restaurants and stores in Ouray.

Our neighbor brought their bicycles with them. So they enjoyed the city from their bikes. A good idea for future visits.

Every morning and before dark fell, we enjoyed our meal with a cliff view as the background. It’s so peaceful.

But, on the second night, we experienced something that was never mentioned in the park’s website. We’ve got a visitor slightly after midnight. Suddenly we heard something heavy fall on the ground. My husband and I woke up right away. He peered through the window and whispered, “It’s a bear!” And my response, “Can I take pictures?” Haha… I still couldn’t believe my response until today.

Then we put on our shoes, getting ready if the bear went toward us. My husband had his flashlight in one hand shining to the bear while in the other hand he held his cell, videotaping the bear. I held our dog Snoopy who was sleeping in a tent with us. Fortunately he didn’t make any sound at all.

Apparently our neighbor forgot to put their cooler into the car when they went to sleep. So the bear came and had a party. After about an hour of giving a free show, the bear left. I moved to the car with Snoopy while my husband went to the neighbors who watched everything from their tent set above the truck. Our son who was sleeping in the van didn’t hear anything. He just woke up a bit when we opened the door, then fell back to sleep. We slept in the van for the rest of the night.

The next morning we heard that the bear and at least one more bear had a party at the big  garbage can near the playground. Someone came and threw a firecracker to make the bears left. We didn’t hear it, but we saw the owner put clamps around the garbage can.

Later in the afternoon when I took Snoopy for a walk towards the tent sites, a lady who drove from the opposite direction warned me that a bear just walked by from the pull-thru sites to the cliff. Oh dear. I turned around and back to our site.

On our last night, we slept with a hammer on our side. Snoopy slept in the van with our son.

What an experience! Apparently Ouray is a bear country. So, be prepared when you plan to stay at 4J or everywhere else around Ouray.

Conclusion: Do We Want to Camping in Ouray Colorado and Stay at 4J Again?

Absolutely! It’s conveniently located in downtown Ouray, pet-friendly, bathroom was big and clean, although the WiFi was bad. And with bear experience, we just have to be prepared and make sure don’t leave food items outside, even a cooler. If you see someone leave their cooler on a picnic table, remind them to put it inside before going to bed.

Where is Ouray Colorado?

Ouray is a small mountain town in southwest Colorado. It is situated in the heart of San Juan Mountains and known as the Switzerland of America. Ouray is also known as the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Colorado that offers more than 60 outdoor activities.

In the summer visitors like to hike and explore the trails with their ATV or OHV. Cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and ice climbing are some of favorite outdoor activities in the winter. Some people prefers to dip in the hot springs, either in the summer or winter. And, Ouray is the starting point or the end point of the Million Dollar Highway, one of the best scenic roads in Colorado.

Telluride and Silverton are a couple of small mountain towns that are located near Ouray. It is about 5h 30m drive to the southwest from Denver; 5h drive west of Colorado Springs; and 1h 45m drive north from Durango.

Note: I didn’t get any compensation from 4J + 1 + 1 RV Park & RV Campground in any form in writing this review. It’s all based on our personal experiences.