San Juan Mountains Elopement Guide | Local Insider Guide

The perfect spot for any adventure enthusiast, the San Juans are Colorado’s outdoor playground for elopements. These mountains are ancient volcanic peaks that cut through the heart of southwestern Colorado. Today, the jagged peaks are home to a summer carpet of wildflowers and a number of turquoise alpine lakes that make you feel all alone. The renowned Colorado towns of Telluride, Silverton, or Durango make a perfect elopement base for exploring this corner of the state. Most couples research Colorado elopements and land on the usual suspects. Then they find the San Juans and realize everything else was just a warmup.

---

Most couples research Colorado elopements and land on the usual suspects. Then they find the San Juans and realize everything else was just a warmup!

The San Juans sit in the far southwest corner of Colorado, about 6 hours from Denver. That distance is exactly what protects them and make elopements out here next level. While places like Breckenridge sees thousands of visitors on a summer Saturday, you can hike to a alpine lake in the San Juans and have it completely to yourselves. The peaks are bigger, the colors more intense, and the crowds basically nonexistent compared to the front range. This is the real Colorado!

I live in Ridgway, right in the heart of the San Juans. I’ve been photographing elopements out here since 2018. The San Juans are still my first answer when any couple asks me where to go in Colorado, not because it’s my backyard, but because nothing else in the state competes with what this range delivers!

Here’s what you need to know to plan your elopement out here and, more importantly, which San Juan mountain town is the right one for your elopement.

What Are The Best Months for a San Juan Mountains Elopement?

June through October is the accessible window for San Juan Mountains elopements. July and August offer the most consistent trail conditions and full road access. September brings peak fall color with stable weather. Mountain passes close by November and most don’t reopen until late June. September after Labor Day is the sweet spot for couples who want the best light, the best colors, and the fewest people.

Here’s the honest breakdown by season so you actually know what you’re walking into.

Summer Elopements in the San Juan Mountains (June through August)

Full send for hiking season. Wildflowers typically peak mid-July and run through August across Colorado’s alpine zones. All roads are open, all trails are clear. The morning light at altitude does things to photos that are genuinely hard to explain. That said, afternoon thunderstorms above treeline are a real and consistent pattern, so plan your ceremony for the morning and spend the afternoon celebrating.

Fall Elopements in the San Juan Mountains (September through early October)

This is it. This is the window I point every flexible couple toward. The aspens on the Million Dollar Highway go gold, the morning air has that sharp clarity that only comes after monsoon season clears out, and the crowds drop hard after Labor Day. I’ve photographed elopements out here in 70-degree sunshine on September 15th and watched six inches of snow fall by the 20th the same year. That range is just the San Juans being the San Juans. You plan around it and it becomes part of the story. I’ve never had a couple regret a September date out here.

Winter Elopements in the San Juan Mountains (November to March)

Most of the backcountry closes. Red Mountain Pass can shut down in the winter due to avalanche risk. Some couples do winter elopements in the towns themselves, particularly during ski season, and the snow globe vibe is genuinely incredible if that’s your thing!

Where Are the Best Elopement Locations in the San Juan Mountains?

You won’t find every elopement spot I shoot in the San Juans in this guide. Some of those locations I found on solo scouting trips I do every spring before the season opens. A few took me years to piece together from living and hiking out here full time. What follows is the honest version of each town: what it actually feels like to show up there, what kind of couples it works best for, and what to expect on the ground. The good stuff comes when we actually talk through your specific day.

For the specific locations, check the individual town guides. Telluride elopement locations. Ouray elopement locations. For both, the real conversation happens when we talk through your specific day and what you’re actually after.

Let’s dive into what makes each San Juan mountain town different for your elopement!

Telluride

This box canyon town is surrounded by 13,000-foot peaks, and it earns every bit of the hype. Best restaurant scene in the San Juans. Free gondola that takes you to elevation without breaking a sweat. Dramatic backcountry access right out the back door. The catch is cost as this is the priciest base in the San Juans for lodging and food, and it draws more visitors than anywhere else out here, so timing your day matters more. But if budget isn’t the thing holding you back and you want the San Juans with all the amenities dialed in, this is the move.

• Choose Telluride if you want the full mountain experience and budget isn’t holding you back.
• Price point: High
• Pro tip: My favorite pastry and coffee shop is Butcher and the Baker. Thank me later!
• Must do: Ride the gondola in September when the aspens light up the whole valley. I’ve been up that gondola probably 60 times and the fall version is still the best.

For the full breakdown on specific locations, check out my Telluride elopement guide.

Ouray

Ouray is where you drive a Jeep to 12,000 feet, step out into total silence, and wonder why you ever considered anywhere else. The terrain here runs from easy waterfall locations right off the road to serious backcountry 4×4 adventures that take you miles from anyone. The town is tiny, walkable, and somehow has good food for a place this size. With no ski resort nearby means crazy high prices and crowds. And it’s 10 minutes from my front door, which means I know this terrain in every season, every weather window, every week of the year! If you’re on the fence, honestly, come to Ouray.

Full breakdown in my Ouray elopement guide.

• Choose Ouray if you want epic terrain outside of town and hot springs waiting for you when you’re done.
• Price point: Moderate
• Pro tip: The best hot springs in the area are Orvis Hot Springs near Ridgway. Clothing-optional. Do with that what you will.
• Must do: Rent of a Jeep from Switzerland of America and explore nearby off roading locations.

Silverton

Silverton has a population around 600 with little traffic and at the foot of Colorado’s largest wilderness area starts right at the edge of town, the Weminuche. Getting to Silverton is an adventure in itself; it’s a 24-mile scenic drive north of Durango or over the Million Dollar Highway from Ouray that leaves your heart going. It’s a little more remote and rugged, and other than some gold mine tours, most of what there is to do in Silverton is to take advantage of the 8 different hiking trails like Ice Lakes. Tons of photo ops!

This is the spot for couples who want the most remote, least curated version of a Colorado mountain elopement. If you’re willing to earn it, Silverton delivers in a way nothing else in the San Juans do.

• Choose Silverton if you want to feel like you’re stuck in time, because you basically are.
• Price point: Low
• Pro tip: The Wyman is located at the end of the strip in Silverton, it’s a vibe all its own, with beautifully designed rooms perfect for getting ready photos with your family and friends. Plus, it features an outdoor patio that’s ideal for hosting your reception afterward.
• Must do: After your day, Coffee Bear in Silverton is my favorite coffee shop in Colorado. Go there.

Ridgway

This is literally my backyard and I love it out here. Every major town is only 40 min away. You’re sitting at the center of everything that makes the San Juans great without the price tag that comes with staying inside any of the towns themselves.

Within 40 minutes of Ridgway, you’ll find some of the best hiking elopement spots in the region, including quieter spots tucked into the Cimarron Range and the Sneffels Range. For couples planning a family ceremony or bringing guests, there are also easy access locations nearby like Top of the Pines and Ridgway State Park.

• Choose Ridgway if you want the most affordable, most central base camp to everything in the range.
• Price point: Moderate
• Pro tip: I rent out my own home in Ridgway to couples eloping in the San Juans during summer and fall months!
• Must do: Gnar Tacos in Ridgway after your elopement. Non-negotiable.

What Makes the San Juans Different From Every Other Colorado Elopement Destination?

Here’s the honest answer to the question I get asked more than anything: why the San Juans over Rocky Mountain National Park, Aspen, or any of the other Colorado spots you’ve already seen on Instagram or Tiktok?

It comes down to three things that no other range in Colorado in the state can match!

• First, the geology is different. The San Juans are ancient volcanic, not the glacially-carved granite you see everywhere else in Colorado. That means the rock colors run orange, red, and rust instead of grey. The peaks look older and more dramatic because they are! You notice it the second you drive the Million Dollar Highway between Ouray and Silverton.
• Second, the access is different. Most major Colorado destinations are a two-hour drive from Denver, which means they absorb the entire Front Range crowd every weekend. The San Juans are six hours out. That distance filters out casual day-trippers. The alpine lakes out here on a Tuesday in September feels like a different planet compared to Maroon Lake on any summer weekend.
• Third, the towns are different. Each one has its own character and none of them feel like each other. You are not choosing between interchangeable Colorado ski towns. You are choosing between a box canyon resort, a Jeep capital, a historic mining holdout, and a ranching community. That variety means there is a right answer for your specific elopement, not just a generic one!

How Do You Get a Marriage License in the San Juan Mountains?

For San Juan Mountains elopements, these are the best options depending on where you end up eloping and lodging.

County offices in the range:

• San Miguel County (Telluride area): Monday through Thursday, 7:30am to 5:30pm. $30 cash or check. Walk-ins only.
• Ouray County: One of the cutest courthouses in all of the San Juan range sitting right in the box canyon off main street.
• Montrose County: 40 minutes from Ridgway. Most availability. If you’re flying into Montrose airport anyway, this is often the easiest stop.
• San Juan County (Silverton): Small office, limited hours. Call ahead.

A few things to know:

• You have 63 days after your ceremony to return it for recording
• Both of you need to be present
• Bring valid ID
• Cost is around $30
• No waiting period — you can use it the same day
• It’s valid for 35 days from issuance

One thing worth knowing: Colorado’s self-solemnization law is real and it’s one of the best things about eloping in this state. You don’t need anyone else to make your marriage legal. Just the two of you, your license, and your signatures. For the full breakdown, check out my self-solemnization guide.

What Activities Should You Plan for Your Elopement Day in the San Juan Mountains?

The best elopement days in the San Juan mountains don’t feel like a photoshoot. They feel like a full day you’d want to live even if no one was documenting it!

Things to Do Around Your San Juan Elopement

• Hiking is the most popular way to get into the San Juan mountains, and the range here is massive. Ice Lakes Basin starts at 9,820 feet from South Mineral Campground outside Silverton and climbs into one of the most surreal turquoise lake basins in the state. The Sneffels Range has Blaine Basin, which hits peak wildflower somewhere around late July and is one of the few places I’ve watched couples completely forget they’re supposed to be posing. The Weminuche Wilderness has zero motorized access, which means the silence out there is a different thing entirely.
• Jeeping and 4WD gets you into high alpine terrain without putting in the miles on foot. Yankee Boy Basin is the most accessible. Imogene Pass is the highest. Black Bear Pass is the most committing — not the place to figure out 4WD on the fly. If you don’t have off-road experience, I can drive so you just sit back and take it in. Read more in my off-roading elopement guide.
• Waterfall locations are one of the most underused options in the San Juans. Bridal Veil Falls is the most dramatic. Box Canyon Falls is right in town. I’ve found a handful of others over the years that don’t have trailhead signs or AllTrails pages. Waterfalls work in every season, photograph well in flat light, and don’t carry the same timing pressure as alpine summit locations.
• Hot springs are the perfect way to end the day out here, and the San Juans have three options that couldn’t exist anywhere else. Orvis Hot Springs sits on a working ranch outside Ridgway with the Cimarron Range sitting directly above the soaking tubs — clothing-optional, no resort vibe, just you and that view. The Ouray Hot Springs Pool is an Olympic-size facility that literally steams against the canyon walls in cooler months. Box Canyon Hot Springs requires a short walk through downtown Ouray and reservations, but the setting inside the canyon is worth it.
• The gondola is free, runs year-round, and your dog can come. Ride up, hike to a ceremony spot, ride back down. Easy day.
• The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is one of the most unique things you can do out here. Catch a scenic ride or get dropped off in a wilderness basin for a ceremony that’s genuinely remote. Nothing else like it in Colorado.
• Backpacking overnight is the full send. Hike in the afternoon before your elopement, camp at an alpine lake, wake up for a sunrise ceremony with no one else around, hike out the next day. I’ve shot a handful of these and they produce some of the most real images I’ve ever made. The couple who woke up at Ice Lakes Basin with no one else in the entire basin on their wedding morning — that’s not something you replicate at a venue.
• Winter adds its own options if you’re planning a cold-weather elopement. Ski runs, snowmobile tours, heli-skiing on Silverton Mountain — the San Juans don’t slow down when the snow hits. Read more in my winter elopement guide.
• On horseback is another way to move through these mountains that most couples never think to ask about. Trail rides are available and they photograph incredibly well.
• Alpine lakes — paddling, camping alongside them, or just standing at the edge — are everywhere up here. Molas Lake is one of the most accessible and least crowded.

For more ideas, my elopement activities guide covers what couples have done across the range.

How Do You Get to the San Juan Mountains for an Elopement?

The two main options are flying into Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ), which puts you 40 minutes from Ouray and Ridgway, or driving from Denver International Airport, which is roughly 6 hours. Durango-La Plata Airport is the call if Silverton is your base.

• Montrose (MTJ) is the underrated gateway that most out-of-state couples miss when they’re first planning. Limited flights, slightly higher fares than Denver, but you land 40 minutes from the heart of the range instead of six hours away. Worth checking Google Flights for connections through Denver or Dallas.
• Driving from Denver: US-285 south through Salida, then west on US-50 over Monarch Pass is the most scenic route and sets the tone for the whole trip. Budget 6 to 7 hours with a stop. In fall when the aspens are going, this drive is an event in itself.
• Once you’re here: Having your own vehicle is non-negotiable. Most good elopement locations require a car, and many require a high-clearance 4×4. Jeep rentals are available in every town.
• The San Juan Skyway connects every town in one loop. The Million Dollar Highway between Ouray and Silverton is the stretch people talk about. No guardrails in sections, steep drops, and views that make you forget to check your speed. It’s not just a road. It’s part of the experience.

Just remember, the drive is part of the experience here, not just transportation!

---

---

Frequently Asked Questions