Recreational opportunities abound in the region. Winter snowshoeing, downhill, cross country, and backcountry skiing and snowboarding continue to be popular in the Telluride region with backcountry and cross country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and ice climbing popular in Ouray. In the summer, tourists flock to the mountains to escape the heat of the plains and desert. Tourist oriented entertainment activities can be found in Ouray, Ridgway and Telluride as can tourist services, lodging and supplies. There are 4,000 beds in Telluride, 700 in Ouray, and 75 in Ridgway. The Town of Telluride provides camping facilities with 42 sites. No other developed sites currently exist in that valley although camping in the surrounding national forests is available (certain areas have been closed to camping due to excessive impacts). In Ouray County, there are several private campgrounds with around 200 campsites.

The Colorado State Parks operates the Ridgway State Park containing the Ridgway reservoir. The Park provides 30 picnicking sites, 187 camp sites, and fishing, boating, water skiing, and hiking. The National Forest operates a campground just above Ouray with picnicking sites and 30 camping sites. Several hiking trailheads begin from the campground.

Jeep tours and rentals are very popular into and over the mountains. Guided rafting, biking, horseback and hunting trips can be arranged and self guided hiking, biking, rock hounding, four-wheeling, canoeing, fishing and hunting is available in the surrounding mountains of the Uncompahgre National Forest. Balloon rides are offered in the summer in Ridgway and glider rides are available at the Telluride airport.