NOW OPEN: Ouray’s First Beacon Park

Every local knows Ouray County is teaming with avalanche terrain.

To promote safer backcountry travel and recreation in winter, we installed Ouray’s first avalanche beacon training park in February 2024.

Thanks to the generous support of the City of Ouray Tourism Fund and Ouray County, this new park is free to the public.

All you need to practice is a beacon and a probe. Snow floatation is also recommended.

PLEASE DO NOT USE SHOVELS!

See below for detailed directions and further instructions.

Directions

We are pleased to announce that the Avalanche Beacon Training Area is up and running it’s in its new location: Off of Highway 550, across from Crystal Lake. (6 miles south of Ouray, 17 miles north of Silverton).

All you need is a beacon and a probe. Snow flotation is recommended. PLEASE DO NOT USE SHOVELS! Instructions on how to use the training system can be found inside of the control box.

Please park safely!

Look for the control box on a post about 150 meters from Highway 550. Instructions are in the box. Approximate location: 37.96207, -107.66086.

Instructions

Numerous avalanche beacons are buried in the snow throughout the beacon park. Each beacon is permanently attached to the underside of a plywood panel. To practice a beacon search, simply activate at least one of the buried beacons and begin your search using only your personal beacon and a probe. You can stop probing whenever you strike a piece of buried plywood - you just found a buried beacon!

PLEASE DO NOT USE SHOVELS TO FULLY EXCAVATE ANY BURIED BEACONS!

All beacon controls are located in a metal box on a fixed pedestal. Instructions for using the beacon controls are printed inside the lid of the beacon control box.