Situated along the Uncompahgre river, surrounded by mountain ranges and wide open spaces Montrose offers a gateway to world class outdoor adventures.
In 2020 the population of Montrose was just over 20,000 people, big enough for a couple big box stores and a few restaurants but small enough to be free of traffic congestion, smog and parking problems. It makes for a great place to stock up on supplies for your mountain adventure and enjoy a good restaurant experience.
As the Uncompahgre river makes it way thru town you will find a couple of well cared for parks and walking trails. At the south end of town there is the Ute Indian Museum where you will find stories and displays of the early history of the Montrose area.
Just a little ways to the west of Montrose in the Shavano valley there is a very nice collection of pictographs and petroglyphs. Some of the pictographs are very old and thought to be from 1000BC others are more recent and can be traced back to the UTE Indians and some of the traditions and customs they still practice to this day. Due to the preservation concerns you must book a guided tour to see most of the rock art. Tours can be book thru the Ute Indian Museum.
Further out to the west of Montrose you will the Uncompahgre plateau along the edges you will find desert juniper and pinion forest terrain and closer to the top you will find aspen and spruce forests. This is a lesser know and used area of Colorado so you can find some great uncrowded spots if you spend a little time looking around.
For those looking for the classic Colorado snow capped mountain experience the San Jaun mountains are just to the south of Montrose and offer cool mountain streams and great hikes to snow packed glaciers.
Montrose is an easy town to drive thru but if you spend a little time looking around you will likely find some hidden gems to enhance your travels.