Driving the Million Dollar Highway

One of the most beautiful but terrifying drives in the US is the Million Dollar Highway or U.S. Route 550 in Colorado. It leads you through the San Juan Mountains for the 25 miles between Silverton and Ouray.

On our Colorado road trip, we started out by exploring some must visit spots near Colorado Springs. We then took a breathtaking train ride on the Cañon City Railroad and then made our way to Great Sand Dunes National Park. After that we took a tour of Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park and then began our way north.

When we left Mesa Verde and drove through Durango, we turned on one of our must haves on a road trip – an audio tour. At the time, we used this audio tour from Action Tour Guide, but I noticed that Guide Along now has one for the area as well which tends to be our top choice in audio guides. If you’re visiting a few areas, check out the bundles that are offered as they’re often a great deal for a few stops on a road trip. I prefer to be the driver rather than be the passenger on drives like this with hairpin turns, narrow roads, and steep drop offs. It usually means I’m closer to the center line physically and not as close to the outside of the rode which is what makes me panic. Luckily Teddy is very accommodating and was happy to ride in the passenger seat.

As you begin your journey from Durango, you start to drive up into the mountains and if you have the audio guide on, learn about the toll road that began the Million Dollar Highway. As you make your way toward Durango, you will see breathtaking mountain views, as well as pass historic mining areas before making your way down into the old victorian mining town of Silverton. We decided to drive around Silverton to check it out before continuing along our scenic drive.

We arrived in Ouray which would be our homebase for the next 3 nights. We checked into our room at the Hotel Palomino in Ridgway which is just north of Ouray. We loved the location, the decor, and the town. It was easy to access Silverton and Ouray, while also not being too far from Telluride. After checking in, we grabbed dinner in Ouray before calling it a night.

While driving the Million Dollar Highway isn’t for the faint of heart, it is truly one of the most beautiful drives in all of Colorado. It would be absolutely incredible to drive during the Fall before the snow starts to set in to see the vibrant fall foliage. If you have time on your Colorado trip, try to build this into your itinerary!