As many times as we drive through the Million Dollar Highway in Colorado, we’re still in awe of how beautiful and exciting this drive is. At 25 miles long, the Million Dollar Highway stretches from the quaint town of Ouray to Silverton, Colorado. It is considered one of the most dangerous roads in America, and also one of the most stunning ones. This scenic drive features rugged peaks, breathtaking valleys, gorgeous hikes, and interesting history. If you’re visiting in the Spring and Summer, there are tons of wildflowers along the drive. If you’re here in the Falls, the colorful foliage is especially dazzling. You’ll see why the Million Dollar Highway is on our top 10 favorite scenic drives!
In this blog, we will show you some of the awesome stops and scenery along the Million Dollar Highway. We will be starting from our favorite mountain town, Ouray. However, instead of stopping at Silverton, where the original Million Dollar Highway was built to connect to from Ouray, we will continue our way to Durango. Why? Because this stretch of the road is also spectacular, including the Molas Pass!
The Million Dollar Highway, a section of U.S. 550, is a 25-mile stretch connecting Ouray to Silverton, Colorado. This highway is paved but has no guardrails.
Although no one knows for sure why the highway is named Million Dollar Highway, there are a few theories of how the name came about.
Ouray is an adorable little mountain town. It has a special place in our hearts because that’s where our favorite Via Ferrata routes are! Gold Mountain Via Ferrata, operated by Basecamp Ouray, has some of the hardest pitches in America. And if you love free stuff, Ouray Via Ferrata routes are 2 of the only 3 free routes in the U.S. Besides Via Ferrata, Ouray also has many beautiful off-road trails, one of which is the Yankee Boy Basin. If you love hiking, check out Box Canyon Falls and the Perimeter Trail.
This lookout point is a short stop, right outside Ouray. It is our first stop on the Million Dollar Highway. This viewpoint overlooks the charming town of Ouray. There is a decent-sized pullout area where you can park. If you walk down a bit, you’ll get a stunning view of the town.
Another fun little roadside stop along the Million Dollar Highway is the Bear Creek Falls Lookout. There is a wide platform on the side of the road where you can see the Bear Creek Falls immediately below the highway. This waterfall tumbles over 100 feet down the Uncompahgre Gorge and then joins up with the Uncompahgre River. This lookout can get crowded at times. So, make sure to pay attention to traffic when you visit. If you visit in the winter, the falls will completely freeze over.
After leaving Bear Creek Falls, the Million Dollar Highway continues through a narrow section with a steep drop-off on one side. There are no guardrails, so this section can feel sketchy, especially if you’re driving in bad weather conditions.
Halfway through this narrow, steep section of the Million Dollar Highway, we came to another one of our stops, the Alpine Loop Viewpoint. If you’re coming from Ouray, there is a small turnout on the right-hand side, as well as a bigger gravel lot on the left-hand side. From this gravel lot, there is a trail leading away. This is the Alpine Loop 4×4 trail. This trail is beautiful, but you’ll need a high clearance, 4×4 vehicle and off-roading skills. If you don’t have time, a suitable vehicle, or the skill, you can cross over to the other side of the Million Dollar Highway for beautiful views of a small waterfall. There is a small hike down, but it’s not that hard.
Once we leave the Alpine Loop Viewpoint, the Million Dollar Highway continues along the steep drop-off, crossed under a concrete tunnel before reaching one of the more interesting sections of this highway, the perfectly curved switchback section. In this section, the road serpentines with its perfect curves, making it one of the more photographed parts of the highway. This whole area is especially beautiful in the fall with all the colorful leaves.
After the switchback section, the Million Dollar Highway becomes even more picturesque. Along here, Crystal Lake is another great spot to stop, with parking along the side of the road. If you want to hike, you can take the Hayden Trail. Even if you don’t want to hike, Crystal Lake itself is an awesome spot to stop. This man-made lake is beautiful. In the Spring, there are tons of wildflowers, and in the Fall, the lake is surrounded by the fall foliage. On a calm day, Crystal Lake turns into a virtual mirror, offering an undisturbed reflection of the breathtaking backdrop. Apart from the lake, there are also stunning views of the red mountain across the road.
Since the Million Dollar Highway was built to connect the two mining towns, Ouray and Silverton, it’s a given that there are many mines and mining towns along the way. One of which is the Ironton Townsite. Ironton Townsite is one of the newest mining ghost towns in Colorado. It was first established in 1883 with a peak population of over 1000 residents. The town officially became a ghost town when its last resident died in the 1960s. The town is free to visit.
To get here, you’ll have to take an unpaved road. The turnoff from the main road can be hard to spot if you’re not using a GPS. Although not required, we recommend driving a 4×4 vehicle. It’ll make your life easier. The road is narrow, windy, and rocky. Along the way, you might encounter campers. The townsite, although now in a state of abandonment, has resisted the passage of time and is still standing. You can walk through the abandoned houses, some of which have staircases. Dustin climbed up the stairs. It probably wasn’t the best idea. Those stairs were rickety!
If you’re driving through the Million Dollar Highway during the wildflower season (Spring/Summer), this spot is a picturesque stop. Although there will be tons of wildflowers along the highway, they grow in concentration here. You’ll also get the mountain as a backdrop to top it off. And a bonus point, we saw marmots here! They were adorable.
There is a short turn-off to get to this overlook along the Million Dollar Highway. The Red Mountain Overlook is situated next to the old Idarado Houses. The house was open and free to enter. Besides the houses, you can also see the old mine and railroad, along with the rust color mountain, where the old iron deposits give the mountain its red hues. From here, you can see the Yankee Girl Mine in the distance. If you want, you can drive up to the mine for a closer look. If you do, please be respectful and keep the mine well preserved. Also, we recommend a high clearance vehicle for the drive.
Black Bear Pass is an infamous jeep trail that starts from the summit of Red Mountain Pass on the Million Dollar Highway to Telluride. This jeep trail crests at Black Bear Pass (elevation 12,840 ft) before descending over a set of notorious switchbacks. This part is very technical. The road then passes through Bridal Veil Falls and our favorite Telluride Via Ferrata. This route has both a dramatic landscape and a heart-pumping adventure. You should ONLY do this if you’re very experienced with off-road driving and have a high clearance 4×4. Rental cars are not allowed on this road.
Silverton is the end of the official Million Dollar Highway. Sitting at 9318 ft, Silverton settles in the heart of the San Juan Mountains. It is a cute little mountain town. Here, you can take a train to Durango. It is a very unique way to experience this area as the train snakes its way along the cliff edges next to a roaring river. You can also visit the San Juan Historical Society, Old Hundred Gold Mine, Mayflower Gold Mill, or the Victorian Grand Imperial Hotel if you want to step into the glorious past of the area.
As we mentioned in the beginning, even though the Million Dollar Highway officially ends at Silverton, the rest of the drive from Silverton to Durango is also very beautiful. Therefore, we will include it in this blog.
This is our favorite overlook for the entire drive through the Million Dollar Highway. The view here is just spectacular. This overlook sits above Molas Lake at 10,910 ft elevation. There is a decent-sized parking lot with a short, handicap-accessible sidewalk leading up to a viewing platform. From here, you get stunning scenery of the surrounding mountains. When we were here, there were tons of wildflowers too! By the way, it can get very windy here, so pack a windbreaker.
This overlook is the only spot with restrooms along the Million Dollar Highway. Although, depending on when you go, the restrooms might be closed. If you want to hike, there are hiking trails, including a shorter trail to Little Molas Lake.
An interesting stop close to Durango. It is just off the side of the road. Although it’s nothing like the hot springs in Mammoth Lakes or in Idaho, Pinkerton Hot Springs is a cool stop nonetheless. The hot spring is a fascinating natural feature with vibrant colors. The water itself was warmer than hot. Please respect the sign and don’t climb on the spring. Pinkerton Hot Springs is a fun stop along the drive through Million Dollar Highway; however, we don’t recommend making a drive out here just for it.
Our last stop on this beautiful Million Dollar Highway Drive is Durango. This is also the other end of the breathtaking Durango-Silverton train route. Don’t forget to stop by the free train museum. Durango is a bigger town than Silverton, featuring shops, restaurants, galleries, and museums. It also has a historic district, home to 86 historic buildings.
The Million Dollar Highway is hands down our favorite scenic drive. It is just so beautiful with many things to do and see. We highly recommend doing this the next time you’re in Colorado.
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to check out the related posts below for more inspiration on your upcoming adventures. While at it, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel! We’ll love you forever!
These are the gear that we personally use and find helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
Our favorite biodegradable, eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen!
This is Vy's favorite hiking bag! It has tons of room for snacks and water!
It's always good to bring a GPS tracker with you. We use the Garmin inReach.
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
If you tend to have foot blisters on hikes, get this! We use this all the time.
These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
Compact GoPro pole that extends to 25", perfect to bring on your adventure.
This is our go-to camera for all of our adventures. It comes with us everywhere!
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Hi! We are Dustin & Vy, the proud creators of Live That Adventure. We created this website because we wanted to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. On here, you’ll find everything from hiking, canyoneering, kayaking, and snorkeling to adventure and travel tips, gear reviews, and bucket list items such as bungee jumping or wing walking. We’ll show you the ropes so you can do them too!
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