The amazing, hair raising, & gorgeous Million Dollar Highway is the 25 mile portion of the San Juan Skyway that goes from Ouray to Silverton. The incredible highway typically has no guardrails, sheer drops with no shoulders, heart stopping turns, avalanche warning signs, and views that will take your breath away. It is one of the most beautiful drives in the Southwest and it goes through two very awesome old wild west towns. You’ll also pass many mining ruins that are artifacts of a bygone era. Ouray and Silverton are both worth stopping in and enjoying their wide streets and towering mountains that surround them. The road takes you up and over Red Mountain Pass at 11,000 feet and along the way are plenty of spots for 4WD exploring, hiking, and camping. There are also beautiful valleys filled with bubbling streams. The road is also part of US Route 550 which starts north of Albuquerque and ends in Ouray.

The name has three possible origins:
1) The road cost a million dollars a mile to build when it was first constructed in the 1880s.
2) The toll to cross the pass back when it was first built brought in a million dollars.
3) My Favorite: The Million Dollar Views!

Make sure to stop at the many pull-offs and view points. There’s a great one above Silverton and there’s one above Ouray known as the Switzerland of America Lookout Point.