Detour #300: The Riches of the Million-Dollar Highway, Colorado, USA
It allegedly cost one million dollars per mile to build and there are many riches to be discovered on Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway.
This 230-mile route highlights The Million Dollar Highway, a 25-mile stretch of raw adventure that runs from Ouray to Silverton in southwestern Colorado. It’s widely recognised as being one of the most adrenaline-pumping drives in the USA. But that’s not all there is on this journey.
The rest of this circular drive has everything from seemingly infinite twists and turns right on the edge of precipitous cliffs to glorious vistas of snow-covered peaks and serene verdant valleys. There are four distinct parts that promise very different experiences along with ever abundant enjoyment on each segment. You won’t be bored!
Start in Ouray, whose main street, lined with century-old Victorian buildings, is often called the ‘Switzerland of the Rockies.’ The road, built in the late 1800’s as a wagon trail to support drillers in the area's rich gold and silver mines, impresses with an eight per cent grade and sharp switchbacks as soon as you leave town. Red Mountain Pass, soaring to an elevation of 11,018 feet (3,358 m), treats you to breathtaking views of jagged peaks, deep gorges, and picturesque alpine meadows. Legend says each mile in the span cost a million dollars to build, hence its name. The lack of guard rails may be startling, but it allows plows to push the massive snowfalls over the edge during the winter. Just be glad you’re not a snowplow driver!
Stop to catch your breath in Silverton, the northern terminus of the Durango/Silverton Railroad that runs along the Animas River and the highway all the way to Durango. You’ll want a breather from your attentiveness and the altitude! Some say the road round Engineer Mountain is America’s scariest drive; I say, if you really focus it is merely energising.
It’s well worth stopping in Durango, a classic Western town, before you begin the next diverse segment. Heading west on US 160 you’ll enjoy open sweeping turns and panoramas; a nice easy counterpoint to the previous segment. The warm sun shining down on snowcapped peaks, the multiple greens of vegetation against the red sandstone, and an overarching cobalt blue sky is simply stunning. Some find Mesa Verde National Park featuring Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, quite worth a detour. Or, you can just cruise some 5,000 feet lower than you’ve recently been, through some gentle curves, sharing meadows and canyons all the way to Dolores. There, the road turns north and climbs again.
CO 145, 65 miles of smooth asphalt that twists upward alongside the Dolores River over Lizard Head Pass to Telluride is like Goldilocks’ bed…a perfect balance of turns and landscapes. This segment has plenty of curves without the drama of the first piece. You can attack it or cruise it; either way it is sublime. Accented by the splashing river and random glistening jewel blue lakes, I feel a serene oneness with nature every time I drive it. Having little traffic to worry about and rare side intrusions means that, for an hour or so, it is just you and the glorious road.
After a stop in Telluride with its historic district and celebrities you’ll continue downhill on CO 145 to CO 62 and the final segment. This last leg that traverses over the Dallas Divide is a mere doddle, though it otherwise rates very high on both the fun and scenic indices. Continue through Ridgway, turn right, and find yourself back in Ouray with a broad smile and a satisfied glow. This loop can be taken either direction feeling like two completely different road mixes. In fact, make it a point to do so; it’s worth it!
Words Ross Robbins
Photography Shutterstock
ROADBOOK
CLASS: WESTERn ADVENTURE
NAME: Million Dollar Highway
ROUTE: Ouray to Ouray, Colorado
COUNTRY: USA
Distance: 230 Miles
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