Ultimate Drives
Million Dollar Highway - CO
The 24 miles of US-550 between is Silverton and Ouray is often referred to as the Million Dollar Highway, given its name due to construction expenses near $1million per mile. I didn't rank this road quite as high in adrenaline due to the higher amount of traffic often found on it. However, the narrow lanes, lack of guardrails and steep drop-offs add plenty of heart pounding thrill back in. The road climbs through three different mountain passes, providing plenty of elevation change, hairpins and sweeps to test the bravest of drivers. At each end of the drive, both Silverton and Ouray are adorable mountain towns with breweries, shops and restaurants to fill your time. Durango is an easy starting point, with a very worthwhile drive up to Silverton. And beware bad weather! Rain and snow can hit in an instant and turn a lovely scenic drive into a tense and scary one!