The Million Dollar Highway in Colorado/USA is said to be one of the most stunning drives on the planet. Join the journey from the mining town Ouray to Silverton on one of Colorado's most famous roads - and find out if the ride is worth the hype.
The Million Dollar Highway is part of the the San Juan Skyway and is the 40 kilometer long section of US Route 550 that connects the former mining towns Ouray and Silverton.
Here are the highlights not to miss when traveling on the Million Dollar Highway:
. Stay a night in Ouray. The former mining town is called the Switzerland of the USA - and really earned that nickname being surrounded by beautiful mountains . Enjoy the views on Bear Creek Falls. Bear Creek Falls is just outside of town, 2-3 miles south of Ouray on the Million Dollar Highway and there is no chance to miss it, because it drops down steeply right underneath the bridge along Highway 550. A viewing stand provides a wonderful opportunity to stand above the falls and watch the water drop a couple hundred feet below. . Take in the amazing landscape surrounding you - and don't be scared of the road! Parts of the Million Dollar Highway don't have rails, but the Million Dollar Highway is not dangerous or scary - its really alright and much more scenic than dangerous in my opinion. . Stop at the entrance of Treasury Tunnel and learn more about the mining history of the area. The Treasury Tunnel entrance still reminds of the Idarado Mine, which produced until the 1980s. From here the miners entered nearly 100 miles or 160 kilometers of underground tunnels, that stretch nearly all the way to Telluride. . The Million Dollar Highway climbs up and over Red Mountain Pass, with a summit of 11,075 feet Or 3.358 Meters. Until June or July the peaks are still covered in snow. Red Mountain gets its name and red color from oxidized minerals within its rocky surface. . Stay in the town Silverton. Silverton, officially the Town of Silverton, is situated between Red Mountain and Molas Pass in a remote part of the western San Juan Mountains. Silverton's last operating mine closed in 1992, and the community now depends primarily on tourism. When visiting downtown you can still experience the the old mining atmosphere. Walking around downtown Silverton, you will encounter an abundance of historic buildings, unique shops, restaurants, and local attractions. Most of downtown is indeed designated as a historic district. Important landmarks to visit are the Grand Imperial Hotel, city hall, and the old county jail which now houses the San Juan County Historical Society.
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Video Summary
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This video documents a scenic journey along the Million Dollar Highway, a 40-kilometer stretch of US Route 550 connecting Ouray and Silverton, Colorado. The narrator explores the road's breathtaking alpine landscapes, its rich gold and silver mining history, and evaluates whether the drive lives up to its reputation as one of the most stunning routes in the world.
The greatest drive in the world?
A ride that everyone should experience
once before they die?
The Million Dollar Highway is said to be
one of the most stunning drives on the planet.
Join the journey from the mining town Oreto-Silverton
on one of Colorado's most famous roads
and find out if the Million Dollar Highway
is worth the hype.
So this one here is still wet from the rain yesterday,
but look at this.
Much better today.
After having been a bit disappointed
by my entry of Colorado with pouring rain
and finding out that most high mountain passes
and gravel roads I had planned to take were still closed,
the sunny weather made quickly up for the bad start.
And I was in the best mood when I started to ride
on the Million Dollar Highway in the town Oreto-Silverton.
With the rain clouds being gone,
I as well was able to see again
why Oreto-Silverton is called the Switzerland
of the United States of America.
This will be the second attempt
to ride the so-called Million Dollar Highway
because yesterday the weather was so unbelievably bad.
Rain.
And today, as you can see behind me, it looks much better.
Good morning, everyone.
What a perfect day to approach the Million Dollar Highway.
I was so disappointed yesterday
that all nice passes are not open yet due to snow.
But hey, how can you not be happy
with this beautiful weather here?
♪ I'm walking down the street on clouds ♪
♪ Instead of the concrete I'm dancing through ♪
♪ Everything's about to come my way ♪
The Million Dollar Highway is part of the San Juan Skyway
and is the 40-kilometer-long section of US Route 550
that connects the former mining towns Oreto and Silverton.
Here we go.
This is the first attraction of the Million Dollar Highway
and it has to do with some water.
Bear Creek Falls is just outside of town,
about four kilometers south of Oreto
on the Million Dollar Highway,
and there's no chance to miss it
because it drops down steeply
right underneath the bridge along Highway 550.
A viewing stand provides a wonderful opportunity
to stand above the poles
and watch the water drop hundreds of meters below.
There are several theories
where the Million Dollar Highway got its name from.
Some say that the gravel they used to pave the road
contained gold and was worth millions.
Others think it's because of the road costing that much,
because the Million Dollar Highway
weaved through a large gold mining region,
or one of the best theories,
that the views from the highway are worth millions.
Locals joke that they call it the Million Dollar Highway
because you couldn't pay them a million dollars
to drive that road in wintertime.
This part here after Ouray and before the top of the pass
is what people call the most dangerous part of the road.
As you can see, there are no rails,
but if you're used to drive alpine roads,
this should not be a problem at all.
The road is really wide enough everywhere
to let even two cars pass.
So if people try to tell you
that the Million Dollar Highway is dangerous or scary,
it's really not.
And it's really much more scenic
than dangerous in my opinion.
After all the heat in the last days,
it's so nice to be close to the snowy mountains now.
It feels as if I can breathe freely again, super nice.
The area between Ouray and Silverton
has been famous for its mining.
Since the 1870s, miners settled down in the area
and mined 115 tons gold, 500 tons of silver,
and 12 million tons of lead, zinc, and copper.
Resources from exactly this area
fueled the Industrial Revolution
and supplied raw materials
for America's involvement in World War I and II.
The treasury tunnel entrance
still reminds of the Aida Redo mine,
which produced until the 1980s.
From here, the miners entered 100 miles
or 160 kilometers of underground tunnels
that stretched nearly all the way to Telluride.
The Million Dollar Highway
climbs up and over Red Mountain Pass
with a summit of 11,075 feet or 3,358 meters.
Until June or July, the peaks are still covered in snow.
Red Mountain gets its name and red color
from oxidized minerals within its rocky surface.
So now I reached the top of the pass
and I'm riding down again to my next stop on this trip.
That is Silverton, which is a little town.
And I have been there already on my world trip.
Silverton, officially the town of Silverton,
is situated between Red Mountain and Mollas Pass
in a remote part of the Western San Juan Mountains,
a range of the Rocky Mountains.
The first mining claims were made in 1860.
The town sits in a flat area of the Animas River Valley
and is surrounded by steep peaks.
Silverton's last operating mine closed in 1992
and the community now depends primarily on tourism.
When visiting downtown,
you can still experience the old mining atmosphere.
Most of the town is indeed designated a historic district.
Important landmarks to visit
are the Grand Imperial Hotel, City Hall,
and the Old County Jail,
which now houses the San Juan County Historical Society.
So I just made it in time to Silverton for breakfast.
I had three more minutes.
Afterwards, they would have had only lunch.
Oh, I'm very happy.
And as you see, I can as well have breakfast gates
without my travel partner.
Leaving beautiful Silverton now
to go direction New Mexico.
That was it, heading to New Mexico now.
I did the Million Dollar Highway now the third time.
Have as well done it before on my world trip, I think twice.
And yes, it's definitely a beautiful road.
But in my opinion, it's not half as beautiful
as the Backcountry Discovery Route
that I nearly did completely on my world trip.
But so everyone, come here in July or August
and do the Backcountry Discovery Route
and go to all these small gravel passes.
Thanks for joining the ride over the Million Dollar Highway.
Don't forget to give this video a thumbs up
and comment if you joined this journey.
The next episode will be full of surprises to me.
I will end up in the mountainous part of New Mexico,
visit the artistic town towers, and a special church.
See you on the road next Thursday.
