Driving Million Dollar Highway: Everything You Need to Know
Driving Million Dollar Highway in Colorado is like no other experience that you’ve ever had!
The incredible views of the San Juan Mountains showcase just how wild and vast this part of the state still is, and you’ll explore historic mining towns, hiking trails, and mountain passes along the way.
But this iconic highway comes with its own set of considerations as driving here isn’t as easy as driving on a typical road. With the right planning, however, you can have an enjoyable and unforgettable experience as you make your way from Silverton, Colorado, to Ouray, Colorado, on Colorado 550.
Below, you’ll find everything you need to know to prepare for your road trip including specific driving tips, suggestions for those hauling trailers or driving RVs, and points of interest along the way.
The Million Dollar Highway is especially pretty in the fall—but watch for those switchbacks.
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Million Dollar Highway: An Overview
What is Million Dollar Highway?
Million Dollar Highway is a 28-mile section of Colorado Highway 550, and it’s named after the incredible views of the Rockies that you’ll find at every turn.
The “highway” portion of it belies the actual condition of the road, which is an extremely narrow 2 lane road. If you’re envisioning something like I-70 heading through the mountains (as it does from Grand Junction to Denver), scrub that.
Instead, imagine a tiny country road perched on the very side of a massive mountain, and you’re much closer to what Million Dollar Highway actually is.
Ultimately, Million Dollar Highway is a challenging off-the-beaten-path drive that connects two of Colorado’s cutest former mining towns.
Where is Million Dollar Highway?
Million Dollar Highway technically starts in Silverton, Colorado, but you’ll get into some of the stressful driving much earlier.
As you approach Coal Bank Pass from Durango, you’ll start to climb quickly into higher elevations with a taste of the hairpin turns to come.
The entire section of road from Durango north to Ouray is called the San Juan Skyway.
The Rockies just south of Silverton on the San Juan Skyway
At this point along the road, you still have standard road shoulders and occasional guard rails, so it’s not nearly as demanding of a drive as what’s to come.
As you descend into Silverton, you’ll have your final opportunity to fill up for gas, get a snack, or just turn back if you’ve decided that you’re not up to the intense experience of Million Dollar Highway. (And there’s no shame in that as it is challenging!)
From Silverton, you’ll see the signs pointing north on CO 550 onto Million Dollar Highway. There’s really only two ways to go on CO 550—onto the Million Dollar Highway or back the way you came over Coal Bank Pass.
Once you’ve committed, expect to take an hour or so to travel the Million Dollar Highway north to Ouray, Colorado, where the scenic highway portion ends, and a much more moderate portion of CO 550 runs until it ends in Grand Junction.
Along the way between Silverton and Ouray, you’ll traverse the famous Red Mountain Pass, which arguably has some of the most white knuckle driving of the entire trip—and that’s saying something as this entire road is known for its difficulty level! Check out this YouTube short of a portion of Red Mountain Pass to see what I’m taking about.
Million Dollar Driving Tips
This is mountain driving at its most extreme.
The extreme switchbacks on part of the Million Dollar Highway
I’ve driven all over the United States—and have even road tripped across Europe—but few roads have been as intense as Million Dollar Highway.
I’ve never seen a road like Million Dollar Highway, though. The shoulders simply don’t exist for much of the road, meaning that there’s absolutely nowhere to go if you have car trouble. The white line to the right of the road is where the road ends.
There aren’t any guardrails so you have nothing dividing your car from the sheer drop-offs.
And, scariest of all, there were several areas where the rock underneath the road pavement was eaten out, so there are sections of the already extremely narrow road that have soft spots in them. If you’re driving a larger car, truck, or RV, that’s a scary situation to be in.
Add into that hairpin turns and grades of 8%, and you’ve got a driving experience like nothing else.
For your efforts, you will get incredible long range views of the Rockies, but many drivers will find the road challenging enough that the views are a second thought.
If you’re looking for an equally gorgeous drive with slightly more safety features (including a small rock wall barrier), I highly recommend Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park.
Your vehicle is going to have a major effect on your driving experience.
We met so many people in Colorado who’d done the Million Dollar Highway on motorcycles and loved it. While I’ve never driven it that way, I can see why motorcyclists would enjoy it as they’ve got plenty of room in their lane to enjoy the views…and not the drop-offs.
However, if you’re driving it in a vehicle like a half-ton truck, which has a cab that’s much higher than a motorcycle, and a wide body, you’re going to feel as if you’re falling off of the edge while you’re simultaneously hitting every single vehicle in the lane coming towards you.
And if you’re pulling a trailer or driving an RV, expect to feel that even more. (I’ve got more on the experience of driving Million Dollar Highway with an RV below.)
If you’re renting a car to road trip through Colorado, opt for a smaller vehicle, which will be much more manageable and not quite as scary on those hairpin turns and sheer cliffs.
There are few places to turn around.
Once you’re on Million Dollar Highway, you’ve committed to it for the most part.
That being said, there are a handful of places that offer options to turn around on the road. Most of these are at trailheads, though there are a couple of gravel pull-offs that regular sized vehicles can use to turn around.
You’ll find few stores up this way and even fewer driveways, so you’ll need to look out carefully if you need to do a complete U-turn.
Car trouble is big trouble.
PIN ME!
As you can imagine, with limited turn-offs, no parking areas, and no shoulders, this highway is NOT where you want to experience car trouble.
We met a couple while we were paddleboarding in Ridgway State Park who lived nearby and told them about our experiences driving on Million Dollar Highway.
They told us about a friend of theirs who’d had a broken axel on that road and ended up having to block traffic in both directions until a tow truck could make it to her from Ouray.
(In the most Colorado story of all time, the initial accident was caused by a moose attempting to charge her car when she drove past it, not realizing the moose was as close to the road as it was!)
Moose charging aside, you’ll want to take away from this story that a flat tire, overheated engine, or flat tire looks very different on this road than your typical 2-lane road.
Make sure you’re up to date on your vehicle maintenance before embarking on it, and, worst case scenario, be prepared to change your tire while you’re parked in the middle of the road.
Road construction adds more complexity.
As you can imagine, doing upkeep on a road like Million Dollar Highway isn’t the same as fixing a pothole on the interstate.
This road requires consistent attention, but that means the road crews are working in extreme conditions on the sides of mountains and along areas with steep grades.
If you do come upon road construction while driving Million Dollar Highway, be prepared to stop. The crews will halt traffic in both directions, and then rotate which side is allowed to go each time.
The amount of time you’ll be asked to stop might be a few minutes or closer to half an hour.
It’s always good to go slow for safety in a construction zone, but it’s extra important here.
It’s open year round—but be cautious.
Since 1992, more than 400 people have died driving Million Dollar Highway, and many of those deaths were caused by icy, snowy conditions coupled with a road that offers zero room for error.
While the highway will be shut down for periods surrounding particularly intense snowstorms, it’s technically opened year round (unlike other mountain drives like Beartooth Highway in Wyoming, which close to all vehicles other than snowmobiles in winter).
You will need to put on snow chains when conditions are icy, but the road is still open. You’ll see areas on both the Silverton and Ouray ends of the highway where you can pull over and put your chains on.
One of the many steep embankments along Million Dollar Highway | source
Driving Million Dollar Highway with an RV or Travel Trailer
Our Minnie Winnie outside of Silverton preparing to embark on the Million Dollar Highway
Due to a road closing on CO 50, which runs east to west into Montrose, we had to detour on CO 160 and then CO 550/ Million Dollar Highway as we made our way from Great Sand Dunes National Park in Alamosa, Colorado, to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Montrose, Colorado.
Read about our time in Alamosa:
That’s how we ended up on this treacherous road hauling our 22’ Winnebago Micro Minnie 1800BH. Without a doubt, the experience of hauling the trailer and our F-150 over those mountain passes, down those steep grades, and through the hairpin turns—all without guardrails or road shoulders—is the most stressful, tense driving I’ve been a part of.
While I can’t say I recommend pulling a travel trailer (of any length) or driving an RV on Million Dollar Highway, there are situations where it might be necessary for your trip.
If you find yourself considering if you should drive your RV or travel trailer on Million Dollar Highway, this section of the guide is for you.
The road is very narrow for a travel trailer or RV.
RVs and travel trailers just take up more room on the road as manufacturers attempt to get every inch of living space into their designs as possible.
That’s not a benefit here as those extra inches on either side of your RV mean you have to take up nearly the full width of the lane on Million Dollar Highway.
Because of the narrowness of the road, there were literal inches between our tires and the complete drop-offs to the side of the highway. And when you’re hauling your kids and your camper with no room for a single mistake, that makes for some serious white knuckle driving.
I won’t mince words here: there will be places where you’ll feel as if you’re going to fall off of the road. Perhaps that’s your sweet spot in driving, but be aware if it isn’t.
If you need to turn around, you’re going to have even more limited spots to do so than any cars.
Mineral Creek Staging area is one of those places. This large gravel area is used for trucks and trailers hauling ATVs for the surrounding 4x4 tracks, but it’s also a good place to turn around if you’re coming down from Ouray and want to bow out.
There are a few other pull outs like this, but few are large enough to turn if you’re hauling a larger towable or a Class A. In that case, you may have committed to the drive for better or for worse.
Get familiar with your manual settings.
Thanks to the seemingly endless switchbacks and steep grades, you’ll want to ride your brakes more than is healthy for your tow vehicle or RV.
And trust me when I say that you do NOT want to overheat your. breaks anywhere on this road.
Instead, get familiar with your RV or tow vehicle’s manual settings so that you’re prepared to use those lower gears to slow your engine down. Doing this instead of—or in addition to—using your breaks means that you’ll have more control over your descents on those hairpin turns.
Use your trailer brakes.
When we purchased our current tow vehicle, a Ford F-150, we made sure that it came with a tow package. That package included a trailer brake system that we could operate easily from the driver’s seat.
I highly recommend a similar system regardless of where you’re traveling, but it becomes a (possibly literally) lifesaver in places like Million Dollar Highway.
On those steep grades and hairpin turns, you’ll want to use every tool available to you to keep you from overheating your RV or tow vehicle brakes. A combination of the vehicle brakes, the trailer braking system, and manual gear is a great way to safely get through any mountain driving experience.
I’m all about simplicity when it comes to our RV accessories, and the trailer braking system we have is no exception.
Our in-dash trailer braking system is super easy to use once installed: you simply squeeze the two buttons together to activate the brakes on your trailer and help slow your momentum on those hairpin turns and 8% grades.
Sway bars are important.
On a road where your vehicle and RV are taking up all but a few inches of the lane, you want to make sure that your tow vehicle and trailer are as in-line as possible.
I also recommend sway bars in any driving situation, but, again, the Million Dollar Highway practically screams for this feature.
Properly installed sway bars will keep your trailer firmly placed behind your tow vehicle, which means you’re less likely to suffer from wind- or speed-related sway. If ever there was a time that you wanted to keep your trailer exactly where you needed it to be, it would be on Million Dollar Highway, where those few inches on either side of your tires really, really matter.
We have the Fastaway e2 sway bar system on our truck, and it has been excellent for over 9,000 miles now.
Double check your tires and engine before you start.
I’m always fussy about our RV’s tires, especially after I had a double blow out on our pop-up trailer on the way to Cape Hatteras KOA in the Outer Banks.
In that nightmare of a situation, I had a wide shoulder on which to pull over. And the DOT highway patrol quickly made its way over to help me out.
Don’t expect any of that on Million Dollar Highway. It’s just too remote for regular DOT help, and there’s simply no room to pull over if you do have issues.
If every there was a time to get out and kick the old tires before you start driving, Million Dollar Highway is it. This is a good reminder to check your oil and coolant levels, too.
The Million Dollar Highway in the fall near Ironton
Where to Stop Along the Million Dollar Highway
The sights listed below are done in order from south (near Silverton) to north (near Ouray).
Columbine Lake Trail
This stunning 8.5 mile round trip hike leads visitors to an untouched glacier lake that will make you feel as if you’re the only one to ever discover it.
It’s accessible via a forest road around 20 miles south of Ouray and about 7 miles north of Silverton. There is some significant elevation gain on the trail, so be aware of that if you’re coming from lower altitudes. (Hiking with altitude sickness is never fun.)
Check out this post for more information on the Columbine Lake Trail, including parking information and gear suggestions.
Yankee Girl Mine
Yankee Girl was one of the few vertical shaft mines in the area. | source
Get up close with this area’s fascinating mining history with a visit to the Yankee Girl Mine. It is accessible via the gravel CR-31 road just south of Red Mountain Pass.
This long defunct mining area was once one of the richest sources of silver in the San Juan Mountains. Today, it makes for a great hike to see the old equipment that still stands.
Keep in mind that the road here, as with many of the side roads from Million Dollar Highway, is rough and not well maintained. If you don’t feel comfortable driving down the side road to the mine, you can park near the intersection of Million Dollar Highway and CR-31 and hike up.
Learn more about the Yankee Girl Mine’s history here.
Ironton
If you’re interested in visiting one of the mines along Million Dollar Highway, but want something that’s more accessible than Yankee Girl, Ironton is a great alternative.
Unlike Yankee Girl which just has the mine remaining, Ironton has several buildings that remain standing including old houses. Ironton is more of a ghost town than simply an old mine.
From Silverton, you’ll see a green sign indicating the right turn-off to Ironton about 15 miles down Million Dollar Highway.
Hayden Trail
Another challenging hike in the San Juan Mountain, the Hayden Trail takes hikers high into the mountains surrounding the Million Dollar Highway. The trailhead is about 8 miles south of Ouray and has a small gravel parking area.
Due to the elevation here, you’ll end the hike high above the tree line in an area that typically still has glaciers and/or snow accumulation into early summer. Bring appropriate gear.
For photos of the hike and more information on the trail, see this post.
Neosho Mine
Unlike Ironton, the Neosho Mine hike offers up little more than collapsed buildings. Still, the hike here is pretty enough to make it worth it.
You’ll be treated to long range views of the San Juan Mountains, Ouray, and Bear Creek Falls.
Learn more about the hiking logistics for Neosho Mine here.
Bear Creek Falls
Bear Creek Falls | source
If you want to get closer to Bear Creek Falls than what the Neosho Mine trail offers, you’ll want to head slightly north on Million Dollar Falls to the trailhead for this waterfall hike.
It’s 4.5 miles round trip and one of the easiest of the hikes on this list.
However, keep in mind that you’re still hiking at high altitudes and it’s not a flat trail, so it’s going to be more difficult than you’d expect for a hike of this length.
Plus, the trail is nearly completely uphill to the falls, which pushes this trail into moderately difficult territory.
There are a couple of easy stream crossings along the way, and you’re rewarded for your efforts with the stunning Bear Creek Falls.
More information on the trail can be found here.
Switzerland of America Lookout Point
If you do nothing else on Million Dollar Highway, make it this lookout. Located close to the Ouray end of the highway, this sightseeing point is well marked and easily accessible from the road. Given how you’re feeling about the climb from Ouray—or down into Ouray, depending on the route you’re driving—you might want a quick stop anyway.
Ouray is known as the Switzerland of America thanks to its quaint historic town, towering mountains, and abundant waterfalls. This lookout point is an excellent way to take in some of the best scenery in this area.
Baby Bathtubs Trail
A section of the Baby Bathtubs Trail near Ouray, Colorado | source
An easy hiking trail with plenty of water to splash in? Yes, please!
This fun little trail is located just above Ouray as you get onto Million Dollar Highway going south.
It’s super popular, so go early if you want to get a good parking spot.
And if you want to explore more in this area, the Baby Bathtubs Trail links up with the Ouray Perimeter Trail, which offers multiple hiking opportunities, including the super kid-friendly Cascade Falls.
Learn more about the Baby Bathtubs Trail here.
Don’t forget to spend a day or two in Ouray, Colorado, at the northern end of Million Dollar Highway!
The city offers up one of the best family adventures in Colorado, including multiple hikes, a walkable downtown, and a hot springs. Don’t miss out on the kid-friendly Cascade Falls hike!
Ridgway State Park is also nearby and is a great day trip. Read our Pa-Co-Chu-Puk Campground review to see what camping is like at the state park.
Final Thoughts on Million Dollar Highway
If you’re driving a smaller, reliable vehicle or motorcycle, and want a road trip you’ll never forget, you should add Million Dollar Highway to your list of things to do in Colorado. The variety of trailheads and overlooks add even more memory-making experiences to this famous road.
However, if you’re driving a larger vehicle or an RV, or pulling a trailer, you will want to seriously evaluate your ability to drive under stressful conditions for miles on end. It’s hard to stress just how taxing it can be to constantly monitor a large vehicle and trailer with no margin for error.
Ultimately, this road is for leisure driving, and it’s ideal for those looking for a scenic meander through the mountains. It’s not ideal for those drivers looking just to get from point A to point B, especially with a camper or trailer. If you’re not 100% confident in your driving skills and your ability to handle your vehicle under less than ideal situations, I’d highly recommend taking the longer route from Durango to Ouray through Telluride, Placerville and Ridgway.
I might return in a small car, but I absolutely will never do this highway again while pulling a trailer and riding in a vehicle with a high cab. My nerves are good—and I love an adventure—but that’s past my threshold of fun.
