The Million Dollar Highway is the roughly 25-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 550 between Ouray and Silverton, and it is one of the most thrilling drives in America. The road clings to the walls of the Uncompahgre Gorge, climbs over 11,018-foot Red Mountain Pass and winds through a landscape of rust-red peaks, waterfalls and old mine headframes in the heart of the San Juan Mountains.

Leaving Ouray, the town nicknamed the Switzerland of America at about 7,800 feet, the highway immediately starts to switchback up the cliffs above the Uncompahgre River. Much of the route has steep drop-offs and few or no guardrails, tight hairpin turns and narrow shoulders, so drivers should take it slow and use pullouts to enjoy the scenery. Between the two towns you will pass Bear Creek Falls, avalanche sheds and the colorful slopes of the Red Mountains, whose iron-rich rock gives the pass its name.

The Red Mountain Mining District boomed with silver strikes in the 1880s and early 1890s, and you can still spot the Yankee Girl headframe and other relics from the road. Nobody agrees on exactly where the Million Dollar name came from; some say the road cost a million dollars a mile to build, others say the fill dirt contained a fortune in gold ore. The highway is also the most dramatic part of the 236-mile San Juan Skyway, a loop that was named an All-American Road in 1996. Combine your drive with a soak at the Ouray Hot Springs Pool or a ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad from the Silverton end.

CDOT closed US 550 over Red Mountain Pass (mile points 75 to 80) between Silverton and Ouray on Oct. 22-23, 2026 because of flood damage, sending drivers on a detour of about five hours through Telluride and Durango. Area closures tied to the 2026 Gold Mountain Fire remain in place on some nearby national forest roads and trails. Always check COtrip.org before you go, especially from fall through spring when snow and avalanche control can close the pass.