Story by JUSTIN W. COFFEY
ROAD WORTH RIDING
A Million Dollar Highway Through the Rocky Mountains
Colorado U. S. 550
According to legend, the Million Dollar Highway( officially U. S. Route 550 in southwestern Colorado) earned its nickname thanks to a combination of local lore, the cost to build it in the 1930s, and the stunning scenery offered along its two-lane blacktop. Connecting the Colorado mountain towns of Durango and Ouray, the Million Dollar Highway is a 25-mile-long section of the San Juan Skyway, which is a 236-mile scenic loop in southwestern Colorado that showcases 14,000-foot mountain peaks, historic mining towns, and ancient cliff dwellings.
Leaving Durango, riders can head north on U. S. 550 through the small towns of Trimble and Hermosa, before climbing in elevation past Electra Lake and the Purgatory Resort, which rests at 8,793 feet above sea level. From there the road begins to look like a kindergartener took a crayon to the map. Switchbacks and twisty, two-lane tarmac takes riders past scenic waterfalls and mountainous overlooks en route to Silverton, which resides at 9,318 feet.
It’ s a beautiful ride, but the bit that gave this section of U. S. 550 its Million Dollar moniker lies north of Silverton. Just past the San Juan Viewpoint, the road snakes between an array of mountain peaks including Hayden Mountain, Chicago Peak, and Red Mountain, amongst others. This is the stretch of road you came to ride! With serpentine pavement and multiple mountain passes in excess of 10,000 feet, the views are, well, worth a million dollars.
Elevation gain continues through this section of U. S. 550, culminating at Red Mountain Pass, which lies at 11,018 feet above sea level. After passing through the abandoned mining town of Ironton, riders can stretch their legs for a moment before the road, again, folds over itself in a series of switchbacks. The last span of the Million Dollar Highway takes you into Ouray, a historic mountain town established in 1875 by prospectors seeking silver and gold in the surrounding mountains and what is now home to the county seat of Ouray County.
U. S. 550 continues north out of Ouray through the towns of Ridgway, Eldridge, and Vernal before arriving in Montrose, a vibrant hub of art and agriculture on Colorado’ s Western Slope sitting at an elevation of 5,794 feet. It’ s a great place to eat and enjoy a quiet night in a comfortable bed before turning around to ride the Million Dollar Highway again, this time from north to south.
10 / NOVEMBER 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM