Million Dollar Highway
The Million Dollar Highway is the nickname for US 550 between Silverton and Ouray. This stretch of highway includes Red Mountain Pass, Bear Creek Falls, and areas related to mining like Ironton and the Red Mountain Mining District. The highway is well known for its steep cliffs and lack of guardrails.
The road was built out of necessity. The towns of Ouray and Silverton both needed access to the mining district that was located between them, and this highway was the solution. It was originally a wagon road in the 1800s. The first automobile to cross over Red Mountain Pass did so in 1910.1
Seasonal Info
Open year-round with closures for weather.
Related Pages
Uncompahgre Gorge
It is approx. 13 miles from Ouray to the summit of Red Mountain Pass. Just to the south, above Ouray, you will find the Switzerland of America lookout point. From here, the road shoots upward into the mountains and Uncompahgre Gorge, towards Bear Creek Falls.
Above & Below: A steep Cliffside drops off next to US Highway 550. Both photos were taken while looking north towards Ouray.
Bear Creek Falls & Bear Creek Trailhead
The Bear Creek Trailhead is located approx. 3 miles south of Ouray, just on the other side of the tunnel that is shown below. Bear Creek Falls is located on the opposite side of the road from the parking lot. Take note, there are two Bear Creek Falls near Telluride. The other waterfall is located just outside of the town of Telluride.
The photo below shows a hairpin turn with Crystal Lake and Ironton in the far distance. Red Mountain Creek can be seen running alongside the highway. This location is just beyond the West Riverside Slide and snow tunnel, in between Hendrick Gulch and Curran Gulch.
Ironton Townsite
Several homes and structures from the Ironton mining town are still standing here. The last remaining resident of the town, Milton Larson, lived here until the 1960s. Ironton was a mining town as well as a staging area along the railroad line to the Red Mountain Mining District.
Above & Below: These photos show Highway 550 as it runs near Ironton. Abrams Mountain can be seen in the center background. This section of the highway is located about 7.5 miles to the south of Ouray.
Above: More homes and old structures in Ironton. Below: The water in Red Mountain Creek runs red due to iron oxide. This forms when minerals from the surrounding mining area react with oxygen and water. This creates rust and gives the creek its distinctive red color.
Red Mountain Pass
Red Mountain Pass traverses the highest portion of the Million Dollar Highway. This is where you will find the Red Mountain Mining District, site of the old Yankee Girl Mine, Idarado Mine, and other mining operations whose structures still partially remain.
4x4 Roads - Black Bear Pass, Alpine Loop, Ophir Loop
These mountain passes are all popular 4×4 routes that can be accessed from the Million Dollar Highway. There is also a 4×4 trail that goes right past the old Yankee Girl mine shaft, which bypasses a portion of Red Mountain Pass near the summit.
The Million Dollar Highway does not include Coal Bank Pass or Molas Pass – These passes are located to the south of Silverton and often mentioned as part of the nicknamed highway. However, they are not part of what is traditionally known as the Million Dollar Highway. This highway is generally defined by the time period when it was built and the purpose for which it was built. Silverton and Ouray existed long before the highway, and this highway’s construction is what joined them together.
San Juan Scenic Byway
The Million Dollar Highway is a part of Colorado’s San Juan Scenic Byway. This route runs to Durango over Molas Pass and Coal Bank Pass. It extends west towards Mesa Verde National Park, then circles back around through Telluride.
Million Dollar Highway FAQ
No, the first wagon road cost approx. $201,171.60.2
The highway will only close temporarily for weather and avalanche control activity. The route generally remains open during the winter season.
This highway runs between the towns of Silverton and Ouray, Colorado.
There are no guardrails on the Million Dollar Highway because they would prevent snowplows from removing snow effectively.
Million Dollar Highway History
The first wagon road was created in order to give miners better access to the Red Mountain Mining District that lies between Silverton and Ouray. The two sides of the road were built separately and connected in 1884 by Otto Mears.
1883 – Otto Mears gained control of the Ouray and San Juan wagon road in early 1883.3 He completed the road from Ouray to Ironton before Thanksgiving.4 The portion on the other side of Red Mountain Pass and Ironton, heading towards Silverton, had not yet been completed.
1884 – Otto Mears was contracted by San Juan County to build the wagon road from Silverton to the Yankee Girl Mine. Mears was also contracted by Ouray County to build the remaining portion of the wagon road between Ironton and the Yankee Girl Mine. Work was completed by Mears’ crew on Nov 22nd, 1884.5
The road between the towns had now been connected. It became known as the Silverton and Ouray Toll Road, and eventually as the Million Dollar Highway.
1924 – An improved highway along this route was completed in 1924.
References & Credits
Images Credits: Carol M. Highsmith/Library of Congress, Denver Public Library | More info
- Colorado Experience: Million Dollar Highway. November 3rd, 2022. Rocky Mountain PBS.
- The Solid Muldoon (Weekly), November 28, 1884, p. 3.
- The Lake City Mining Register, Volume IV, Number 6, June 22, 1883, p, 3.
- The San Juan Prospector, Volume X, Number 512, November 24, 1883, p. 3.
- The Solid Muldoon (Weekly), November 28, 1884, p. 3.