Back
Dallas Divide: Ridgway to Telluride, San Juan Mountains, Colorado
Photo: Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0 · cropped

Drives Colorado Durango, Telluride and the San Juans

Dallas Divide: Ridgway to Telluride

CO 62, CO 145 · Ridgway → Telluride

Leisurely39 mi55 min3,800 ft climbHigh point ≈ 9,000 ftOne way
Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.
Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

Drive this road
in the appOpen

The drive

The drive leaves Ridgway on US 550, climbs CO 62 across ranchland, and crests the Dallas Divide at about 9,000 feet. The view south takes in Mount Sneffels and the Sneffels Range, one of the most photographed scenes in Colorado.

West of the divide, CO 62 drops to Placerville and meets CO 145, which turns east up the San Miguel River canyon to Telluride. An old toll road over the divide linked Dallas, near Ridgway, with Telluride starting in 1880.

The curves are gentle all the way, and the drive is 39 miles and about 55 minutes.

Along the way

  1. Ridgway
  2. Dallas Divide
  3. Placerville
  4. Telluride
Elevation
3,800 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 9,000 ft
RidgwayTelluride
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
RidgwayTelluride
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The roadside viewpoint on CO 62 can be very crowded during peak fall color, usually late September.
  • Summer afternoon thunderstorms are common in the San Juans, according to CDOT.
  • Both highways are open year-round; check COtrip in winter.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check CDOT COtrip.

Questions about this drive

How long does the Dallas Divide drive take?

Ridgway to Telluride over the Dallas Divide on CO 62 and CO 145 is 39 miles and takes about 55 min.

When is the best time to see the Dallas Divide?

Fall color is the draw. The viewpoint with Mount Sneffels is a well-known place to photograph aspens, and it can be very crowded at the peak.

Is the Dallas Divide part of the San Juan Skyway?

Yes. CO 62 over the Dallas Divide is part of the San Juan Skyway, a National Scenic Byway.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.
Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.
Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

Download on theApp StoreEarly access onGoogle Play

More drives near here

All 42 drives in Colorado ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

+ Plan a new route
Map of Dallas Divide: Ridgway to Telluride, from Ridgway to Telluride