Drives The Rockies
Million Dollar Highway
US-550, Ouray to Silverton · San Juan Mountains, Colorado
US-550 between Ouray and Silverton, blasted into the walls of the Uncompahgre Gorge and over Red Mountain Pass at 11,018 feet. It's one of the most dramatic paved roads in America, and one of the least forgiving.
- Distance
- 24 mi
- Drive time
- 55 min
- Climbing
- 3,900 ft
- Highest point
- ≈ 11,100 ft
Carve is the scenic-drive planner for cars: turn-by-turn on iPhone and Android, with CarPlay and Android Auto, and offline with no signal. No app yet? The link shows the route and where to get Carve.
The drive
Strictly, the Million Dollar name belongs to the 12 miles from Ouray through the Uncompahgre Gorge to the top of Red Mountain Pass; this route carries on down the far side to Silverton, the way most people drive it. Leaving Ouray, the road switchbacks up the gorge wall with sheer drops, tight hairpins and long stretches with no guardrail.
Over the pass, the land opens into the old Red Mountain mining district before the road drops through forest to Silverton, a former mining town above 9,000 feet. The drive is part of the San Juan Skyway, an All-American Road.
Stops along the way
- Bear Creek Falls About 2¾ miles south of Ouray: a viewing platform over a 205-foot waterfall beside the road.
- Red Mountain Pass The top, at 11,018 feet. The climb from the Ouray side reaches an 8% grade.
- Silverton The end of the road: a former mining town in a high mountain valley.
When to go
US-550 is open all year, but it's at its best from late spring to early fall, when it's dry and clear of snow. In winter, avalanches close it for hours or days at a time, and chains can be required. In summer 2026 CDOT began repairing a retaining wall and the Bear Creek Tunnel just south of Ouray, with one-lane traffic, delays of 15 to 20 minutes and some overnight closures; check whether it's finished before you go.
Good to know
- Long stretches have no guardrails, narrow lanes and tight hairpins. Keep your speed down, and use the pullouts to let faster traffic by.
- Seventy named avalanche paths cross the road between Ouray and Silverton.
- At over 11,000 feet the weather changes fast; bring a warm layer even in summer.
- Box Cañon Falls is just outside Ouray, off the first switchback on County Road 361.
More drives
- Beartooth Highway US-212, Red Lodge to Cooke City · 65 mi · Sweeping
- Going-to-the-Sun Road West Glacier to St. Mary · 51 mi · Sweeping
- Tioga Pass Tioga Road and CA-120, Crane Flat to Lee Vining · 59 mi · Sweeping
Free to plan and drive with a signal. Carve Apex downloads the whole route for driving with none.
Sources: CDOT: US-550 Red Mountain Pass work, Visit Ouray, Wikipedia: Million Dollar Highway, Wikipedia: Red Mountain Pass, World Waterfall Database: Bear Creek Falls. Distance, time, elevation and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-06.