Million Dollar Highway
The stretch of Highway 550 between Silverton and Ouray takes drivers over Red Mountain Pass at 11 thousand feet without guardrails on its narrowest sections. The road clings precariously to the edge of plunging cliffs, and sees as much as 25 feet of snow each winter. It’s terrified many a soul, and taken a few, yet wagon drivers paid to use the road in the late 1800s to get valuable ore from mines to market. When automobiles came along, few believed one could make the trip. But in 1911 a doctor went from Ouray to Ironton in a Model T for a house call. After it was paved with asphalt in the 50s, it became a tourist destination. Since then many travelers have braved the treacherous yet exhilarating 20 mile drive. It’s called the Million Dollar Highway, but the awe-inspiring views – and bragging rights to driving one of the world’s most unforgettable roads – are priceless.
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