US Route 550 - Colorado

AKA: Million Dollar Highway

Montrose - Durango

Distance/Driving time: 108 miles/2h, 11m

County(ies): Montrose, Ouray, San Juan, La Plata

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• Not much to say about this run, if you haven't been on it you are missing heaven. more...
  Mountains, passes sharp turns most with no guard rails (fun), just one ride not to miss. - Rider from Santa Fe, NM (3/21/12)
• My husband and I rode from Durango to Ridgway and back, he was on a Road King and I was on a Dyna. more...
  Climbing up the mountains and at Coal Blank Pass, we had to put on rain gear. After that, had to make a stop at Molas Pass for a few breathe taking pictures (although a camera doesn’t do it justice). A few more miles of twisty roads and you are into Silverton. Take the left at the gas station and you are on your way to Ouray. Between Silverton and Ouray, the road becomes more exciting with more twisty roads, no guard rails, and the most beautiful views anyone can imagine. There a few places to pull over and take pictures, or just enjoy the view. There was construction just before you got into Ouray, but the delay wasn’t long. Ouray to Ridgeway is sweeping roads with scenic meadows and mountain views. Take the same way back, for a totally different view. The road is just amazing. Be prepared for weather changes. - McVallynn (9/5/11)
• I rode this in July, 2010 on my Goldwing pulling a trailer and my wife on the back. more...
  We had just came from Glacier National park in Montana and rode the 'Going to the Sun Road', which compared to this ride was nothing. My wife said she was more scared on the Going to the Sun Road but not in my case! As we were climbing the mountain on 550 it began to rain then hail, no guard-rail and my wing was starting to overheat (which I found out later was my fault for not gearing down), but that was a scary ride for me. I was very happy to get to Durango, but I would do it again in a heart beat. - Anonymous (10/22/10)
• You travel through Ouray and Silverton, CO going over Red Mountain Pass. more...
  Ouray, CO is situated in a river valley at 7,700 ft. in the heart of the Rocky Mountains lies the spectacular mountain town of Ouray, eloquently nicknamed the Switzerland of America. Silverton, CO is an old mining town that was known as the town that never quit. The highway between Ouray and Silverton is known as the Million Dollar Highway because of the amount of gold recovered when building the road. - Rider from Thorton, CO (12/16/09)
• An awsome ride up thru the clouds and back down into Silverton, CO. more...
  - Mike C. (7/23/09)
• Did the 550 ride in 1995 while on a trip back east from Fort Huachuca, AZ. more...
  Had heard about it from friends and decided to head north from AZ rather than east to take the ride. Great road. Great views. No guardrail. All you get is the white line showing edge of pavement, then fresh air. Suggest riding during the heat of the day. I was running late and should have stopped in Durango for the night, but pushed on. Although I was riding in August, by the time I reached Coal Bank Pass, the sun was starting to set and I hit ice. Be careful. - Pancho from VA (3/25/09)
• I'd heard about this road from a lot of people. more...
  I was looking for a clear spot in the weather as I was riding in the rain and it looked clear to the south, so I turned down it in Montrose.
  I have to admit, I was a little disappointed until I reached Ouray. It was a typical beautiful Colorado road, but I was expecting more.
  Then in Ouray, it started climbing, and twisting. Sheer drops in the middle of twisties with no guardrail. Couple that with a steady rain and it made for an interesting ride. I had to keep reminding myself that riding off a cliff was probably no more fatal than running into a tree and focus on the road.
  I stopped in Silverton as the rain was coming down harder. There were about 100 bikes stopped there, everyone trying to decide if they wanted to go on or go back. Both directions sounded bad, so I went on into a mountain pass shrouded with mysterious clouds reminiscient of a Lord of the RIngs movie. Finally, I climbed into the clouds and it got mildly foggy. After what seemed forever, I descended into Durango where it stopped raining just long enough for me to have a Texas barbaque sandwich, glad to be off the roller coaster, but also glad I went.
  What surprised me is that even though the weather was bad, there were more bikes than cars. But not enough so that the road seemed crowded.
  This is NOT a road for newer riders. And it's also not a road for those scared of heights. However, for those who can handle it, on a sunny day the views would be magnificent.
  I'd suggest Ouray as a destination for a night although I didn't stop there. There were a lot of places that have hot springs and it looks like an interesting town to explore. - Gershon (9/3/08)
• I rode from Montrose to Silverton on 6/30/07 and found the views to be beautiful. more...
  The road over Red Mountain was a bit rough and had several pot holes, so be careful. Also there are a couple of places where the road has no guard rail, (no place to put them) so if you are afraid of heights be warned. Otherwise, a very fun ride with curves like none other. - Rider from Colorado (7/1/07)
• The route of a life time! more...
  Twisties to die for, scenery at every turn, sheer drops from the roadway and places to stop like Ouray to delight the rider. Bring your camera and watch the road. - Rider from Golden, CO (2/18/07)
• This ride over the San Juan Mountains in Southwest Colorado includes the 'Million Dollar Highway' from Ouray to Silverton - 23 miles of non-stop up-and-down twisties peaking at the Red Mountain Pass (11,018'). more...
  There are numerous spectacular viewpoints. The Silverton to Durango stretch also includes two more 10,000+' passes. The major towns date back to gold and silver mining days, with many biker-friendly restaurants and accomodations. - Rider from Glendale, AZ
• Twisty, scenic, breathtaking. more...
  Have to really pay attention to the road not to run off of it! Telluride and Silverton and Uray are great stops along the way. Old mines, cleared off portions of the mountains where avalanches have been previously, snow in the high mountains. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful. - Stephen Docherty

Other Resources:

• Weather.com - Million Dollar Highway
• North American Sportbike Road Registry - Colorado Sport Bike Roads