Red Mountain Pass is known to close suddenly, due to weather or rock slides, so stay flexible. If you can remove your stomach from your throat, the views are hard to top, with panoramas of the three different brightly colored Red Mountains and ancient mining remnants. Some stretches have no guard rail, which can be quite the rush. This is one of the state's highest paved passes and it's no joke. Red Mountain Pass provides views of the Red Mountains - Photo courtesy of iStock / Missing35mm The campground here is considered one of the most scenic in Colorado and provides access to the forest and trails. Although you can't go swimming here, the view adjacent to the biggest wilderness area in Colorado is delightful enough.

Take the highway up Molas Pass, where you'll get a great overlook of the Animas River Gorge and Molas Lake.

Molas Lake is home to one of the most scenic campgrounds - Photo courtesy of Bettina Woolbright / flickr Go camping, hunting, hiking, biking or fishing in the multiple wilderness areas. This forest stretches across 1.8 million acres of desert, mountain peaks, meadows and canyons. The Million Dollar Highway will bring you through the San Juan National Forest, which is worth as long of a stop as you can carve out. Haviland Lake in San Juan National Forest - Photo courtesy of iStock / KaraGrubis He built a hotel on the grounds shortly thereafter to make it easier for others to come experience the healing waters. The spa is named after founder Frank Trimble, who said the springs healed his rheumatism in 1874. The Trimble Spa and Natural Hot Springs opened its natural, healing waters to visitors in the 19th century, but long before that, Ancient Puebloans lived in this region. Relax in ancient hot springsĪ post shared by Katie Kandarian on at 11:25am PST This former mining town boasts a good number of still-standing rickety, old wooden buildings that juxtapose with pristine views. If you're cruising with four-wheel drive or a Jeep, a must-see before hitting the Million Dollar Highway is the ghost town northeast of Silverton. Take a guided tour, learn about the history and even try your luck at panning for gold. The Old Hundred Gold Mine Tour in Silverton is a great way to start your road trip, and get your mind in the right space to journey on this historical mountain route. The old-fashioned town of Silverton, Colo. Here are 10 things to see on a road trip along Colorado's Million Dollar Highway, from Silverton to Ouray. But it's the portion of 550 between Silverton to Ouray that earns the high-dollar name origins of which remain unclear). It feels like time-traveling, following roads originally built for stagecoaches and horses.įor a longer journey, take U.S. Still, the Million Dollar Highway is a tourist favorite and is almost considered a rite of passage for Colorado roadtrippers looking for an amazing day trip. One of the coolest (and most daunting in the winter) features of this highway is it crosses three different mountain passes: Coal Bank, Molas and Red Mountain. It's best to take this trip in the summer, when weather is mild, and let the locals take the streets in the winter, when chains on your wheels may be necessary. This route winds along serious mountain roads that pose the potential for danger, if you're not comfortable mastering hairpin turns and climbing upward next to RVs. Don't expect this road trip to go quickly, either. Colorado's Million Dollar Highway is not a long road trip technically only 25 miles long but those miles are packed with thrills and sights.

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