the wandering chick
...the San Juan Skyway Loop

A T-shirt's in order: "I drove the Million Dollar Highway!!" Yikes. And I did it twice.

The pictures on this page were taken on the Highway 550 which is the east-side portion of the San Juan Skyway Loop. A smaller portion of it, roughly between Silverton and Ouray, is called the Million Dollar Highway. There are several legends as to how it got the nickname, and no one seems to know for sure..

Most of the 550 is an easy, fun drive. It's very scenic, and, in my opinion, more rugged than the Highway 145 part of the loop. More mountains are in view. Any many of them snow-capped. There are also a couple of passes to go over.

The hard part is the last five or so miles before descending into Ouray from the south side. The road becomes narrow, winding and with no guard rails as you go through the area of the Uncompahgre Gorge. Ironically, that's the most scenic part as well. There is, however, a large lookout section where drivers can pull over and take in the view of the gorge and the waterfalls.

If you enjoy these pictures and want to see the rest of the skyway loop, check out the Highway 145 photos from Dolores to Telluride. A link is provided at the bottom of this page.

Also, there are separate pages of photos for the major towns along the route. Thanks for visiting.

from Durango to Ouray
A pasture of flowers along the 550
The Durango end of the 550
the 550
I started the 550 in Durango and headed to Ouray, about 50 miles north. The road starts out with pretty green pastures and lakes before the terrain becomes more rugged.
Along the 550
Along the 550
Lake Haviland
waterfall
One of many waterfalls along the route, probably unnamed.
Lake Haviland
Andrews Lake and Recreation Area
A guardrail-less part of the 550
Andrews Lake and Recreationi Area is a year-round popular spot for both skiers and boaters. It's about six miles south of Silverton.
Overlooking Silverton
Overlooking the small mining town of Silverton which becomes a hopping little hotspot when the Durango and Silverton Train rolls into town. These days it's tourist-oriented, cute in a honky kind of way.
Red Mountain Creek
outside Silverton
Once you leave Silverton heading north, the terrain begins to change. You see a lot of such mountains as above, especially as you head over Red Mountain Pass. The iron in the mountains is quite evident in this area.
Red Mountain
The Red Mountain Mining Project was one of the largest and richest in the world for about 10 years in the 1890s. A small observation area is located at the top of the pass for viewing the remains of the mining process and information boards on the history.
Red Mountains 1,2 and 3
Runoff from the Red Mountains forms Red Mountain Creek.
At the bottom of Red Mountain Pass
Highway 550
There are a few of these spots along the 550 where there are turns and no guardrails. But this isn't the hard part...
the 550
at Molas Pass
...nor is this! The most scary is yet to come.
At Molas Pass
On 550 at the Uncompahgre Gorge
At the Uncompahgre Gorge
It's along here (photos above and left) in the Uncompahgre Gorge that the road becomes narrower and a little on the scary side. But it soon widens at a curve where a small pullover allows you to get out and snap pictures of the incredibly scenic gorge.
At the Uncompahgre Gorge
At the Uncompahgre Gorge
The Uncompahgre Gorge with Abrams Mountain in the background
At the Uncompahgre Gorge
At the Uncompahgre Gorge
Bear Creek Fall
A couple of waterfalls can be seen from the Uncompahgre Gorge Lookout. This one is across the highway and falls under the road. I believe it's Bear Creek Fall.
The 550 leaving the Uncompahgre Gorge
Above and Below: The Highway 550 as it leaves the Uncompahgre Gorge and descends into Ouray

If you'd like to continue viewing pictures of the San Juan Skyway, click any one of these links. A link on that page will lead you to others.

Highway 145 from Dolores to Telluride

Telluride

Ouray

Durango

Hikes along the way

Or, you may want to return to the Colorado home page

Or, go to a destination below

Please visit some of my other travel locations. Feel free to email me if you have questions or comments.

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