Installment 5
For those that might feel like a day road trip, the Dolores-Durango-Silverton-Ouray-Ridgway-Telluride-Dolores loop is fantastic. You will travel the famous Million Dollar Highway (Highway 550) between Durango and Ridgway and Highway 62/145 between Ridgeway and Dolores. The entire loop is about 225 miles and will take six hours driving time not including stops. Of course, you don’t have do the whole thing. Driving to Silverton and back is about 192 miles, four hours. Driving to Telluride and back is 140 miles, three hours.
Any way you go, this will be some of the most beautiful scenery you have ever seen. You till travel over four 10k’+ mountain passes and be surrounded by mountains up to 14k’. In early June the mountains will still be snow covered, but the highways will be fine. Full disclosure; the section between Silverton and Ouray may not be for you if you are afraid of heights. The road is two-lane with impressive drop offs. Having said that, we don’t have a problem driving it. We frequently pull our 5th wheel over the route and I have traveled it many times summer and winter pulling large Snocats.
The entire area is historic Colorado mining country. Silverton has a few tourist shops, but the drive is the best part.
This is big snow country. The last three years (including this year) have been mild, but 2019 was amazing. Highway 550 between Durango and Ridgway was closed for several weeks, CDOT could not keep up with the snow. Here is a helicopter video showing the highway; not the equipment in areas trying to clear the snow.
Links to the route:
https://www.colorado.com/scenic-hist...dollar-highway
https://www.durango.com/million-dollar-highway/
https://www.silvertoncolorado.com/
https://www.visitouray.com/
https://www.durango.org/
https://www.telluride.com/
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Scott & Alta
2017 Montana 3160RL, Legacy, Onan 5.5Kw, Solar
2022 F-450 Lariat Ultimate
