July in Southern Colorado, where to?

[Canyonlight]

Attached picture of a section of the O to S road which may make those not used to CO Rockies driving a little squeamish. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...er=7&autoplay=

We have several family members who have lived in the Loveland/Longmont areas back to the 60s and driving this and similar roads pulling or not is a non-issue for most folks as you get used to it as a way of life. My sister and BIL used to have a P/U box camper on an old 50s/60s Dodge 1 ton and camped traveling logging/mining trails in the granny gear going slower than you could walk. Awesome camping spots once you got there......great memories.

Dan

[el Rojo]

For those not familiar with the drive from Ouray to Silverton this stretch of road is breathtakingly beautiful but unbelievably dangerous in places. Colorado does not believe in guard rails and in some places there is no room for guard rails!! The white line at the edge of the road is three inches from a straight down plunge hundreds of feet!!! You won't believe it. How it got the name of Million Dollar Highway is rather interesting and some different opinions float around. I like the one where some people who have traveled it will say "I would not travel this road for a million dollars." Some people pull 5th wheel RV's across to Silverton with great caution. There is only a few places that are extremely dangerous but the overall experience makes it worthwhile. We stayed in a really nice RV park near Montrose and made it our base camp for a week of sightseeing and driving all the beautiful roads to Durango, Silverton and Telluride. It worked very well and I was not pulling anything. Just drive slow, take your time and don't let anyone crowd you into driving too fast in the scary spots. I was drawn to this highway like a moth to a fire. We drove over the million dollar highway three times. What a rush!! Go on youtube, there are several nice videos of this drive. It's a must see if in the area.

That should read thousands in my book. LOL

[orbiker]

The Million Dollar Highway is a GREAT road on a motorcycle.









There is some very beautiful countryside in Western Colorado.

Safe travels, KEN

[Likes to tow]

The Million Dollar Highway is a GREAT road on a motorcycle.









There is some very beautiful countryside in Western Colorado.

Safe travels, KEN

The pictures shown are not on the Million Dollar Highway but somewhere in Western Colorado?? Ok what route number is this?? I can already see it on my list for August!!

[orbiker]

Sorry about that. That's just before the summit of Independence Pass.

We road to Yellowstone to see Motorcycle Cannonball riders and their bikes in 2012 and then went to Colorado to ride most of the SW corner of Colorado. South on one road and then North on the next for 2 weeks from Oregon.

Here is coming coming into Ouray.
DSC06780 by orbiker, on Flickr

I'm pretty sure this is 550.






Such beautiful countryside, KEN

[jbarnes4868]

I take our 303 plus my ATV trailer over this highway once a year. Slow and steady and you just fine. I also recommend a paper bag over your wife’s head.

[Likes to tow]

Just ran across this youtube video of a driver coming up on the most scary part of the Million Dollar Highway. It had been raining hard and I would not have traveled on this type of day. Note how close the white line at the edge of the road is to thin air at about the 25 second mark of the video. That's a drop off of hundreds of feet!!!! Also there is a granite monument at the beginning of this road many people will pass by and never see. It's to commemorate the number of snow plow operators who have lost their life trying to keep this road to Silverton open!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfKBjf9SN9M

[powerscol]

Ouray, Silverton, Durango on the Million Dollar Hwy. A say trip to Telluride is also well worth it! Silverton has a nice RV park if you're coming in from Durango. I would not suggest going to Silverton from Ouray with a trailer. As a matter of fact, I'll take that a step further and recommend against taking that route with any size of trailer.

While it can be intimidating it is actually a safe road if you follow the speed limits. Drive it all the time with the fiver - even in winter. Just go slow. It is however the most scenic drive I know of.

[powerscol]

For those not familiar with the drive from Ouray to Silverton this stretch of road is breathtakingly beautiful but unbelievably dangerous in places. Colorado does not believe in guard rails and in some places there is no room for guard rails!! The white line at the edge of the road is three inches from a straight down plunge hundreds of feet!!! You won't believe it. How it got the name of Million Dollar Highway is rather interesting and some different opinions float around. I like the one where some people who have traveled it will say "I would not travel this road for a million dollars." Some people pull 5th wheel RV's across to Silverton with great caution. There is only a few places that are extremely dangerous but the overall experience makes it worthwhile. We stayed in a really nice RV park near Montrose and made it our base camp for a week of sightseeing and driving all the beautiful roads to Durango, Silverton and Telluride. It worked very well and I was not pulling anything. Just drive slow, take your time and don't let anyone crowd you into driving too fast in the scary spots. I was drawn to this highway like a moth to a fire. We drove over the million dollar highway three times. What a rush!! Go on youtube, there are several nice videos of this drive. It's a must see if in the area.

It got its name for the initial construction price during the mining boom Late 1800's if I remember correctly. It started out as a wagon toll road. The welcome center in Ouray has information on it. BTW the pool (hot springs) there is very good too

[powerscol]

I take our 303 plus my ATV trailer over this highway once a year. Slow and steady and you just fine. I also recommend a paper bag over your wife’s head.

Actually going from north to south is the best - put Mom in the passenger seat.....the fingernail gouges are still in the dash Most of the south to north rout is uphill of the big cliffs. BTW note the tunnel clearance of 13'6" Its at the middle of the tunnel - much less at the white line, Seen many a semi with wrinkled skin.