Million Dollar Highway Audio Tour | Colorado's Beautiful Route

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Tour Details

Tour Type: Driving
Duration: 2 - 3 Hours
Distance:72+ Miles
Audio Stories: 50+
No of Starting Points: 2
Purchase Qty: One Per Car
Tour At Your Own Pace
Tour Anytime, Any Day
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Welcome to the Million Dollar Highway Audio Tour

Strike out for the wild west with this Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway tour experience. This remote, jaw-dropping stretch of roadway was once the site of booming mining towns and railroad tycoons. Today, it’s a unique blend of jaw-dropping natural beauty and rugged western charm. But you’ll do more than just see the sights with this tour—you’ll also learn the wild history of this area, from boom to bust.

About the Tour

Your Million Dollar Highway Audio Tour begins in Durango, once little more than a ragtag railroad camp. As you learn how it went from that to the bustling town it is today; you’ll get a good look at the Animas River, an essential water source for the area. Continuing, you’ll hear about Otto Mears, the man behind the road you’re driving on.

One of the first major landmarks you’ll reach will be the Pinkerton Hot Springs, once believed to possess magical healing properties. After that, you’ll have the chance to see Baker’s Bridge, where Paul Newman and Robert Redford took their famous leap in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Next is Haviland Lake, a pristine body of water framed by ponderosa pines and with a great mountain view. As you continue past the lake, toward the breathtaking heights of Molas Pass, you’ll hear all about the gold rush and the formation of these impressive mountains.

Continuing, you’ll arrive in the town of Silverton. Once a humble mining camp, this settlement has retained plenty of its old-timey charm! Around here, you’ll also have the opportunity to detour to a hidden waterfall off the beaten path.

Up next is Crystal Lake, a great spot to take a break and spot some of the local wildlife. Then you’ll come to one of the highway’s most prominent attractions: the 200-foot-tall Bear Creek Falls.

When you’re done admiring the waterfall, you’ll head to the quaint town of Ouray, which some have nicknamed “the Switzerland of America.” Featuring an ice park, a canyon full of great views and hikes, a bustling historic district, and another huge waterfall, this little town has no shortage of activities and sights. Your tour concludes at the Ouray Visitor Center.

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Million Dollar Highway Map

Where To Start?

Starting Point: 1621 Main Ave, Durango, CO 81301, USA

Reverse Tour: 1230 Main St, Ouray, CO 81427

How Does It Work?

Once you book a tour, you’ll get a text/email with instructions.
Download the app (while in good wifi/signal) and use your unique password to access your tours. If there are multiple versions or entrances for your tour, be sure to download all audio guides.
To begin touring, go to the starting point and launch the app.
The audio starts automatically once you reach the starting point. Stick to the tour route and speed limit for the best experience.
Please note that no one will meet you at the starting point.

What You'll See

Welcome to the Million Dollar Highway
Your northbound tour along the Million Dollar Highway begins in Durango.
Durango
Return to Durango's humble beginnings as a ramshackle railroad camp and find out who's responsible for transforming it forever.
Animas River
Discover the rather dark origin behind the name of the Animas River as you drive alongside it.
So Why "Million Dollar"?
Learn where the Million Dollar Highway got its name, despite some inaccurate myths.
Otto Mears and the Ouray Toll Road
Uncover the origins of the highway and what the discovery of gold had to do with it all.
Geology of the Plateau
Turn back the clock a few hundred million years and learn how this plateau first formed.
Pinkerton Hot Springs
Visit some beautiful, natural hot springs, plus get a detailed account of the rise and fall of a resort built to capitalize off of them.
Baker's Bridge
Swing by the bridge where Paul Newman and Robert Redford made their famous leap in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Haviland Lake
Take an icy swim in Haviland Lake, or just cool off under the pines and enjoy a picture-perfect picnic.
History & Formation of the San Juan Mountains
Find out what created the San Juan Mountains, and how that event also exposed many of the valuable minerals miners later found here.
Wildlife
Get to know some of the Million Dollar Mile's most fascinating critters.
History of the Gold Rush
Hear how Colorado's gold rush connects to California's, and where gold may have come from in the first place.
Coal Bank Pass
Enjoy the dizzying heights afforded by this mountain pass, which rises 10,610 feet above sea level.
Is It Dangerous?
Calm your nerves with some simple tips to keep your drive along the Million Dollar Mile safe and pleasant.
Adrenaline Falls
Join the locals in diving into this waterfall pool if you're feeling adventurous.
Andrews Lake Trail
Take a quick walk around this pristine mountain lake for a taste of the wilderness.
Molas Pass
Ascend to 10,912 feet above sea level and hear about the annual event where cyclists do the same.
Molas Lake
Lounge by the shores of this crystal-clear glacial lake and simply enjoy the scenery.
Immigrant Labor
Brush up on your American history and hear why immigrant labor was essential in constructing this highway.
Silverton
Visit this historic mining town, admire the preserved architecture, and hear about its strange and rather grim origins.
Detour to Clear Creek Falls
Get away from the crowds and visit a hidden waterfall with this optional detour.
Fall Foliage
Discover why autumn on the Million Dollar Mile is different from just about anywhere else.
Celestial Bears
Hear an old myth about the constellations the miners of this region once gazed up toward at night.
Red Mountain Pass
Reach the highest point on the highway as you drive this 11,000 foot-high mountain pass.
Erosion/Gulch
Find out how the Million Dollar Highway ended up with such dramatically sloping gulches alongside the road.
Ironton
Cruise past an abandoned mining town and learn how the boom became a bust.
Mineral Creek Staging Area
Stop here to hike a trail to that old mining town.
Crystal Lake
Keep your eyes open for elk at this crystal clear lake, a favorite watering hole for the local wildlife.
The Saint Germain Foundation
Dig into the bizarre, hidden history of a strange spiritual group which once owned land along the highway.
Bear Creek Falls
Check out a 200-foot waterfall that's easily visible from the roadside.
Ouray
Drive through this picturesque town, learn its history, and find out why it has been called "the Switzerland of America."
Ouray Ice Park
Take an adventurous detour to this ice park, featuring an enormous, human-made wall of ice for intrepid climbers.
Box Canyon
Visit another huge, sparkling waterfall and find out what it had to do with the formation of this unique canyon.
Ouray Historical District
Admire the preserved historic architecture from this old mining town's early days.
Architecture of Ouray
Learn more about Ouray's architectural curiosities, including the castle-like Beaumont Hotel.
Cascade Falls Park
Visit a lush park boasting a very short trail to perhaps the most impressive waterfall on the entire Million Dollar Highway.
Ouray Visitor Center
Your tour concludes at the Ouray Visitor Center.

Preview The Tour

Tour FAQs

Running all the way from New Mexico to Colorado, US Highway 550 is also referred to as The Million Dollar Highway.

The 25-mile Million Dollar Highway between Silverton and Ouray in Colorado is one of the most scenic drives in the US. We recommend driving it if you can.

The speed limit is typically between 25 mph and 10 mph (around some turns).

The Million Dollar Highway in Colorado is kept open year-round for anyone to travel. However, taking this route during the winter can sometimes be tricky or even dangerous, so make sure you’re prepared.

Guard rails are absent in some areas as the road is too narrow to install them.

Silverton is a historic mining town (hence the name). Many mining operations can be seen on the hillsides as you leave Silverton (if driving south to north) or just before arriving in Silverton (if driving north to south). Silverton is well known because of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

The Million Dollar Highway in Colorado is one of the most scenic stretches of highway in the country, running about 25 miles between the towns of Silverton and Ouray. Read more in our blog post.

The Million Dollar Highway travels between the small towns of Silverton and Ouray in Southwest Colorado. The highest point in the San Juan Mountain Range is Red Mountain Pass at 11,018 feet.

The Red Mountain Pass is a mountain pass in western Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. The Red Mountain Pass is named after the Red Mountain, which can be found on the pass’s northeast side. The Red Mountain’s name is also derived from the iron oxide-laden rock that forms its slopes. During our tour, you’ll get a closer look at the same.