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Milliion dollar views

Whether it’s the low-grade ore in the road bed or the awe inspiring views around each white-knuckled bend, the stretch of the Million Dollar Highway between Durango and Ouray is a site to behold for locals and visitors alike. Between the mountain hamlets, the two-laned U.S. Highway 550 travels over three mountain passes, offering a multitude of activities for any rock hound, cyclist, hiker or day tripper as well as the avid sightseer. Just a few miles north of Durango, the walls close in and the Million Dollar Highway greets each new traveler with sheer cliffs and stunning wildflower displays. Just remember to keep your eyes on the road.

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A pair of columbines enjoy the rain along the Million Dollar Highway recently.

Red Mountain Pass is awash in rich mining heritage and antique structures worn away by time that are easily visible from the car window.

Brian Ford watches his 9-year-old son, Matthew, heave a rock into a small pond below the observation point on Molas Pass.

A pick-up gathers speed descending the north side of Coal Bank Pass below the Coal Creek trailhead on Saturday afternoon.

A group of motorcyclists exits the highway for a foray into Silverton on Sunday.

Motorists pass a U.S. Forest Service sign documenting the Lime Creek forest fire of 1879, which burned 26,000 acres.

I think I can: A bus travels southbound toward the top of Molas Pass on Sunday Morning.


 

 

 

 


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