Is Million Dollar Highway hard to drive?

Driving the Million Dollar Highway is no easy task for the uninitiated. Despite being paved, this dizzying highway is carved from the sides of steep mountains and has zero guardrails. The biggest challenge for the driver? Focusing on the road when there's so much beauty around you!



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Driving time, with no stops, is around 45 minutes. Note that there are no pit stops along Million Dollar Highway: no gas stations, no restrooms, no services. There are, however, fantastic views. Along this stretch of highway, you'll travel over Uncompahgre Gorge and across Red Mountain Pass.

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Given the stunning views and iconic cities along this route, Highway 1 is a hugely popular drive, but some drivers might find the long sections of two-lane road on this route, combined with steep cliff edges, scary. There's also a risk of landslides, which can often cause damage on this scenic but exposed highway.

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Buckle up: Here are the most dangerous roads in America
  • Million Dollar Highway, Colorado. ...
  • U.S. Route 1, Florida. ...
  • Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, Louisiana. ...
  • I-4, Florida. ...
  • I-45, Texas. ...
  • I-10, Arizona. ...
  • I-15, Nevada and California. ...
  • I-285, Georgia.


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The pass is traversed by the Million Dollar Highway, U.S. Highway 550 between Ouray and Silverton, which is part of the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway. The pass is known for being treacherous in the wintertime due to the steep 8% grade and switchbacks on the north side facing Ouray, though the entire road is paved.

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The most notable part of the drive is the 12-mile stretch over Red Mountain Pass through Uncompahgre Gorge. This portion features a 8% grade and narrow switchbacks. As you might guess, it can get backed up with traffic from time to time due to slow cars, large trucks, and many RVs that end up on the route.

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CHARLOTTE — A road in North Carolina has been named the #1 Scariest Drive in America, according to SAVOTEUR. The Tail of the Dragon, which begins at the Deals Gap on the Tennessee/North Carolina state line, is a remote, long, twisting road with 318 curves, 11 bridges, and few guardrails.

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Summer is a great time to do the San Juan Skyway road trip because the weather is typically sunny and warm. However, with the leaves turning yellow, a fall road trip through Colorado would also be a perfect time to do this drive.

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The Tianmen Mountain Road or 99-Bend Road in China has exactly 99 hairpin turns and curves. The road features no guardrails as it reaches the top of the Skywalk at Tianmen Mountain Zhangjiajie National Park.

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It's rightfully rated as one of the top road trips in the world. This is a particularly breathtaking drive, especially through Big Sur where the Santa Lucia mountains plunge into the sea, and the surf and wind relentlessly pound the rocks and shore bending the native cypress trees into otherworldly shapes.

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