Million Dollar Highway Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

Your northbound tour along the Million Dollar Highway begins in Durango. From here, you'll head north and discover why millions of people come from all over to visit this jaw-dropping stretch of highway. Note: The 72-mile tour covers the essentials of Million Dollar Highway in 2-3 hours.

As you drive through Durango, you'll get acquainted with this fascinating town and the man who put it on the map: Otto Mears. Hear how Mears turned this from a ramshackle railroad camp into the bustling destination it is today.

Along the way you'll pass the Animas River, a 126-mile tributary of the San Juan River. This gorgeous river may have a benign name now, but the first European explorer to find it gave it a much more chilling title.

Next up is Pinkerton Hot Springs, named after dairy agriculturist James Pinkerton, who built a resort and hotel by the springs which also functioned as an illegal speakeasy during prohibition! The resort is long gone, but the natural beauty of the hot springs remains.

Baker's Bridge might be an unassuming landmark, but it holds major significance for classic movie buffs. This is the spot where Paul Newman and Robert Redford made their famous leap into the Animas River in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid!

Haviland Lake State Park is a fantastic place to break up a long drive with a picnic or an icy swim. This picture-perfect lake is shaded by towering pines and offers great views of the Hermosa Cliffs beyond. It's also a no-wake lake undisturbed by larger motorboats.

Molas Pass rises an incredible 10,910 feet above sea level, making it one of the highway's two highest mountain passes. Despite this elevation, it's also a famous landmark along an annual bicycle racing route! Skilled cyclists huff their way to the top, then ride gravity the rest of the way down.

Pristine, peaceful, and very chilly, Molas Lake is one of the best places to view the San Juan Mountains and the Weminuche Wilderness. Formed by glaciers thousands of years ago, it's now an absolutely perfect picnic spot for the weary traveler.

Silverton might get its name from the precious metal once mined in its vicinity, but the history of this land dates back way before the arrival of miners and their mules. As you pass through, you'll get a glimpse into the history of the Ute tribe who once called this their home, and what happened to them when the mining rush began.

Along your way, you'll pass the remains of Ironton. Once a booming mining town, built largely around the harvest of iron ore, Ironton is now one of many ghost towns which were left behind after mining operations in these mountains went bust. The last Ironton resident died in 1960.

Bear Creek Falls is a dramatic, 200 foot cascading waterfall that is an absolute must-see along your route. If you're visiting in the fall, the autumn foliage makes this already impressive attraction even better.

In the final stretch of your tour, you'll enter the storied town of Ouray. Nicknamed "the Switzerland of America," this picturesque mountain town isn't just a pretty face. It's also packed with things to do! From ice parks to waterfalls, it's a place ripe for discovery.

From December to March, the Ouray Ice Park offers wintery experiences for intrepid adventurers. The park's main attraction is an enormous ice wall created specifically for climbing.

Ouray's Box Canyon Falls Park is overflowing with cool scenery. Imposing canyon walls, great hiking trails, and scenic picnic spots define much of the park. But the main draw is the huge waterfall tumbling over the edge of the canyon, which you can view from below and above!

Ouray's Historical District has beautifully preserved its roots as a 19th-century mining town. The district boasts plenty of picturesque Victorian-era homes and commercial structures, as well as a gorgeous opera house which was saved from the brink of demolition.

The last stop along your tour is the Ouray Visitor's Center, a great place to get situated for a longer visit to this quaint little town. Your tour will conclude here.