The San Juan Sky-way is one of the most scenic drives in America, spanning elevations from 6,200 feet near Cortez to 11,008 feet at Red Mountain Pass. Along the route you'll find fresh alpine forests, historic mining towns, expansive cattle ranges, and prehistoric Indian ruins.
The San Juan Mountains along the San Juan Sky-way are one of the highest ranges in the United States, with peaks above 14,000 feet. The Sky-way provides easy access to four National Wilderness Areas and intersects three other Colorado scenic and historic byways. The San Juan Sky-way was designated as a National Forest Scenic Byway in 1988, a State of Colorado Scenic Byway in 1989, and an All-American Road in 1997.
The Million Dollar Highway section of the Sky-way between Ouray and Silverton is one of the most scenic and spectacular mountain drives in North America. This famous section of the Sky-way winds through the iron-colored Red Mountains, along the sheer sides of the Uncompahgre Gorge, through tunnels and past cascading waterfalls. Along the route you may see bighorn sheep, elk, mountain goats, black bears, and mule deer in the vicinity, as well as fields of blue columbine, the Colorado state flower.
It takes about 7 hours to drive the complete 232-mile San Juan Sky-way loop, but we recommend making it a 2 or 3 day trip with multiple stops to enjoy the scenic, recreational and historic sites. The route is open year-round and offers a unique experience to every enthusiast in every season.
* Hikers and backpackers will enjoy numerous trails that include routes up peaks that are over 14,000 feet in elevation.
* History buffs can view mine and mill sites, aerial tram structures, and ghost towns. Historical markers and museums along the Sky-way identify important sites and explain the mining history of the area.
* Photographers, painters, and naturalists will appreciate the abundance of alpine wildflowers (click for your mobile app guide to hundreds of wildflowers in our area) found in July and August, and the explosion of color found in September and early October.
* Mountain bikers will enjoy the exhilarating challenge of riding over the mountain passes.
* Vehicle recreationists can spend days exploring the designated four-wheel-drive roads.
* Opportunities abound for horseback riding, hunting, fishing, kayaking, rafting and motorcycle and ATV-riding.
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