- Info
San Juan Skyway
Length: 236 miles. Driving time: 6 hours.
If byways could claim royal lineage,
this one would probably rule them all. Start with the major towns along
the route - Durango, a well-preserved descendant of the Old West;
picturesque Telluride, renowned for world-class skiing and film, jazz,
and bluegrass festivals; and Silverton and Ouray, Victorian jewels
tucked in deep alpine valleys. Add another crown - Mesa Verde National
Park, home to one of the densest collections of prehistoric ruins in
the U.S. - and five million acres of undisturbed national forest. Then
there are the roads themselves, snaking through the woods in the shadow
of impressive 14,000-foot peaks. The segment from Ouray to Silverton is
called the "Million Dollar Highway." But you can't put a price tag on
this experience.
The San Juan Skyway was designated by the U.S. Secretary of
Transportation as an All-American Road, the highest level of
designation, in 1996. It is one of ten America's Byways®
designated in Colorado.
San Juan Skyway
