The Long Way
La Plata County
A street view of historic buildings with mountains in the background.
Plate I. Silverton Main Street, San Juan Skyway. From colorado.com
A rustic wooden barn stands in a landscape with snow-capped mountains in the background.
Plate II. Sneffels Range along San Juan Skyway. From colorado.com
A winding river flows through a valley with snow-capped mountains illuminated by the sun.
Plate III. Mountain view along San Juan Skyway. From colorado.com
A red pickup truck drives on a winding mountain road covered in snow.
Plate IV. Red Mountain Pass, San Juan Skyway. From codot.gov
A street scene featuring storefronts and a large mural painted on a building wall.
Plate V. Ridgway Main Street along San Juan Skyway. From colorado.com

San Juan Skyway

Durango, La Plata County, Colorado. All-American Road scenic byway; Fall, spring, and summer.

Details

Map. Durango, La Plata County, Colorado. Larger map
Where
Durango, La Plata County, CO. No street address stated. Directions
Getting there
236-mile loop beginning and ending in Durango.
Access
Be prepared for summertime afternoon thundershowers and inquire about road conditions in winter.
Phone
303-757-9786
Website
codot.gov
Managed by
Colorado Byways Program.
Established
1996 (designated an All-American Road).

The route links Durango, Telluride, Silverton, and Ouray through the San Juan Mountains, including the Million Dollar Highway between Ouray and Silverton.

Notable Events

  1. 1860Red Mountain, on the Million Dollar Highway section, was discovered to have gold in 1860; miners rushed to the area and obtained $850 million worth of gold, silver, and other minerals. durango.org
  2. 1882Interest in the road peaked in 1882 with the discovery of the Red Mountain Mining District, the largest mining boom the San Juans had experienced to that point, making the road out of Ouray a matter of great importance. westernmininghistory.com
  3. 1883By the fall of 1883, Mears had completed the road from Ouray to Ironton, beating the Silverton road builders in the race to access the new mining district; freighting business boomed in Ouray. westernmininghistory.com
  4. 1887Mears's charter to collect tolls ended in 1887 with Ouray and San Juan counties taking over ownership; the Mears road was now public. westernmininghistory.com
  5. 1921The 1916 passage of the Good Roads Bill provided funds used to improve roads throughout America; starting in 1921, these funds were used to upgrade the Mears toll road to a highway that could accommodate automobiles. westernmininghistory.com
  6. 1996The San Juan Skyway was designated by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation as an All-American Road, the highest level of designation, in 1996. codot.gov

People

  • Otto Mears, road builder who built the Ouray-Silverton toll road, considered Colorado's greatest road builder (completed the road from Ouray to Ironton by the fall of 1883).
  • Richard F. Ostergaard, Forest landscape architect for the San Juan National Forest who contributed extensively to the planning, design, and development of the San Juan Skyway and to obtaining its designations as a State and Forest Service scenic byway and one of the original six All-American Roads.

Sources

  1. codot.gov/travel/coloradobyways/southwest/san-juan-skyway
  2. colorado.com/byways/san-juan-skyway
  3. westernmininghistory.com/2239/photos-of-the-otto-mears-toll-road
  4. visitouray.com/million-dollar-highway
  5. explorehere.app/markers/kh7d56z6p8d8fetzwrw4mc9ken7fec6a/welcome-to-the-san-juan-skyway
  6. codot.gov/travel/coloradobyways/southwest/san-juan-skyway
  7. nsbfoundation.com/nb/san-juan-skyway
  8. durango.org/press/fact-sheets/san-juan-skyway-facts
  9. fs.usda.gov/r02/gmug/recreation/scenic-travel-corridors
  10. fs.usda.gov/t-d/pubs/pdf/FHWAFLH02001.pdf