Mainly the route is a great drive with wonderful views that is close to Telluride, Ridgeway, and Ouray, where there are plenty of locations to hike, mountain bike, or soak in hot springs. Please choose a different date. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. It’s also prime wildflower territory in early summer, and an ideal viewing spot for fall colors in late September. Most travel sites advise that you drive it from Rt. Although we took the wrong fork (needs to be better signage) and wound up in Sawpit instead of the longer way to Telluride, it was still a great little side trip. If it has recently rained heavily—or if it’s mid-spring, when large quantities of snow are still melting rapidly—beware that this road turns into a shoe-and-tire-sucking mudfest, to the point of being impassable. If you’re a geek for peaks and trying to get a handle on where the major ranges and summits around Telluride lie in relation to one another, the views from Last Dollar can help you get your bearings. The road itself is paved for several miles up to the Telluride airport, where it then turns to dirt and later, crushed gravel. I dare say this. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. See 9 traveler reviews, 20 photos and blog posts Came in August 2020. At about seven miles in, the road narrows and begins climbing more steeply to the route’s 10,600-foot high point. But the views and solitude. © 2020 RootsRated, Inc. All rights reserved. The road begins near Telluride's airport and ends at the Dallas Divide near Ridgway. Last Dollar Road is the unpaved back route between Telluride and Dallas Divide on Highway 62. The road can be accessed from Highway 145 on the south end (just east of the Mountain Village roundabout), or from Highway 62 on the north end (just west of the Dallas Divide). There is a great spot with ample parking space to watch the sunrise close to Telluride. Last Dollar Road is a very scenic road that, at least during the summer, can be access by most 4-wheel drive vehicles including more modest vehicles like Subaru wagons. It can get muddy in spots so 4wd and good tires are recommended. Telluride is a beautiful mountain town in the San Juan Mountains and a premier destination for landscape photographers throughout the year, but especially in fall. The road will, We had a great time traversing the Last Dollar Road. High on a mesa and frequently skirting open hillsides, Last Dollar Road offers some of the best, most accessible views of the surrounding mountain ranges. Because Last Dollar Road is a dirt or crushed-gravel road, it’s quite smooth most of the way—making this a perfect ride for the crossover road and mountain cyclist, looking for a mix of lung-busting yet non-technical climbs and easy cruising to the tune of soaring panoramic views. I accessed off of Highway 62. Large sheep herds kept in ranches along the road can make for an interesting photo subject, and they can also cause delays as they cross the road. The road passed through private land, and the owner charged a dollar fee to use it. 37.95073, Last Dollar Road is a national treasure!!! We were in an outback; no issues. There's exposed clay, so wet, maybe not. The story goes that prospectors used to save their last dollar to be able to leave town if they did not succeed. Hotels near Ridgway Visitors Center and Railroad Museum, Hotels near Ouray County Ranch History Museum, Hotels near (MTJ) Montrose County Airport, Hotels near (TEX) Telluride Regional Airport, Telluride Horseback Adventures - Ride with Roudy, Points of Interest & Landmarks in Ridgway, Owl Creek Pass and Silver Jack Reservoir Tickets, Ridgway Visitors Center and Railroad Museum Tickets. It is beautiful anytime of the year, but particularly stunning during the fall foliage season the last two weeks of Sept. Last Dollar Road is the unpaved back route between Telluride and Dallas Divide on Highway 62. Wilson, This was a great excursion from highway driving. Is this attraction a good place to visit on a, Would you recommend this place or activity to a friend looking for an, Is this a place or activity you would suggest for, Is this a romantic place or activity that you would suggest for, Are the prices for this place or activity, This is a wonderful way to see the country around the mountains. Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter packed with the best adventure guides, travel ideas, news, and articles. The views! This keeps most traffic one-way, which is great because there are so many places where two vehicles simply cannot get around each other. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure. This road goes through Aspen groves, pine forests and open fields. It’s about building relationships with the outdoors and each other. It’s about protecting what sustains us. The Last Dollar Road, located in South Central Colorado between the towns of Ridgeway and Telluride, is one of my favorite unpaved drives. Peak fall colors in this area are usually at the end of September or the first week of October, though the exact dates are difficult to predict. Passing through Uncompahgre National Forest, expansive ranchlands, aspen groves, the pass between Last Dollar Mountain and Whipple Mountain, and across Hastings Mesa, this ride tops out at 10,600 feet and offers some of the best panoramic views of the surrounding mountain ranges. Passing through Uncompahgre National Forest, expansive ranchlands, aspen groves, the pass between Last Dollar Mountain and There are a couple of spots to hike, and some people choose to mountain bike Last Dollar Road. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the date(s) you selected. Four wheel drive is required in any wet conditions. From ridgeway area into telluride. How to Have an Adventure-Filled Road Trip Through Southern Utah and Colorado, The Fascinating Story Behind Wheeler Geologic Area, What It's Like to Climb the Coors Mountain (with the Coors Brewing Team), Rolling in the Winter: A Guide to Fat Biking in Telluride and the San Juans, Cold Days, Hot Springs: A Guide to San Juans Thermal Pools. It’s about nourishment and learning. And within the Telluride area, Last Dollar Road is a wonderful location to photograph fall foliage against ragged mountain peaks and ridges. All rights reserved. Road can be muddy and slippery after rains. It isn’t always ‘less traveled’ and it isn’t necessarily passable in a passenger car after heavy rains or when snow has fallen. Waterton Canyon Trailhead to South Platte River Trailhead. The views are amazing, particularly in the fall. With very little through traffic other than the occasional jeep or four-wheeler, this approximately 20-mile (one way) dirt road is an ideal mountain-biking route with soaring panoramic views of Telluride’s most jagged peaks—the Wilson Range, St. Sophia Ridge, Palmyra Peak, and the Sneffels Range. The road winds through aspen groves for 20 miles and offers fantastic views of Wilson Peak (14,252 ft.), Lizard Head (13,114 ft.), and other peaks. Most travel sites advise that you drive it from Rt. From there, it’s mostly downhill—first wending through the woods before spilling out onto the wide-open Hastings Mesa and eventually meeting up with the highway at Dallas Divide. Last Dollar Road provided the main access to Telluride in the 1800s, and it was commonly used as a supply route and also by prospectors looking for fortune. Views are breathtaking in numerous places, especially those of Mt. more, Points of Interest & Landmarks, Scenic Drives. The area is full of massive aspen groves. Last Dollar Road Dispersed Camping in Uncompahgre National Forest, Telluride Colorado. Last Dollar Road Colorado is an easy-going introduction to the four-wheel drive trails near Telluride. This route is exposed, and on sunny days, hot, hot, hot! One of these views is close to the airport and easily accessed from Telluride, and I shot it in the morning before I left the area. Last Dollar Road is unpaved, and while it is easily accessible in good weather, four-wheel drive is recommended after rains and in early summer when spots can be muddy and slippery. Unpqced most of the way. CO, Outdoor Project may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers. We were coming from Utah and started in … A well maintained gravel road with phenomenal views of the Sneffels Mountains. Wilson. CR 7, CR9 and Last Dollar Road Photo Ops/Camping My husband and I took at 6 day trip so he could photograph the San Juan mountains and other places. Last Dollar Road is a national treasure!!! We promise not to annoy you, but if you wish, you may unsubscribe at any time. Be aware that the weather can close in VERY quickly and the mountains can be obscured by clouds/fog/snow. Hang a right before the airport and enjoy undulating terrain from there on out, passing dozens of active ranches, abandoned barns, and other quirky roadside artifacts. Allow plenty of time to savor the sights. Telluride, Some people actually camp there, though there are no facilities. 1500 Last Dollar Rd 62 toward Telluride and in the afternoon, when the light favors most of the scenery for photos. Leave your car parked in Telluride, and ride the three short, flat miles from town to the turnoff for Last Dollar Road (follow signs for the Telluride Airport) on your right-hand side just before the Highway 145 roundabout. Observe Wilson Peak closely and you might recognize it from the label on a popular light beer brewed in Colorado.