Million Dollar Highway Self-Driving Audio Tour
Overview
Recommended: Purchase one tour per vehicle. Everyone can listen at the same time!
Strikeout for the wild west with this self-guided driving tour of Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway. This remote, jaw-dropping stretch of roadway was once the site of booming mining towns and railroad tycoons. Today, it’s a totally unique blend of jaw-dropping natural beauty and rugged western charm. But you’ll do more than just see the sights with this tour—you’ll also learn the wild history of this area, from boom to bust.
After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. The preceding steps require good internet/wifi access. Simply follow the audio instructions and the route from there.
This is not an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
No expiration — The tour comes with lifetime validity!
Strikeout for the wild west with this self-guided driving tour of Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway. This remote, jaw-dropping stretch of roadway was once the site of booming mining towns and railroad tycoons. Today, it’s a totally unique blend of jaw-dropping natural beauty and rugged western charm. But you’ll do more than just see the sights with this tour—you’ll also learn the wild history of this area, from boom to bust.
After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. The preceding steps require good internet/wifi access. Simply follow the audio instructions and the route from there.
This is not an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.
No expiration — The tour comes with lifetime validity!
Inclusions
- App on your phone: A link to download the Tour Guide App by Action and Password for your tours.
- Flexible schedule: Use any day, any time. Travel over multiple days or on next trip. Never expires.
- Good value: Buy just one per car. Don’t pay for each person. Save money compared to a bus tour.
- Easy to use: Stories play automatically by GPS. Hands-free. Get HELP all day: Call, Chat, or Email.
- Private tour in your/rental car: No group. Take breaks for photos/ snacks/hikes. Go at your own pace
- Offline use: No cell signal or wifi required. Offline GPS Map & route. Stop-to-stop direction.
- Don’t miss a thing: Full itinerary, travel tips, professionally narrated, videos, text, hidden gems.
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Million Dollar Highway, Hwy 550, Silverton, CO
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.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Durango, Durango, Colorado
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Animas River Trail, 3rd St & Durango Mall, Durango, CO
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Pinkerton Hot Springs, 35554 Highway 550 Latitude 37.4472225, Longitude -107.8053434, Durango, CO 81301-8653
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Bakers Bridge, Durango, CO 81301, USA
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!
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Haviland Lake, Forest Road 671, Durango, CO 81303-6481
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Molas Pass, Colorado 81301, USA
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Molas Lake, Colorado 81433, USA
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Silverton, Silverton, Colorado
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Ironton, CO 81432, USA
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Bear Creek Falls, Colorado 81427, USA
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Ouray, Ouray, Colorado
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Ouray Ice Park, 280 7th Ave, Ouray, CO 81427
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Box Canyon Waterfall & Park, Box Canyon Rd., Ouray, CO 81427-0001
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!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Ouray Historical District, 280-298 7th Ave, Ouray, CO 81427, USA
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Ouray Visitor's Center, 1230 Main St, Ouray, CO 81427, USA
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Million Dollar Highway, Hwy 550, Silverton, CO
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.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Durango, Durango, Colorado
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Animas River Trail, 3rd St & Durango Mall, Durango, CO
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Pinkerton Hot Springs, 35554 Highway 550 Latitude 37.4472225, Longitude -107.8053434, Durango, CO 81301-8653
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Bakers Bridge, Durango, CO 81301, USA
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!
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Haviland Lake, Forest Road 671, Durango, CO 81303-6481
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Molas Pass, Colorado 81301, USA
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Molas Lake, Colorado 81433, USA
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Silverton, Silverton, Colorado
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Ironton, CO 81432, USA
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.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Bear Creek Falls, Colorado 81427, USA
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Ouray, Ouray, Colorado
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Ouray Ice Park, 280 7th Ave, Ouray, CO 81427
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Box Canyon Waterfall & Park, Box Canyon Rd., Ouray, CO 81427-0001
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!
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Ouray Historical District, 280-298 7th Ave, Ouray, CO 81427, USA
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Ouray Visitor's Center, 1230 Main St, Ouray, CO 81427, USA
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.
Duration: 5 minutes
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- How it works: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a text/email with instructions. Download the app (while in good wifi/signal) and use your unique password to access your tours. To begin touring, go to the Starting Point and launch the app. The audio starts automatically. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience. Please note that no one will meet you at the starting point.
- Good value: Purchase only one tour for the entire vehicle instead of taking the bus and paying for each person. You will see a significant saving. Connect your phone to car speakers by a wire or bluetooth. Enjoy the tour by listening together as you drive.
- Flexible Schedule: Once the app/tour is on your phone, you can use it any day and at any time. You can use it over multiple days. And, also use it on your next trip here. This tour never expires.
- Preview the tour: You can use it before the trip at home (highly recommended), use it during the trip, and use it after you come back.
- Don't miss a thing: You will get everything with the app - a complete itinerary, travel tips, professionally narrated audio stories, story script, images, videos, deep dives, hidden gems, exciting locations, recommendations for hikes, adventure, activities, treks, and stop-by-stop direction.
- Private tour: You can use it in your car or rental car. No worries about groups or crowds. Start the tour app on your phone. And it will direct you step by step. You can stop for as many breaks as you like. Take a break for Instagram photos, and take a break for lunch/snacks. Go on a hike. The tour will wait for you and start when you start again. You can even do the tour over multiple days. Go at your own pace.
- Easy to use: The stories play themselves as soon as the GPS is activated. It requires no use of your hands at all. You can get HELP by calling, chatting, or emailing any time of the day.
- Offline: There is no need for a cell signal or Wi-Fi while touring. App’s GPS map works offline.
- Expiration/go again: The tour will last for the rest of your life on your phone. It is available for use on any day of your next trip.
- Use pictures for a photo book: Create a photo book using clean (no crowd) app images of each spot to make a memorable trip. All the photos and the correct sequence is ready in the app for you to use.
- Social media: Share clean (no crowd) images with friends/family.
- Devices supported include iPhones with iOS 13 & above, Android phones with version 9 & above and all cellular-enabled tablets & iPads.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
GrandmaB1
September 2022
I enjoyed learning about the many viewpoints along the way. I also liked the fact that I could replay the narrative.
I enjoyed learning about the many viewpoints along the way. I also liked the fact that I could replay the narrative.Thomas_B
July 2022
Before I bought it, it states can use in either direction. Never had an opportunity to change starting point even though after you buy, it states not really ideal for starting anywhere other than their starting point. Misled.
Before I bought it, it states can use in either direction. Never had an opportunity to change starting point even though after you buy, it states not really ideal for starting anywhere other than their starting point. Misled.Debifrankl
July 2022
Excellent guided tour of the Milllion Dollar Highway! GPS tracked us perfectly and it was very informative and interesting.
Excellent guided tour of the Milllion Dollar Highway! GPS tracked us perfectly and it was very informative and interesting.suzieellison1973
June 2022
The tour got me on the road, exploring places I wouldn't normally go see. I enjoyed the history given but would've liked even more. And BTW, locals pronounce Ouray "Yuh-Ray."
The tour got me on the road, exploring places I wouldn't normally go see. I enjoyed the history given but would've liked even more. And BTW, locals pronounce Ouray "Yuh-Ray."Ben D
June 2022
My wife and I are glad we decided to take your auto tour from Durango to Ouray. If we would have drive the Million Dollar Hwy without the guided tour, we would have missed many treasures along the way. Thank you
My wife and I are glad we decided to take your auto tour from Durango to Ouray. If we would have drive the Million Dollar Hwy without the guided tour, we would have missed many treasures along the way. Thank youtinatO7030KA
May 2022
I now know why Million Dollar Highway is rated one of the most beautiful in the US .. audio tour was fantastic .. it explained the history of areas while we passed and directed us to sites we would not have found on our own
I now know why Million Dollar Highway is rated one of the most beautiful in the US .. audio tour was fantastic .. it explained the history of areas while we passed and directed us to sites we would not have found on our own