High in the heart of the San Juan Mountains in a mountain valley at 9,318 feet, the town of Silverton, Colorado was founded in 1874 as a mining town. Gold, silver, copper, lead & zinc were the ores mined in the area. The town of Silverton has fantastic natural beauty and magnificent Victorian charm. Most of the buildings and the mining-laden mountains reflect a simpler day as does the Silverton lifestyle. The year-round population of 500 is supported by tourism with over 250,000 visitors a year. At one time, Blair Street had forty saloons. The average annual snowfall is 200 inches. The area has some of the cleanest, clearest, and highest-quality air in the U.S. (as shown by government research). There's plenty of scenery, plus rafting, llama tours, jeep tours, hiking, and skiing nearby in the winter.
The part of the San Juan Skyway on U.S. Highway 550 between Ouray and Silverton is called the "Million Dollar Highway", also known as Red Mountain Pass Road, one of the most scenic and spectacular mountain drives in North America. "Million-Dollar Highway" derives its name from the low grade gold ore present in the mine tailings that were used as fill for the road bed. Allow plenty of time for these 23 miles of mountains, waterfalls, flowers, trees, and lots of hairpin turns between Silverton and Ouray - be careful, don't be in a hurry.
