In Mid-May will be staying a few nights Durango KOA. Want to do a day-trip up 550 to Black Canyon of the Gunnison to take some photos(weather permitting). Will be taking Durango/SilvertonRR day before - only have 1 'extra' day. Want to know a little more about the road - read some posts that make it seem worse than MokiDugway up Utah261, MexicanHat to NaturalBridges. Will be driving 2WD RAV4. Any info plus/minus would be appreciated. THANKS.
I'll be travelling from Montrose to Mancos in August. My Mountain Directory tells me (essentially) not to even THINK of driving that portion of the road with my MH. Shouldn't be any problem with a car or SUV, other than rubbernecking and not paying attention to the road. For me, I'm backtracking almost to Grand Junction and cutting down 141 to 145 to Cortez.
550 is a PAVED two lane road, that frequently has large trucks travel over it. I have driven my 5th wheel (without the boat) from Montrose to Durango before - the worst parts are the switchbacks (had to wait for traffic to clear before taking them.) Also of note is the run up out of Ouray south to Silverton - it is the scariest paved road I have ever driven on - but it is still a paved road and not bad at all for a car (just don't get too close to the edge!)
I would advise paying attention to the road if you are the driver - there are alot of pull-outs that you can stop at to look at the scenery.
One of my favorite roads to drive in the state of Colorado - but not with my trailer!
Mark
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We took our 40'DP pulling a Grand Cherokee from Durango to Ouray last summer without incident. It is a beautiful drive and there are three mountain passes between Durango and Ouray.
It was easy enough in a motorhome and in a car it would be a piece of cake. 550 is a two lane paved road and there are many motorhomes and large trucks that use this road daily without anty difficulties. There are places to pull over and let traffic pass and to sightsee.
Take your time and enjoy the drive...it's beautiful!
The Gunnison River is beautiful, we made a day trip from Ouray.
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Thanks ALL-- even tho' I'm the Planner/Navigator/PictureTaker must NOT!!! Surprise the driver with really bad roads. (Don't really want to take pics while in free-fall) THANKS AGAIN, One-EyedOldLady
dgo, from Montrose south, another route I normally take, is go to Ridgway, go west over Dallas Divide and on west to Norwood and almost to Natarita, there turn south on highway 145 to Dove Creek and down to Cortez. The 10 years we lived in Ouray, this was our winter time route going south. Norwood hill is about the only real grade and it is very short. Just needs to be watched in the winter time as it is in the shade most of the day and will ice up.
Going up to Grand Junction will put you going through Whitewater, through the Unaweep Canyon area, beautiful but a longer slower route IMHO. We did that route last summer just because we love the Unaweep area but at Natarita we cut back east to Ridgway and back to Montrose where we were camping.
Mountain roads depend on the driver and their experience. Some drivers don't mind have a 600 ft. drop off 2 feet from their outside tire without a guard rail and others can't handle it. I have had to bring several "frozen" drivers off of Red Mtn. Pass, south of Ouray that had parked on the center line and refused to move. This was as a deputy sheriff with Ouray County. A much better route for a motorhome in the summer is to go west of Ridgway, south to Sawpit, past Telluride and Rico, Delores and to Cortez that way. Much better MH road IMHO.
JOE B. wanting to go up&back from Durango 1 day -2WD Rav4 -- your roads/routes don't match my map - or I'm reading it sidways?????. Thanks anyway, O-EOL
joe b. wrote: dgo, from Montrose south, another route I normally take, is go to Ridgway, go west over Dallas Divide and on west to Norwood and almost to Natarita, there turn south on highway 145 to Dove Creek and down to Cortez. The 10 years we lived in Ouray, this was our winter time route going south. Norwood hill is about the only real grade and it is very short. Just needs to be watched in the winter time as it is in the shade most of the day and will ice up.
Going up to Grand Junction will put you going through Whitewater, through the Unaweep Canyon area, beautiful but a longer slower route IMHO. We did that route last summer just because we love the Unaweep area but at Natarita we cut back east to Ridgway and back to Montrose where we were camping.
Mountain roads depend on the driver and their experience. Some drivers don't mind have a 600 ft. drop off 2 feet from their outside tire without a guard rail and others can't handle it. I have had to bring several "frozen" drivers off of Red Mtn. Pass, south of Ouray that had parked on the center line and refused to move. This was as a deputy sheriff with Ouray County. A much better route for a motorhome in the summer is to go west of Ridgway, south to Sawpit, past Telluride and Rico, Delores and to Cortez that way. Much better MH road IMHO.
maddog348 wrote: JOE B. wanting to go up&back from Durango 1 day -2WD Rav4 -- your roads/routes don't match my map - or I'm reading it sidways?????. Thanks anyway, O-EOL
You'll be just fine, especially with the Rav4. I don't think JOE B. completely understood exactly what you were asking.
We've traveled US550 numerous times in the past few years, in both directions. There are a couple of switch backs coming off and down Red Mountain Pass, headed north, that will get your attention, on the first trip up or down. Just don't take you eye off the ball.
Only thing I see that may give you a little problem is the time to go where you want go and do what you want to do in one day.
You'll need to get started as early as possible, and hope that the mountain tops are not obscured by fog or clouds.
Also recommend getting the first train out of Durango in the AM for Silverton. This will give you more time in Silverton without stumbling over a bunch of people. Then have lunch and head back at a reasonable hour.
When you get back, then you can make up your own mind whether or not you're up to towing across those passes.
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Actually I was trying to answer two different questions asked by two people and didn't do a very good job of answering either. The highway from Durango to Silverton and on to Ouray is fine for a car/SUV etc for most people. After a first time drive, then the driver can make their own decision as to whether to take their RV over it or not. When I was working for the county, one trip to the top of Red Mountain Pass and return was a normal part of the daily patrol duties. But I also make numerous trips up there as an EMT in the ambulance or in my duties as a deputy coroner for the county. It is not a road to be trifled with and occasionally someone paid for it with their life. On that road you often get just the one "oops."
On edit: Just got my latest copy of the Ouray County Plaindealer (newspaper) and the front page story was on the town of Ouray received 253 inches of snow (21 ft.) so far this winter, a 60 year high for the town. April has seen 48 inches fall. The Jeep trails and the high country are going to have snow late into the summer it would appear. With the town receiving 21 ft. then some places in the high country must have been bumping 100 ft. of snow. Most of the years we lived in Ouray the average was about 144 inches a year or 12 ft.
* This post was
edited 04/26/08 06:14pm by joe b. *
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