For those who are wanting to know what it's like to drive US 550, check at the street view at this point: 37.975590, -107.657809 in Google Earth or Google Maps. Try this link. Semi coming downhill, RV with toad heading up. :E I would have to say that these two met at one of the very tightest curves and narrowest places on the highway. If you look further up the highway, you can see that ahead of the RV is a flat bed semi heading up hill. Those two trucks passing would also have made for an interesting picture. The downhill truck driver has pulled way to the side, indicating he knows this road pretty well. Go uphill a few more frames then turn around and look how close the semi's trailer gets to the rock wall!So now when someone asks on this forum about driving US 550, you can refer to this picture in this post. This is why people say the road is only OK to drive if you are an experienced mountain driver. (Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!) Just another ho-hum day on US 550. ;)

4runnerguy wrote:For those who are wanting to know what it's like to drive US 550, check at the street view at this point: 37.975590, -107.657809 in Google Earth or Google Maps. Try this link. Semi coming downhill, RV with toad heading up. :E I would have to say that these two met at one of the very tightest curves and narrowest places on the highway. If you look further up the highway, you can see that ahead of the RV is a flat bed semi heading up hill. Those two trucks passing would also have made for an interesting picture. The downhill truck driver has pulled way to the side, indicating he knows this road pretty well. Go uphill a few more frames then turn around and look how close the semi's trailer gets to the rock wall!So now when someone asks on this forum about driving US 550, you can refer to this picture in this post. This is why people say the road is only OK to drive if you are an experienced mountain driver. (Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!) Just another ho-hum day on US 550. ;)Oh how I MISS those drives -- You mean they were able to pass each other and not end up in the ditch!:)Will be flying out to Colorado over Memorial Day can't wait to get into the Mountain and drive a little.Thanks Ken,

LOVE that drive on US-550 from Ouray to Durango.

And this is where the road is still pretty close to the river - wait till you get to where it's a good 500 feet or more straight down with no guard rails.

2lazy4U wrote:And this is where the road is still pretty close to the river - wait till you get to where it's a good 500 feet or more straight down with no guard rails.At least where there is the greatest drop to the river (300') it's a on a straight section of road (between Bear Creek Falls and the turnoff to Engineer Pass. Besides, whether one drops 100' or 300', the result is the same! It's going around the curve with a big rig approaching that is tricky.

Guardrails only needed to keep the bad drivers on the road.

Driving US 550 above Ouray, CO | Good Sam Community

2gypsies1
Explorer III
May 11, 2015
I think some of you know our take on it....we love it. We were flatlanders once.
Parrothead_Mike
Explorer
May 11, 2015
Speaking as a "flatlander" I did Hwy 550 from Durango north to Ouray a couple of years ago. After fueling up in Durango I decided that I'd probably never get the chance to drive this beautiful route again so I did it. It was interesting feeling to have about 5 tons of 5th wheeler pushing me down the grades. My brakes got a little warm between Silverton & Ouray, but it was worth the ride. My wife only closed her eyes a few times. :E
BillMFl
Explorer
May 11, 2015
I can understand why flat landers would be nervous, but no more so than Big Sur or Going to the Sun. More fun in a toad and a lot more fun for the passenger. I always drive so I gotta sneak quick peaks and both hands on the wheel. These are three of the best drives in America.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
May 10, 2015
2lazy4U wrote:
Old Biscuit, the roads may be the same size, but the size of the borrow pit sure is deeper.

And some of those curves - one after another at 15 mph - are guaranteed to make you dizzy.

I first drove Red Mtn Pass by myself when I was 18, driving a big Cadillac after dark. Thought I was gonna die for sure - couldn't see over the front end of the thing. Was ferrying it for a friend who had even less sense than I did to let a kid drive his new Caddy. We were coming back from Farmington where he'd just bought it. He was driving a big old pickup, which was probably about as bad.

True..but I don't drive in barrow ditch

And I have driven that route several times both direction towing 14K high profile 5vr. Just another secondary/backroad.
Course I grew up in the Rockies :B
donkeydew
Explorer
May 10, 2015
the scariest thing is the facial expressions on the rv's coming the opposite direction.
hotpepperkid
Explorer
May 10, 2015
Old-Biscuit wrote:
I don't understand what all the fuss is about........the lanes are the same width whether there are guard rails or not, turns/curves/switchbacks etc.
Stay in your lane or go home

Kinda like those signs.......'Road Narrows Ahead'
The road (lane) doesn't narrow it's just that shoulder make get narrower due to bridge or roadside obstacles but lane is still same width.

Only restriction is no permitted loads thru tunnel south of Ouray

One thing that really helps is pay attention to the speed limit
The_Texan
Explorer
May 10, 2015
Ozlander wrote:
Much to-do about nothing.
Not really, if you're a flatlander that has never driven a mountain road like the 550 from Ouray to Silverton. Ask the CO State Police how many flatlanders they have had to assist off that part of the highway and they will tell you it IS a problem with some.
Ozlander
Explorer
May 10, 2015
Much to-do about nothing.
2lazy4U
Explorer
May 10, 2015
Old Biscuit, the roads may be the same size, but the size of the borrow pit sure is deeper.

And some of those curves - one after another at 15 mph - are guaranteed to make you dizzy.

I first drove Red Mtn Pass by myself when I was 18, driving a big Cadillac after dark. Thought I was gonna die for sure - couldn't see over the front end of the thing. Was ferrying it for a friend who had even less sense than I did to let a kid drive his new Caddy. We were coming back from Farmington where he'd just bought it. He was driving a big old pickup, which was probably about as bad.
joe_b_
Explorer II
May 10, 2015
Colorado DOT has announced the closure of Hwy 550 for the month of June 2015 for rock stabilization work. It will be open for one hour only, daily. Check with the DOT web site for any changes as both Ouray and Silverton are protesting this closure during peak tourist season.
on edit:
Apparently they have updated their web site on the times of closure. The last I saw was in my latest copy of the Ouray newspaper, the Plaindealer.