Ophir Pass Road

Ophir Pass Road is a gnarly 10-mile shelf road connecting Telluride to Silverton via an 11,789-foot pass on the Continental Divide. The route follows an 1881 toll road built to serve the mines around Ophir and Old Ophir—you’ll pass ruins of the Ophir Loop railway trestle, stamp mills, and mining cabins clinging to impossibly steep slopes. The western approach from Telluride climbs through aspen groves before hitting exposed switchbacks carved into cliff faces, while the eastern descent toward Silverton is equally dramatic with loose rock and narrow ledges.

This is expert-level driving requiring full 4WD, low gearing, and nerves of steel—the shelf road has zero margin for error with thousand-foot drop-offs. Only attempt June through September when snow clears, and never in wet conditions when the road becomes a slick death trap. No services exist between towns, so carry extra fuel, water, and recovery gear. The reward is legitimate Colorado mining history and some of the most spectacular (and terrifying) alpine scenery in the San Juans.