Jaw-dropping scenery on this dirt road over Last Dollar Mountain.

Ridgway State Park

Having been to Telluride back in 2016, we knew we wanted to visit again. This time we chose to take the less paved, more scenic shortcut; Last Dollar Road. Instead of driving Hwy 62 to Hwy 145 into Telluride, we made a sharp left onto the unpaved Last Dollar Rd. Note: inaccessible in the winter. And if you’re a John Wayne fan, you’ll pass the ranch from his 1969 film, True Grit.

Last Dollar Road is a bumpy, often jarring tour through the mountains with mind-boggling views at almost every turn. Culminating in a top out of Last Dollar Mountain, the views are beyond words. You’ll want to take a moment or three to take in these views, so get out and stretch your legs.

You can make the typical drive from Ridgway to Telluride, which we didn’t take, in about an hour. Taking Last Dollar Road will add at least another couple of hours depending on how often you stop to get out and take in the scenery. But, oh, it’s so worth it. Once you pass the peak, you descend down switchbacks with epic views of the valley and mountains, finally passing the Telluride Airport. Speaking of which, the runway literally ends in a drop off.

The town of Telluride is nestled in a box canyon of sheer cliffs and mountains. We spent our afternoon walking around town. They had great protocols in place to offset COVID. The street was half-closed down and turned into outdoor seating for restaurants. Smart move on the part of the town. We made an attempt to repeat our ascent up to Bridal Veil Falls but the road was significantly more rutted than years ago and we didn’t want to risk it in our tow vehicle. Telluride is a beautiful, unique and funky little town, even if the real estate is astronomical. We were disappointed to find the Free Box closed due to COVID.

Telluride was always a bucket list destination and now that we’ve been twice it’s still on our list of places to visit whenever we’re near. It’s just a special place one has to see to appreciate.