Last Dollar Road, Quray, Colorado

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Last Dollar Road is an unpaved backcountry route in southwestern Colorado's San Juan Mountains. It runs from near the Dallas Divide on State Highway 62, west of Ridgway in Ouray County, over the high country to the area near Telluride in San Miguel County. It offers a rugged scenic alternative to the paved highways that link the two areas, and it is open only seasonally because snow closes the upper stretches in winter. The road is best known for its scenery. It passes through rolling ranchland, open meadows and dense groves of aspen, with sweeping views of the jagged Sneffels Range. In late September and early October the aspens turn brilliant gold, and the route becomes one of the most celebrated fall-color drives in the state, drawing photographers from far and wide. The weathered ranch buildings and fences along the lower section, set against the mountains, are among the most photographed rural scenes in Colorado. The lower portions are generally passable in good weather. The stretch over the pass is narrower, rougher and can be muddy or rutted, so a high-clearance vehicle is often recommended. Much of the land along the road is private ranch property, and visitors are expected to stay on the road and respect the working landscape that gives the area its quiet, timeless character.