Stretching about 25 miles between Silverton and Ouray, Colorado, this section of U.S. Route 550 delivers tight curves, steep cliffs, and a total of zero guardrails. Drivers get an adrenaline rush just looking out the window. The road, nicknamed the Million Dollar Highway, climbs over 11,000 feet at Red Mountain Pass and stays open year-round, though snow and ice make it even more of a white-knuckle experience.

No one agrees exactly why it’s called the Million Dollar Highway, but most everyone says that it’s a white-knuckle drive

Some claim it cost that much to build. Others swear that the fill dirt contains a million dollars’ worth of gold ore.

Either way, it earns the name with its dramatic views and rich mining history. 

Built in the late 1880s and later improved in the 1920s, it’s a National Scenic Byway today. Just don’t take your eyes off the road. Oh, and remember to stay in your lane.

One TikToker, @juleseskamo, just filmed a driver on the Million Dollar Highway near Ouray, Colorado, who was “scared stupid.”

The cars were in the right-hand lane, which happened to run cliffside

The two-lane road has a double-yellow line. Meaning absolutely no lane changes. You can guess why: creep into the opposing lane around a bend, and you’ll risk a head-on car accident. 

Based on the view, no one wants a fender bender this high up.

But a Honda driver can’t take it

@juleseskamo records what looks like a Honda Odyssey minivan steering into the opposing lane, over and over again. 

We can count four cars that the scared driver faces head-on as it refuses to get back in its proper zone around cliffside curves in the Million Dollar Highway. And that’s just in the short time the TikToker recorded.

The harshly critical comments rolled in

While some viewers sympathized, if only slightly, essentially no one justified the van’s hazardous movements.

“They are so scared of heights that they’d rather cross the line and risk everyone else’s lives.”

“The lane itself didn’t shrink dude, just stay inside the lines and you’ll live.”

“You know what? I’m terrified of roads like this. You also know what? I DONT DRIVE THEM.”

“It’s funny how some people handle fear. Like their fear is so bad, they’re almost manifesting a catastrophe, attracting what they fear the most.”

“Send this video to the local police or highway patrol, they can still get a ticket.”

As for actual danger, despite its reputation, the Million Dollar Highway doesn’t have a high number of fatal crashes compared to other mountain highways

CDOT maintains it well, but rockslides are a known risk, especially after heavy rain or freeze-thaw cycles. In 2019, a major slide shut it down for days. Fatality numbers vary by year, but they’re not extreme. 

Between 2013 and 2023, the Colorado State Patrol logged 143 crashes on the 14-mile stretch between mile markers 78 and 92. Of those, 8 were fatal and 38 involved injuries, the Colorado Sun shared. 

In their story, they recounted one driver navigating Red Mountain Pass on a windy winter day. Pat Milbery and his 2006 4Runner ended up several hundred feet down, wedged in a bushel of evergreens above a cliff.

Still, drivers nervous about the Million Dollar Highway aren’t alone

The narrow lanes, sharp drop-offs, and lack of guardrails make it one of the most intimidating roads in the U.S.

If you’re anxious behind the wheel, go during daylight and avoid winter if possible. Snow and ice crank the danger “up to 11.” Slow down. Don’t move at a crawl, but stay in your lane and allow the road to guide you.

While the risks on the Million Dollar Highway are indeed real, the fear mostly comes from how exposed it feels. The visuals scream danger, even if the stats don’t. Still, I wouldn’t want to be one of those annual fatalities.

That doesn’t mean anyone should drive right up to opposing traffic around a bend, though.

MotorBiscuit reached out to @juleseskamo via TikTok direct message for comment.