Lookout Peak towers 3,000 feet above the road.
How to get there:
From 6th St in Ouray, drive south 18 miles to CR8 to the west.
- From Ouray to CR8
- 18 miles 30 mins
- GPS
- US-550/CR 8
- 37.8476 -107.7248
In General:
The route starts out as a wide, easy gravel road and winds through forested land in the Middle Mineral Creek area until it reaches tree line and continues to the rocky summit at 11,789 ft. The road descending into the valley is a long shelf road, narrow and very rocky in spots. It then enters a forested area before reaching the small town of Ophir and continuing on as a wide, easy gravel road to the intersection with US 145, the San Juan Skyway.
Photo Ops:
The views to the west from the pass into the valley are what make this route special. Lookout Peak towers 3,000 feet above the road. Past the valley the distinctive volcanic peak of Lizard Head, and three fourteeners can be seen — Mount Wilson, Wilson Peak and El Diente. The Ophir Needles can be seen at the far end on the north ridge. Simply spectacular!