A rock the size of a compact car rolled right onto Highway 145 this weekend, stopping drivers in their tracks and giving San Miguel County deputies an unexpected traffic control shift.
It was just another weekend in the mountains—until it wasn’t. Drivers along Highway 145 had to suddenly brake as a massive boulder landed squarely in the middle of the road near mile marker 75.5. The rock, described by deputies as “car-sized,” blocked both lanes and brought traffic to a standstill.
No one was injured, and by early afternoon, the road was cleared. Still, the sight of a literal mountain in the middle of the highway caught plenty of folks off guard.
Out of Nowhere: A Rock Joins the Commute
It’s not every day a boulder drops into your weekend road trip. But in the San Juan Mountains, strange things can happen fast—especially when rain, erosion, and gravity all decide to work together.
The boulder was first spotted around midday Saturday. San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office quickly posted a notice online, warning travelers to expect delays near mile marker 75.5.
A single sentence feels appropriate here: It was big enough to stop traffic cold.
Photos shared by deputies show the giant rock straddling the center of the highway, taking up both lanes like it paid for a parking permit.
And just like that, Highway 145 turned into a scenic rest stop.
No One Hurt, but Travel Was Briefly Disrupted
Luckily, no crashes or injuries were reported. Cars were already slowing through the winding, elevated stretch of road when the obstruction appeared.
Deputies arrived shortly after, guiding vehicles safely around the site.
The entire stretch of highway was closed for a short time. But thanks to quick work and a few heavy machines, traffic resumed at around 1:20 p.m., according to the sheriff’s office.
No evacuation was needed. No panic either. Just a weird, slightly inconvenient piece of nature reminding everyone who’s boss.
Mountain Highways and Falling Rocks: Not That Uncommon
Boulders tumbling onto roads isn’t as rare in Colorado as one might think. In fact, it’s part of life in high-elevation zones, especially after wet weather or freeze-thaw cycles that weaken cliff faces.
According to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), there are about 200 reported rockfall incidents on state-maintained roads each year.
Not all of them are as dramatic as this one, but some are worse. In 2019, a massive boulder roughly eight million pounds in size landed on Highway 145 near Dolores, just miles away from this weekend’s incident. That boulder was left in place and the road was rerouted around it—a bizarre tourist attraction was born.
Here’s a quick comparison between the two incidents:
| Incident | Year | Location (Mile Marker) | Boulder Size | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This weekend’s event | 2025 | 75.5 (near Rico) | Car-sized (~6 ft) | Removed, road reopened |
| 2019 rockfall near Dolores | 2019 | ~21 | 8.5 million pounds | Left in place, highway rerouted |
So yeah, this weekend’s version was the less dramatic of the two—but still a reminder of nature’s unpredictability.
Locals Shrug It Off, Tourists Whip Out Phones
For some longtime locals, it was just another reminder of mountain living. One local store owner in nearby Rico quipped on social media, “It’s not officially summer until a boulder drops onto the highway.”
Tourists, on the other hand, were a mix of amused and confused.
A couple from Fort Worth posted on Instagram:
“Thought we’d see wildlife, not a giant rock sitting on the highway like it owns the place!”
That one got more than 2,000 likes.
It’s become a bit of a photo op, with folks pulling over (safely) to snap a pic before the boulder was removed. Deputies even joked that the rock had become “the most photographed object in San Miguel County for a few hours.”
Social Media Alert Was Key to Managing Delays
The San Miguel Sheriff’s Office used Facebook to alert residents and travelers, posting updates and images as the situation unfolded. That move helped reduce confusion and may have even prevented secondary accidents.
Here’s what worked:
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Real-time photos posted to Facebook
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Immediate traffic detour instructions
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Timely road reopening update at 1:20 p.m.
No doubt about it—communication played a big part in keeping the situation under control.
Deputies didn’t mention exactly how the boulder was removed, but it likely involved heavy-duty equipment like front-end loaders or hydraulic breakers. It’s possible it was broken up on site to make hauling easier.
Will It Happen Again? Probably.
If history is any guide, this won’t be the last time something big and rocky disrupts travel on Highway 145. With steep cliffs and a natural tendency for rockslides in the region, it’s something CDOT monitors closely.
They’ve installed netting, rockfall fences, and even early warning sensors in some areas. Still, there’s always a chance for the unexpected.
In fact, CDOT categorizes parts of this highway as “high-risk for rockfall” zones—especially around Rico and Ophir.
One sentence to wrap this section: Nature doesn’t follow a traffic schedule.
