White-Knuckle Wonders of the US
American highways are typically wide, and rest stops are relatively frequent. However, some roads in the U.S. were obviously not made with safety or comfort in mind. From treacherous mountain switchbacks to infamous vanishing bridges, these 20 roads will test your nerves and your vehicle.
1. The Million Dollar Highway, Colorado
Stretching from Silverton to Ouray along US 550, this road has some of the most incredible views in Colorado's San Juan Mountains, as well as some of the steepest drops. There are a few guardrails on this drive, since they’d get pushed off the mountain by snowplows in the winter.
2. Tail of the Dragon, North Carolina
Dragon lovers rejoice: this epic road features 318 turns over just 11 miles. Motorcyclists and sports car owners flock here to test their skills on one of the nation’s toughest drives. You’ll be accelerating and shifting gears more than ever before as you dodge trees around every corner in Deal’s Gap.
3. Dalton Highway, Alaska
Driving up this gravel road toward the Arctic Ocean will leave you at the mercy of enormous semi-trucks that have the right of way…all the time. But the real draw to this dangerous route is the solitude. There are virtually no services for hundreds of miles, and temperatures can plummet in seconds.
4. Hana Highway, Hawaii
Driving to Hana will teach you what it’s like to traverse dozens of rickety one-lane bridges and twist around hundreds of blind corners through a tropical rainforest. Oh, and did we mention you’ll probably be driving behind plenty of locals flying past you at highway speeds?
5. Mount Evans Scenic Byway, Colorado
At over 14,000 feet, this is the highest paved road in North America. The drive features thin air and little oxygen as you drive along a road that has more than one occasion leave you wondering where the shoulder is.
6. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, Louisiana
Best known as one of the longest bridges over water in the entire world, it’s also somewhat nerve-wracking when fog blankets the area. Many drivers find themselves wondering how far they can drive without seeing land on either side.
7. Moki Dugway, Utah
The final descent into the Valley of the Gods is made up of dozens of tight switchbacks carved right into the side of an enormous red rock cliff face. Drivers descend 1,200 feet over the course of three miles on a slippery gravel road. While the scenery is unreal, most drivers don’t take their eyes of the cliff’s edge to look around.
Gedstrom at English Wikipedia on Wikimedia
8. White Rim Road, Utah
Deep in the heart of Canyonlands National Park is this thrilling loop that is only passable by high-clearance four-wheel drive vehicles with plenty of off-roading experience. Extremely steep grades and narrow ledges with no margin for error will have you crawling along the desert floor.
9. Route 1, California
We all know about Big Sur and its beauty, but those windy roads around the famous Bixby Creek Bridge are filled with sharp turns and insane winds that whip your car around. You often find yourself driving right along the edge of the Pacific with sheer cliffs and a small piece of concrete between you and your passing below.
10. Going-to-the-Sun Road, Montana
Glacier National Park’s breathtaking roadway brings visitors over the Continental Divide and through some tight spots. You’ll drive under overhanging rocks while staring straight down into glorious glacial valleys. The road is so narrow that vehicles over a certain length are prohibited from driving it during peak season.
11. The Seven Mile Bridge, Florida
Driving across the longest bridge in the Florida Keys can make you feel like you are gliding across the top of a turquoise swimming pool. Throw in some tropical storm gusts and you could be dealt some hefty crosswinds that take your steering wheel hostage.
12. Needles Highway, South Dakota
Needles Highway is one of the most picturesque drives in Custer State Park, but those falling rock formations make for some tight turns and passages. Known as the "pigtail" bridges and tunnels, you'll have to fold in your side mirrors to pass.
13. Pikes Peak Highway, Colorado
Colorado's most famous mountain offers more than 150 curves as you climb toward 14,000 feet. Massive elevation changes will make you feel like you're driving in the Himalayas, and you will literally drive through multiple weather patterns on your way to the top.
14. Atchafalaya Swamp Freeway, Louisiana
Just because you're driving on an elevated freeway doesn't mean you can't drive over water. For eighteen miles, Interstate 10 traverses through swampy waters and moss covered Cypress trees. It's like driving on a giant pier, until a Southern rain storm comes rolling through.
15. US Route 6, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's own Grand Canyon contains rolling hills and abrupt dead drops that will surprise the driver behind you. You'll wind through secluded state parks and overlook sleepy little towns where the trees crowd your car right up to the shoulder. Until you hit that patch of black ice.
Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States on Wikimedia
16. Highway 17, South Carolina
Driving between Charleston and Georgetown ranks at the top of locals' lists for busiest and "ghostiest." You'll weave in and out of dark, mossy marshes while thick humidity blankets your windshield in fog. While beautiful in the daylight, narrow lanes and swampy ground become eerie after dark.
17. The Loneliest Road, Nevada
US Route 50 was deemed the loneliest because you can go miles without ever seeing another living creature. There's less fear of driving off a cliff and more fear of complete psychological breakdown and running out of gas. You will look at your gas gauge every five minutes, and every shimmering figure on the horizon will look like a mirage.
18. Independence Pass, Colorado
The mountain pass is so narrow and steep that it's impassable during the winter. You'll climb and descend through portions where there isn't even enough room for two cars to pass anywhere near the summit. It's the highest paved mountain pass across Colorado's Continental Divide, and you will pop your ears more times than you can count.
19. The Taconic State Parkway, New York
Completed almost 100 years ago, this parkway was designed for tinier cars. You'll drive on hairpin curves with entrance ramps that are frighteningly short and roller coaster-esqe hills. Not to mention, the lanes are outrageously narrow and there is little room to correct yourself if you drift too close to another car.
20. Clinton Road, New Jersey
Technically you can drive this road just fine, but many say it's the most haunted road in America. You'll twist along ten miles of twisting trees with zero streetlights and all kinds of rumors about Bigfoot and phantom cars. Trust us, you probably don't believe in these things...but driving alone on Clinton Road will make you think twice.
