Most Harrowing Highways

[leroys73]

I was driving along Utah SR-12 today and discovered the section where the highway runs along a narrow (and high) ridge between two deep canyons.  The road is narrow and completely lacks guiderail.  The lack of guiderail is typical for the western US, but it can still make for a harrowing driving experience.

Here is the google maps view of SR-12
http://goo.gl/maps/F2D1c

Any others?

Awesome!  Did this one on a motorcycle.  It was daylight and good weather.  What a view.  I love it out there.

[leroys73]

Mount Evans was way worse than driving up UT-12, Trail Ridge Road also, and then Fall River Road in RMNP, Texas 170 also. UT-12 is not in my top 5 scary roads.

Rode all above except Fall River Road which sounds like a real challenge even in a 4x4, on my heavy,cruiser style motorcycle.  Evans, 14,265 ft, was a challenge as the turns were so sharpe I wasn't sure I could go fast enough to keep the bike up.  In all it was enjoyable.  I could not get over the number of bicycles on the road plus a jogger.  Did Texas 170, AKA River Road, from Study Butte/Terlingua to Candelaria and back in the fall on motorcycle. Except for the heat I didn't find it bad.  The far western part was boring. 

[leroys73]

The Cross-Bronx Expressway, when traffic was at a halt. The local entrepreneurs would descend to the depressed roadway, and all manner of products would be offered for sale Some obviously stolen, some illegal, but always harrowing.

Now that is harrowing!!! 

I think I'd rather take my chances at night on any of the above roads, maybe even in snow.

[hbelkins]

Still waiting for a mention of the Moki Dugway.

[national highway 1]

Camino del Muerte in Bolivia

[kphoger]

Camino del Muerte in Bolivia

You've been on that?? 

[oscar]

Still waiting for a mention of the Moki Dugway.

Not really "harrowing".  Especially compared to the Camino del Muerte, which will be very hard to top.

[kphoger]

I was hoping this thread would be about harrowing highways we'd actually been on (for the record, mine was a state highway, even though it was gravel).

EDIT:  Well, actually, it does not appear on the SCT list of state highways.  I'm certain that I saw some mileposts with Chihuahua state shields on them.  At one point, I could even have told you what number was on the shields.

[Brandon]

Define harrowing?  Harrowing can be driving through the Loop at rush hour with pedestrians, bicycles, taxis, and buses everywhere and all within mere inches (or less) of you.  In many ways, I'd rather be on a mountain road like KP's than be in the Loop during rush hour.

[deathtopumpkins]

CA-173 and AZ-88 are very narrow dirt roads.  AZ-88 has proper guardrails along the cliff wall, but has much more traffic.  I've always wondered what happens when two cars meet head-on.  one might have to back up as much as a mile and a half to a point where they can pass.  CA-173 is so rutted that I had to ride with one set of wheels on the high center, and one set of wheels about 6 inches from the cliff edge.

You'll probably be happy to know that CA 173's been permanently closed to vehicles then: http://sv08data.dot.ca.gov/memos/files/comalert/021511.pdf

Are there any plans (or, perhaps more to the point, funding) to pave Ca. 173 and re-open it?

Not that I know of. That document says the closure is permanent, and I don't really see the need for it anyway, since traffic heading west from Lake Arrowhead would probably continue using CA 18 and CA 138 rather than CA 173 even if it were paved.

[empirestate]

The Cross-Bronx Expressway, when traffic was at a halt. The local entrepreneurs would descend to the depressed roadway, and all manner of products would be offered for sale Some obviously stolen, some illegal, but always harrowing.

I dunno, I find that a lot of the NYC-area highways are most harrowing when they're moving at full speed.

FDR Drive is more fun than harrowing, but Grand Central Parkway fits the adjective when it's moving. I think it's my preference for Manhattan vs. outer borough driving.

[leroys73]

Still waiting for a mention of the Moki Dugway.

I thought it was mentioned, guess not.  That is a good one.  Last June I did it on my cruiser motorcycle, southbound=down hill.  Not too bad, just used lower gears.  I even stopped to take a picture.  Awesome view.  Can't wait to go north bound.

[texaskdog]

Moki scared my fiancee, worse than trail ridge road but not as bad as mount evans or fall river.  I did fall river in a rental car but one time I did have to back up to retake a switchback.  It is one way which helps.

[agentsteel53]

I never thought of Trail Ridge Road as being all that bad, though it may be different to people who are not acclimated to the elevation.  a similar one is US-212 through Beartooth Pass: both get over 11000 feet.

how good a dirt road is Fall River?  decent level grading, or Jeep trail?

speaking of Jeep trails, there's always Black Bear Road... but I've never driven it.

[leroys73]

Never thought of Beartooth, 212, as being one but yes for someone who hasn't driven on mountain roads may have a problem.  It is awesome though.  First time up in 1974 in a VW, so impressed I put it on my list to do again.  Finally in 2009 came down on my motorcycle.  It was thrilling.  Anyone who hasn't driven it should.

[agentsteel53]

I remember being quite winded when I walked around to take photos on Beartooth, but the drive itself was fine.  I don't think there are cliffs on either side of the road - and if they are, the twelve-foot-high snowbanks will prevent anyone from falling off.

[texaskdog]

Trail Ridge only has one tight narrow area that is not that bad, never really "scary"  Fall River is not very high, just a lot of tight turns, but I did it in a rental car.

[agentsteel53]

I did it in a rental car.

I assume 2wd, low clearance, like a Corolla or the like?

[Chris19001]

CA-168 has a nice stretch several miles east of Big Pine.  There's a narrow one lane stretch through a ridge that is a nice place to come across an oncoming camper or trailer coming around a curve.  I know the highway caught me by surprise the first time I was through there..

[texaskdog]

I did it in a rental car.

I assume 2wd, low clearance, like a Corolla or the like?

I think it was a Cruze.   You don't need a special vehicle at all to do this.  I do remember about a third of the way through thinking it was a stupid idea though I don't think there was any great danger of not making it.

[kphoger]

Shoot, if we're into jeep roads, then I'll throw out my Colorado ones again:

Ophir Road
(Here is Ophir Pass)

Tomboy Road & Camp Bird Road
(Here are Tomboy Road and Camp Bird Road)

Both in a rental Jeep Wrangler.  Images are not mine.

[texaskdog]

Shoot, if we're into jeep roads, then I'll throw out my Colorado ones again:

Ophir Road
(Here is Ophir Pass)

Tomboy Road & Camp Bird Road
(Here are Tomboy Road and Camp Bird Road)

Both in a rental Jeep Wrangler.  Images are not mine.

now that's a scary road! (Ophir Pass)

[kphoger]

It wasn't really all that scary at all, as it was very level.  I guess not encountering any oncoming vehicles helped, though.

[kphoger]

Tomboy Road was much more harrowing, since there was more traffic.  Two cars on a one-lane road passing each other with a mountain on one side and a long, steep slope on the other side can definitely be harrowing.

[oscar]

CA-168 has a nice stretch several miles east of Big Pine.  There's a narrow one lane stretch through a ridge that is a nice place to come across an oncoming camper or trailer coming around a curve.  I know the highway caught me by surprise the first time I was through there.

I did that stretch last month.  It's striped with two lanes, wide enough so I wouldn't call it "one-lane".  But all the curves make passing difficult, especially when (as I was) you're stuck behind a slow truck hauling hay. 

I didn't find it too "harrowing", especially on the same trip I did the northern half of steep and unpaved Saline Valley Road in Death Valley NP, one of the more difficult roads I've ever driven.  But it is true that I had the option of doing that stretch of CA 168 again a few days later, and opted instead for the gentler US 6 through the same mountain range.