Aker Lake

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How long is Deer Park Road in WA?

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Deer Park Road is a defiant drive located in Clallam County, in the US state of Washington. There are a number of sharp turns and dangerous ledges. Gravel, narrow, winding and steep in places. This is one of those roads that is easier for the driver than the passengers. How long is Deer Park Road in WA? Located within the Olympic National Park, the road is 28.96km (18 miles) long. It runs from Highway 101 to the Blue Mountain Trail Head parking lot. It’s a scary drive known for its stunning views. Go slow, take your time and pay attention to the road. Please use caution. It is narrow and steep with occasional turn-offs. There are a lot of sharp curves where you can't see what's on the other side. It barely wide enough for two cars so when you do meet an oncoming vehicle one must pull over to let the other pass.  Expect sheer drops, tight corners and no room to pass. You must go when the weather is nice. Take your time, no rush, both hands on the wheel. The drive is absolutely beautiful. You better have confidence in whoever is driving the car. Is Deer Park Road in WA paved? The road is paved to about halfway, turns to dirt and gets very narrow, 10 feet wide. RVs and trailers are prohibited. Off-road 4WD or AWD vehicle is recommended. When descending, watch for washboarding in the corners, things can get pretty bone-rattling at the end of the dry season. Is Deer Park Road in WA open? The road ends at the Blue Mountain Trail Head parking lot, at 1.830m (6,003ft) above the sea level. It is usually closed between October and April at the park boundary, about 9 miles from Highway 101. It should only be attempted in good weather. Is Deer Park Road in WA worth it? This challenging winding road leads to some of the most beautiful views in Olympic National Park. Along its way the drive offers 360 degree views of mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca from the top of Blue Mountain, the end of the road The road does get busier at weekends and in the main holiday season. It’s an epic alpine climb with expansive views. Pic: Olympic National Park Road Trip Guide: Conquering Indiana Pass in Colorado Driving the road to Little Giant Peak in Colorado is not a piece of cake Embark on a journey like never before! Navigate through our to discover the most spectacular roads of the world Drive Us to Your Road! With over 13,000 roads cataloged, we're always on the lookout for unique routes. Know of a road that deserves to be featured? Click  to share your suggestion, and we may add it to dangerousroads.org.

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Driving the epic unpaved road to Baldy Mountain in Colfax County

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Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! If you’re in Colfax County, New Mexico, and craving a seriously epic drive, you NEED to check out Baldy Mountain (also called Baldy Peak, Mount Baldy, or Old Baldy by the locals). At a whopping 12,185 feet, this peak delivers views that’ll make your jaw drop. This isn't your average Sunday drive though; this 7.95-mile unpaved road used to be an old mining route, so keep an eye out for relics of the past! Starting near Elizabethtown, off NM-38, you'll climb over 3,500 feet. That means an average grade of over 8%, and hold on tight, because there are 17 hairpin turns to conquer! A high-clearance 4x4 is an absolute MUST for this trek. Speaking of treks, don’t even THINK about attempting this during the winter – the snow is no joke, and the road often stays closed well into July. Summer brings its own challenges, too. Monsoon season can unleash some serious rain, hail, and lightning. But if you brave it, the views are absolutely worth it!

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How long is Shelf Road in Colorado?

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Shelf Road is an adventurous and rugged mountain drive spanning Fremont and Teller counties in the US state of Colorado. This is a great drive if you're brave and trust the person behind the wheel. If you don't like steep extreme drop-offs, don't take the road. It's very narrow in some spots, and two vehicles can't go through. How long is Shelf Road in Colorado? This narrow mountain road is 21.4 km (13.3 miles) long, running south-north from the city of Cañon City (in Fremont County), where it begins, to 21.7 km (13.5 miles) north of Cañon City, where it changes from Fremont County Highway 9 (Garden Park Road) to Shelf Road, to the city of Cripple Creek (in Teller County). The road is mostly unpaved and pretty steep. It climbs from 1,902 m (6,240 ft) above sea level to 2,863 m (9,393 ft) above sea level. The elevation gain is 961 m, and the average gradient is 3.80%. It is part of the Gold Belt Scenic Byway Is Shelf Road dangerous? Most vehicles should not have any issues from its start to its finish. However, if the road is wet or snowy, it could give any vehicle some trouble, and vehicles with all-wheel drive are probably best. It has great views but is a little scary in parts, especially when there is oncoming traffic. It’s a one-lane, two-way dirt road on the side of a cliff with blind corners. It's a dirt road that's often narrow and at times clings to the side of a hill, with very little room to spare. It’s a two-way road that is just over a single vehicle wide in many places. You’ll be close enough to shake hands with the other driver. The road is carved along the side of a cliff that is supposed to fit two lanes, but really only fits one. It is used by employees of the Cripple Creek gold mine (the large light-colored area on the satellite view below) who use Shelf Road to commute twice each day, are very familiar with it, so they travel it much faster than you’d consider safe! They can appear very quickly around any sharp turn. The really bad, scary 'shelf' part is the first three or four miles of Shelf Road coming from Canon City heading north toward Cripple Creek where it is the steepest and narrowest. When you are going this way, the passenger will be on the cliff side of the shelf looking down. Nervous passengers feel more comfortable when traveling south, as they will be on the wall side, and the driver will be on the cliff side. Check status before you go as roads sometimes close due to washouts or accidents. When was Shelf Road in Colorado built? The road was built in 1892 as a toll road, offers scenic views, and is good for all skill levels. Originally, it was a stagecoach route that delivered goods to and from Cripple Creek and Canon City. The road gets its name because it’s carved out of the canyon wall and goes up more than 100 feet in some places. Is Shelf Road in Colorado scenic? he road and the scenery it offers can be pretty spectacular given the steep pitch of the surrounding cliffs, with lots of hairpin turns as the road ascends, hugging the side of the mountain crossing over limestone cliffs with twists and turns through the area. Sightseeing is better left to passengers as the driver must concentrate on staying on the road and avoiding other vehicles. What's the high-speed pursuit of Shelf Road? Shelf Road was once the scene of a "high-speed" pursuit. At 9:30 pm on November 1, 2020, an armed fugitive from justice with five felony warrants led local city police from three cities and Sheriff’s deputies from two counties on a high-speed chase from Cañon City north through Cripple Creek by way of Shelf Road. One can only imagine the frantic, reckless drive up Shelf Road of one car followed by the many flashing red and blue lights that illuminated the dark along with the screaming sirens echoing off the steep canyon walls along the way. The fugitive fired at deputies and officers as he fled, crashed his car, evaded police on foot, and was apprehended the next day in an abandoned cabin. Just days after being sentenced to 34 years in prison he escaped the Teller County jail, and a manhunt captured him again four days later. Now he is part of the local folklore of Shelf Road. Road suggested by: Catrìona M. MacKirnan Driving the scenic Saddle Road in Hawaii Dare to drive the Yankee Boy Basin Road in Colorado Embark on a journey like never before! Navigate through our to discover the most spectacular roads of the world Drive Us to Your Road! With over 13,000 roads cataloged, we're always on the lookout for unique routes. Know of a road that deserves to be featured? Click  to share your suggestion, and we may add it to dangerousroads.org.

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Where is Chinook Pass?

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Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! You HAVE to add Chinook Pass to your bucket list. This stunning mountain pass, perched at 5,430 feet in Washington's Yakima County, is calling your name! Find it nestled between Enumclaw and Naches, in the southern part of the state, and get ready for a treat. This fully paved beauty, officially known as SR 410, Chinook Scenic Byway, and Stephen Mather Memorial Parkway, was completed back in 1931. Get ready to wind around Mount Rainier's northeastern side on this incredible two-lane road. (Sorry truckers, no commercial vehicles allowed!) Seriously, folks, this drive is a MUST. Just five miles east of the summit, you'll be grinning ear-to-ear as you tackle every twist and turn. Picture this: Mount Rainier views that will knock your socks off, dense forests, jagged peaks, rugged ridges, and deep river canyons – pure magic! Chinook Pass also gives you access to the eastern entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. Summer road trippers adore this route because it's free of big rigs within the park's section of the highway. A heads up though: Chinook Pass is usually closed mid-November. They aim to reopen around Memorial Day weekend, but it all depends on how much snow falls and what spring throws at them. Avalanches, dicey road conditions, lack of snow storage, and limited emergency services force the annual closure.

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How long is Deer Park Road in WA?

Driving the epic unpaved road to Baldy Mountain in Colfax County

How long is Shelf Road in Colorado?

Where is Chinook Pass?