
Driving the wild Vanity Summit in Idaho
Usa, north-america
13.51 km
2,381 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventure junkies, let's talk about Vanity Summit in the heart of Idaho's Salmon-Challis National Forest. This isn't your Sunday drive kind of road. We're talking about Forest Service Road 8, a completely unpaved, rough, and narrow path that climbs to a whopping 7,811 feet (2,381m).
You'll find the start of this 8.4-mile (13.51km) dirt track off of ID-21, and trust me, it gets gnarly pretty quickly as you ascend. A truck with 4x4 is a must for this trek. Oh, and definitely don't attempt this in the winter – it's usually impassable.
But if you're up for the challenge, the views are totally worth it! Plus, for the truly adventurous, there's a rough side road just west of the summit that climbs even higher, up to 8,471 feet (2,582m)! Get ready for an epic off-road experience!
Where is it?
Driving the wild Vanity Summit in Idaho is located in Usa (north-america). Coordinates: 44.4893, -115.1100
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 13.51 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,381 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- 44.4893, -115.1100
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