Pigeon Spring Road
Usa, north-america
2.3 km
1.75 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Pigeon Spring Road in Gila County, Arizona, is calling your name. This isn't your average Sunday drive; it's a 1.4-mile gravelly climb that'll get your heart pumping. You'll top out at around 5,740 feet, so be ready for some killer views. Word to the wise: this area can get snowy at the higher elevations after winter storms, while the lower sections can be scorchers in the summertime. Get ready for a ride!
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 2.3 km
- Max Elevation
- 1.75 m
- Difficulty
- hard
Related Roads in north-america
hardA Most Tricky Scenic Drive to Gunsight Pass in Colorado
🇺🇸 Usa
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Gunsight Pass in Gunnison County, Colorado is calling your name! Nestled in the Gunnison National Forest, this beast of a road climbs to a staggering 12,112 feet. Starting near Crested Butte, Gunsight Pass Road (aka Trappers Way) throws you into a 7.4-mile off-road adventure. Think rugged terrain, loose rocks, and switchbacks galore as you wind through Wolverine Basin, hugging Mount Emmons. The lower part of the trail treats you to killer views of Crested Butte, while the higher you climb, the more the northern vistas explode! Now, a heads-up: you can't actually *drive* all the way over the pass. The final switchbacks are closed to ATVs and 4x4s due to some serious erosion. So, dust off that mountain bike or lace up your hiking boots to conquer the final stretch. This old mining road isn't coddled—it's raw and untamed. Landslides are a real possibility thanks to a seriously unstable shale slope. The upper section? Let's just say it's seen better days and involves a sketchy scree slope that isn't safely passable. This bad boy is usually snowed in from November to May. Be prepared for rapidly changing conditions: think thunderstorms, freezing temps, and the feeling of being wonderfully isolated. Watch out for snowfields—they can be treacherous! The road is steep, with sections hitting an 18% gradient. You'll gain a whopping 3,218 feet from Crested Butte, averaging an 8.24% incline. Gunsight Pass is a Colorado classic that demands respect and rewards you with views you won't soon forget!
hardIs there a road up Mt. Whitney?
🇺🇸 Usa
Whitney Portal Road is a short but spectacular drive that takes you about halfway up Mount Whitney, the highest summit in the contiguous United States, in Inyo County, in the US state of California. Is there a road up Mt. Whitney? Tucked away in the eastern central part of California, the road is 19.31km (12 miles) long, starting at Lone Pine. It’s totally paved. The road connects Lone Pine to Whitney Portal (the Whitney Portal Store is at the Portal, and the store is open in the summer). Is the road to Whitney Portal open? Set high in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Whitney Portal Road usually opens sometime in early May, with the first major winter storm shutting it down sometime in November, meaning it is not maintained or cleared of snow. However, it is not physically barred, and climbers routinely drive as far as conditions will allow. The road is not gated or otherwise physically blocked; call the Inyo National Forest for information. Weather and road conditions can change in an instant. Can you see Mount Whitney from the road? The road ends at 2,557m (8,389ft) above sea level at Whitney Portal, where there is a close view of Mount Whitney. When was Whitney Portal Road in California built? The road to the summit was built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. How long does it take to drive Whitney Portal Road in California? To drive the road without stopping will take most people between 25 and 35 minutes. The drive features sweeping views. It twists and turns through an otherworldly landscape known as the Alabama Hills, a set of bizarrely constructed rock piles, before setting on a fairly straight shot for the foothills of Mount Whitney. Alabama Hills are the scene of literally hundreds of cowboy films, but the road has a film history, too. The steep, sharp switchbacks along the Whitney Portal Road were prominent in scenes in the Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz film "The Long, Long Trailer," in which Lucy surreptitiously fills a travel trailer with her rock collection until it’s too heavy to ascend the grade. The road is also featured in the 1941 classic, "High Sierra," starring Humphrey Bogart. The vistas change dramatically as you draw closer to the mountains, seeming more and more massive until suddenly they overwhelm you, and you're a part of them, looking back down on the road, the hills, and the Owens Valley. In other words, there's plenty of time to think about what you're getting yourself into. Is Whitney Portal Road in California challenging? This route is paved but narrow, steep, and winding with dramatic switchbacks. There is a risk of rock slides on the way up. It’s very steep, with some 14% gradients. It is a great and difficult climb out of the high desert up towards Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the lower 48. The road has some narrow parts and blind corners. Like most eastern Sierra ascents, this one starts out tame and ends up tough. The grade generally increases as you climb so that a five-mile stretch in the 2nd half averages 9%. The hill lets up just before the finish at Whitney Portal and a parking/hiking area (trailhead to Mt. Whitney). Whitney Portal is also very similar to the famed French climb of The narrow road to Schofield Pass in Colorado is for experienced drivers only The creepy story of Sensabaugh Tunnel in Tennessee 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.
moderateWhere is Cedar Mountain?
🇺🇸 Usa
Okay, picture this: you're just west of Cody, Wyoming, staring up at Cedar Mountain, a beast of a peak rising to 7,890 feet. This isn't just any mountain; it's smack-dab in the heart of the Shoshone Canyon, looming over the Buffalo Bill Reservoir. Oh, and it's ground zero for one of the Wild West's juiciest mysteries: where *really* lies Buffalo Bill Cody? Forget pavement, because the way up is all about the Spirit Mountain Road. It's a totally unpaved, rough and tumble track of gravel and dirt carving its way up those slopes. Seriously, you're gonna want a high-clearance vehicle for this adventure! Clocking in at 5.28 miles from the hardtop, this road throws you into a climb with a hefty 2,785-foot elevation gain. Get ready to crank that steering wheel through around 25 switchbacks as you grind your way skyward. And, uh, hold on tight! We're talking an average grade of around 9%, making for a seriously thrilling climb. The loose gravel and relentless incline are a pure adrenaline rush. But here’s the kicker: If you survive the drive, you're rewarded with some insane panoramic views of Cody and the Absaroka Mountains. And, of course, the real reason most people make the pilgrimage is to see the white buffalo monument atop the mountain. Legend has it that Cody's pals secretly buried him here, overlooking the town he built. Conspiracy theory or truth? You decide!
hardHow do you get to Punta Allen?
🇲🇽 Mexico
Okay, so you wanna get to Punta Allen, the chillest village at the end of the Boca Paila Peninsula in Quintana Roo? Get ready for QROO 15, a coastal road that's more of an adventure than a highway. It's about 53 km (33 miles) from Tulum, running along the Caribbean coast, taking you right to the edge of paradise and the entrance to BahÃa de la Ascensión. Fair warning: this road, also known as Javier Rojo Gómez, is *unpaved*. Think narrow, think jungle, think Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve vibes. If it's dry, you'll dodge potholes – not too bad. But watch out for those sneaky *topes* (speed bumps)! They can be brutal. The southern half, especially after the Boca Paila bridge, is where things get real. You might need some off-road skills to avoid sinking in the sand. Leave the low-rider at home; you'll want an SUV for this trek. Keep your eyes peeled for potholes and remember if it's been raining, the road can become one with the beach – easy to get stuck without 4WD. No lanes here, just weaving around potholes and watching for oncoming traffic. The speed limit is 40 km/h, and trust me, you'll want to stick to it for the animals' sake! This area is remote – seriously remote. Fill up your tank in Tulum; there's no gas in Punta Allen. Electricity is patchy, and ATMs and internet are non-existent. Aim to finish the 2-3 hour drive before sunset, 'cause you're heading back the same way. But is it worth it? Absolutely. Take your time! There are tons of spots to pull over and enjoy deserted beaches and rocky coastline. Keep an eye out for crocodiles on the first lagoon bridge. You'll see lizards, iguanas, crabs, birds – a whole wildlife parade. Once you reach Punta Allen, you'll understand why the journey is part of the magic. Think pristine white sand beaches and emerald waters stretching as far as you can see – pure paradise!