
The wild road to Monarch Ridge South in CO
Usa, north-america
2.36 km
3,634 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventurers, listen up! Monarch Ridge South in Colorado's Chaffee County is calling your name! Nestled high in the Rockies, this gravel road tops out at a whopping 11,922 feet. You can hop on it right off Highway 50 where there's a handy parking lot.
Heads up: This road is no joke – it's pretty steep, with an average gradient of 7.45%! The climb from Monarch Pass is just under 1.5 miles, gaining 577 feet in elevation. Expect strong winds and be prepared for crazy-fast weather changes, it can get very cold. Oh, and keep an eye out for bears.
The views? Totally worth it. Just remember, with those incredible heights comes serious weather. Thunderstorms are common, and the area sees a ton of snow, so closures are possible in winter. Once you make it to the top, you'll see some antennas. Passenger cars can usually handle it in the summer and early fall, so get ready for an unforgettable ride!
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 2.36 km
- Max Elevation
- 3,634 m
- Difficulty
- hard
Related Roads in north-america
hardWhere is Molas Pass?
🇺🇸 Usa
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! You absolutely HAVE to experience Molas Pass in Colorado. We're talking 10,918 feet above sea level, nestled right in the San Juan Mountains, just south of the charming town of Silverton. Picture this: You're cruising along U.S. Highway 550 (aka the Million Dollar Highway!), and the views? OMG. People call this area the American Alps for a reason! There's a sweet little parking lot at the summit where you can soak it all in. Now, the road's paved the whole way, BUT... be warned! This baby's steep. We're talking a 7% gradient in spots. While it's not switchback city, it definitely keeps you on your toes. And, pro-tip, this is Colorado, so snow is a real possibility, especially starting in October. The road can close, and chains might be mandatory. But hey, a little adventure never hurt anyone, right? Just imagine those snow-dusted peaks! Trust me, Molas Pass is an unforgettable drive.
easyWhere is Palo Flechado Pass?
🇺🇸 Usa
Okay, buckle up, road trippers! We're heading to Palo Flechado Pass in New Mexico, a sweet spot sitting way up at 9,117 feet! You'll find it straddling the line between Taos and Colfax counties, smack-dab in that gorgeous high desert of northern New Mexico. Good news: this beauty is totally paved as you cruise along U.S. Route 64. The whole shebang stretches for about 30.8 miles (almost 50km), connecting the charming villages of Taos and Eagle Nest. Get ready for some serious Sangre de Cristo Mountain views!
easyHow long is the road to Tioga Pass?
🇺🇸 Usa
Tioga Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3,036m (9,960ft) above sea level, located on the boundary between Tuolumne and Mono counties in the U.S. state of California. It is one of the highest roads in California How long is the road to Tioga Pass? Tucked away in the east-central portion of California, the road to the summit is called Tioga Road. It’s part of California State Route 120. The road is 108km (67.3 miles) long, running east-west from Lee Vining to Big Oak Flat. It’s said to be the highest highway pass in California and in the Sierra Nevada. The road to the summit is totally paved. The pass is named after Tioga Mine. The road was built in 1882-1883 as a mining road and was realigned and modernized in 1961. Is Tioga Road scenic? It’s said to be one of the best drives in California, with hundreds of opportunities to hike and explore Yosemite's backcountry and provides instant access to the spectacular Sierra high country. There are many turnouts with broad and beautiful vistas. This scenic drive through forests and past meadows, lakes, and granite domes offers sweeping views. Mount Dana is to the east of the pass. There are several trailheads into the Yosemite backcountry that begin at Tioga Pass, including the trail to the Gaylor Lakes to the west/northwest and the rough trail to the summit of Mount Dana. This is a very beautiful Alpine drive, but the road is up/down and twisty, curvy all the time. It is a wide two-lane road with many turnout areas to pull off and soak in the absolutely spectacular scenery. There are no guard rails along most of the drive, so if you go off the road, it's a thousand-foot drop down the side of the mountain. The drive features steep sections. Starting at Lee Vining, the ascent is 20km (12 miles) long. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 957 meters. The average percentage is 4.7%. Is Tioga Pass Road open? Set high in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, the road is generally open to vehicle traffic only from late spring (usually late May or early June) through mid-fall (usually until the first significant snowfall in November). These dates are subject to considerable variation. In heavy snow years, the road usually closes in early October and could open as late as mid-July. In light snow years, the road could be closed in December and open as soon as April. In 2004, however, the road closed for the winter on October 17, the earliest closing in at least 25 years. Snow clearing of the Tioga Road normally begins on or about April 15 each year and usually takes between one and two months. Predicting when these roads will open is not possible, even in late spring, because April and May weather significantly affect plowing progress. Kaiser Pass is a classic road trip in Sierra National Forest Driving the infamous Atigun Pass in Alaska 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.
hardBeef Basin Trail is a challenging 4wd road in Utah
🇺🇸 Usa
Okay, so you're heading to southeastern Utah, south of Canyonlands National Park, eh? Get ready for Beef Basin Road #093, a real adventure at 82 miles long! You can hop on it from Utah Highway 211 and San Juan County Road #107. Now, listen up! This isn't your grandma's Sunday drive. You're gonna need some serious ground clearance and four-wheel drive. Seriously. There's a point where signs are screaming at you that you better have a heavy-duty rig. Under *ideal* conditions and with an experienced driver, you *might* get a 2WD vehicle a ways in, but even then, high clearance AWD is recommended! Beef Basin is HOT and DRY, especially in summer. Bring at least a gallon of water per person per day – no joke. And remember, Southern Utah roads are moody! Conditions change fast with the weather and maintenance. Speaking of weather, even a little rain can turn this road into a beast. They might even close it down. And forget about it in winter (November to April-ish) because of snow piling up on Horse Mountain and the Abajo Mountains. But if you hit it right, the scenery is unreal.