The Wild Road to Toro Peak in CA

The Wild Road to Toro Peak in CA

Usa, north-america

Length

20.43 km

Elevation

2,655 m

Difficulty

hard

Best Season

Year-round

Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! If you're craving an off-the-beaten-path thrill in Southern California, you NEED to check out Toro Peak. This beauty sits way up high in the San Bernardino National Forest, clocking in at 8,710 feet above sea level.

The way up is Santa Rosa Road (7S02), a 12.7-mile dirt track that'll put your ride to the test. Forget your low-rider – high clearance is a MUST, and honestly, you'll be thanking your lucky stars for 4-wheel drive. This road gets seriously bumpy, especially on the final stretch, which is steep, loose, and rocky. The road snakes up the Santa Rosa Mountain Range with grades hitting a punchy 13% in places. Be warned: they sometimes close it down due to fire danger or bad weather.

It climbs 4,124 vertical feet from the paved CA-74, so expect some serious elevation gain. Watch out for narrow sections and keep an eye out for other adventurers. The road can be closed due to snow in winter. The views from the top, where you'll find a microwave relay station, are totally worth the effort!

Share this road

Road Details

Country
Usa
Continent
north-america
Length
20.43 km
Max Elevation
2,655 m
Difficulty
hard

Related Roads in north-america

Long Canyon Road is a challenging drive in Utahmoderate

Long Canyon Road is a challenging drive in Utah

🇺🇸 Usa

Long Canyon Road, nestled in Grand County, Utah, near Moab and within Canyonlands National Park's Sky district, is a wild ride you won't soon forget! This 12 km (7.5 mile) dirt track kicks off from UT-279 and winds its way up to UT-313, which conveniently leads to Dead Horse Point State Park. Get ready for a climb! You'll ascend from 1,206 meters (3,956 feet) to a lofty 1,865 meters (6,118 feet). High-clearance vehicles are your best bet for conquering this trail, though most can handle it, unless recent rains have made things extra messy. The road's mostly smooth sailing, but "Pucker Pass" lives up to its name – narrow, steep, and bumpy! It's a wide gravel road for the most part, but watch out for those tight spots in Pucker Pass. Uphill traffic has the right-of-way, so stay alert when passing. Expect some rocky terrain (up to 6-inchers!), loose surfaces, and shelf roads, but there's generally enough space to pass or pull over. Oh, and you’ll drive *under* a massive boulder that's created a natural tunnel – photo op! The views? Seriously epic. From start to finish, you'll be treated to stunning vistas of Long Canyon and the La Sal Mountains. Plenty of pull-offs allow you to soak it all in. Open year-round (weather permitting), but best tackled when dry. After heavy rain, Pucker Pass can get extra tricky.

Where is the Walnut Canyon Desert Drive?moderate

Where is the Walnut Canyon Desert Drive?

🇺🇸 Usa

Okay, picture this: you're cruising through the stunning Chihuahuan Desert in southeastern New Mexico, right in the heart of Eddy County. You're winding your way through the rugged Guadalupe Mountains, heading towards the incredible Carlsbad Caverns – a mind-blowing network of limestone caves sculpted over, like, 250 million years. The whole drive, which they also call Reef Top Circle, takes about 45 minutes and is a chance to soak in all the desert has to offer – plants, critters, the whole shebang. There are marked stops along the way so you can delve deeper into what you're seeing with a guide. You can do this drive any time of year, but be warned, it can get HOT in the summer months. Fall is where it's at, though – just perfect driving weather. The dirt road itself is almost 10 miles long, a one-way loop that kicks off from Carlsbad Cavern Highway (Highway 7) near the visitor center and loops back around. Keep in mind this is a bit rough for cars that sit low to the ground, and it's a no-go for RVs, buses, or trailers.

Can you drive to Lobdell Lake in CA?hard

Can you drive to Lobdell Lake in CA?

🇺🇸 Usa

Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! I've got a hidden gem for you: Lobdell Lake in California's Mono County. Picture this: You're cruising through the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, east of Sonora Junction, in your trusty 4x4 because, trust me, you'll need it for this unpaved, rugged stretch. We're talking about Road 67, aka Lobdell Lake Road, a 10.6-mile climb that’ll test your mettle with gradients hitting 13%. But hey, the reward is SO worth it! This isn't just any drive; it's a journey to a high-altitude reservoir, topping out at a whopping 9,540 feet near the lake itself. Keep in mind, this alpine paradise is only accessible from May to November, so plan accordingly. Situated near the Nevada border, north of Bridgeport, the views are absolutely breathtaking. Prepare to be blown away by the incredible scenery. Just remember to take it slow and enjoy the ride!

How long is Shelf Road in Colorado?extreme

How long is Shelf Road in Colorado?

🇺🇸 Usa

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.