Million Dollar Highway, one of the most beautiful roads in America
In the state of Colorado of the United States of America there’s a special highway built in the late 1880's: the Million Dollar Highway, part of the San Juan Skyway. It's one of the nation’s most spectacular drives. You'll be on the "outside" for a while with a hell of a view to your right (let the passenger look. You'll want to watch the road). Forget standard driving safety measures like guardrails and shoulders, there aren't any on this stretch, so swerving off the road is not advised!
Death Road, a lethal journey in the Bolivian Yungas region
La Carretera de los Yungas was, probably, the most famous road in the world as well as the most dangerous. This gravel dirt track covers a 69-kilometre (43 mi) stretch between La Paz and Coroico, in the Yungas region of Bolivia.
The coastal Atlantic Ocean Road is a must do
Located in the midwest part of the Norwegian coastline, the Atlantic Road is one of the most scenic drives in the world. Driving along this road is like teetering on the edge of the sea. The curvy road dips and arches over the brutal waves of the Norwegian Sea that often crash over the pavement during storms. This unique highway will bring you out to the very farthest point where the land ends and the ocean begins.
Skippers Canyon, a narrow and winding road only for experienced drivers
The Skippers Canyon Road, located in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island, is today one of New Zealand's better known scenic roads and unbelievably scary as it’s totally narrow and different to manouvre your car. This gravel road, with a length of 16,5 miles, carved by hand by miners over 140 years ago is made from a very narrow cut in the middle of a sheer cliff face. It’s a road so dangerous that your rental car insurance won’t be honored if you drive on it.
Bayburt Of Yolu-D915, the most challenging road in the world
D915 is one of the most challenging roads in the world. Located in the Trabzon province, Turkey, the road is extreme, bordered by a drop of hundreds of meters unprotected by guardrails. It’s definitely not for anyone suffering from vertigo or a fear of landslides. Only the suicidal, the insane, or the paid-to-do-this should ever drive down. This road has humbled many egos. One mistake and it's a free fall to your death.
The dangerous Fairy Meadows Road: one false move and it’s a very long drop
Fairy Meadows Road is a spectacular and dangerous high mountain track with a length of 16,2km, located in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. The gravel road is completely unmaintained, there are no guardrails to protect you, and it gets so narrow that near the end you’ll have to cover the last section by walking or biking. Drivers must remain cautious as the pass has been known to claim the lives of careless drivers.
Leh Manali highway, an epic journey across the Roof of the World
The Leh-Manali Highway is a high mountain road situated in India. It spans over a length of 479 km (298 mi) among the Himalaya mountain range. It passes through some of the world’s highest mountain passes, with a mean altitude in between 2 to 3 miles above sea level. Uncertain weather, high altitude, extreme cold and no civilization for miles make this a very treacherous track. Carry extra fuel and feel close to heaven.
Furka pass, enough hairpins to make you a whirling
The Furka pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.431m (7,976ft) above the sea level, located in one of the snowiest regions in Switzerland. It’s one of the world's most iconic, exhilarating and exciting drives, through the Swiss Alps. The pass was imortalised by the Aston DB5 / Ford Mustang car chase in James Bond's Goldfinger. It's one of the highest mountain roads of the Alps.
Tian Men Shan Big Gate, a road with 99 turns
Located within the Tianmen Mountain National Park, in northwestern Hunan Province, China, the Tianmen Shan Big Gate Road (also called the Tianmen Winding Mountain Road) is 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) long from the bottom to the top. The highest point of the road is at 1.300m above sea level, and the lowest point is 200m. The construction of the road took eight years, finishing in 2006.
Kahekili Highway, a scary and dangerous journey in Hawaii
Kahekili Highway is a strip of one-lane paved road framed by rock on one side and sheer cliff drops on the other with a length of 20 miles from Kapalua to Wailuku. It’s a legendary road known for its snaking turns, narrow passages, and dangerous road conditions, though nowadays that last factor is gone, since the road was completely repaved not too long ago.
Iron Mountain Road: 17 miles, 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, 3 pigtails and 3 tunnels
Iron Mountain Road is a very scenic drive located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Just 17 miles but 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, 3 tunnels and 3 pigtails (turns which loop over their own road, allowing the road to climb rapidly).
Moki Dugway, a graded dirt switchback road with breathtaking views
The Mokee (or Moki) Dugway, located on Utah Route 261 just north of Mexican Hat, Utah is a staggering, graded dirt switchback road carved into the face of the cliff edge of Cedar Mesa. It consists of 3 miles of steep, unpaved, but well graded switchbacks (11% grade), which wind 1,200 feet from Cedar Mesa to the valley floor near Valley of the Gods.
Karakoram Highway, one of the highest paved roads in the world
The Karakoram Highway (known informally as the KKH) is said to be the highest paved international road in the world. It's the road to paradise – if you like exploring the mountains, that is. It's regarded as one of the world's hardest alpine climbs.
Col du Chaussy, an improbable road with 17 hairpin turns
Col du Chaussy is a high mountain pass, at an elevation of 1.533m (5,029ft) above the sea level, located in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. The road to reach the summit starts with the famous “lacets de Montvernier”, a special 3 km stretch with 17 hairpins as the road virtually climbs a cliff. It's an improbable road clinging to the edge of the cliff. It's one of the most scenic drives in the world.
Shafer Canyon Road, a thrilling (scary) off road experience
Shafer Trail Road-Shafer Canyon Road is a 18 miles dangerous dirt track located in Moab, a city in Grand County, in eastern Utah, in the western United States. It requires extreme caution at the best of times for vehicles and mountain bikes, but especially so in inclement weather and at night.
Tail of the Dragon: 318 curves in 11 miles
With 318 curves in 11 miles, it's America's number one motorcycle and sports car road. Deals Gap, also known as Tail of the Dragon, is a portion of U.S. Route 129 in Blount County, Tennessee, situated in a gap in Swain County, North Carolina, United States. It's heralded as one of the most scenic drives in USA.
Oh-My-God Road so named for its drop-offs and switchbacks
Oh-My-God Road is a 8,46 miles very scenic trail located in Clear Creek County, Colorado (USA) at an elevation of 2.310m (7,581ft) to 2.859m (9,383ft), linking Idaho Springs at I-70 to Central City near Highway 119. The road gets its name from being a two-way road that is only about a car and three quarters wide, graveled, with no guard rails and washed out shoulders. Not only are there no guard rails, a daring glance down reveals incredibly steep cliffs.
Lysevegen, a breathtaking road in Norway with 27 challenging hairpins
The popular tourist road Lysevegen in Forsand in Ryfylke (FV500) is a curvy mountainous road going from Lysebotn innermost in the Lysefjord to Sirdal, with a length of 29 km (18 mi.) This is an impressive road in the high mountains of Rogaland and Vest Agder some of it single carriageway with passing places - with impressive scenery and weather. It’s one of the famoushairpinned roads in the world.
Engineer Pass, a rugged and difficult historic pass into the San Juan mountains
Engineer Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.901m (12,800ft) above the sea level, located in the San Juan Mountains near Ouray, in USA. It’s one of Colorado's most scenic offroad drives. It’s mostly a first gear ride because the road is rough and rocky. It's one of the highest mountain rods of Colorado.
Stelvio Pass: 48 hairpin turns to the Europe's most iconic pass
The Stelvio Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.757m (9,045ft) above the sea level, located in the Ortler Alps in Italy between Stilfs in South Tyrol and Bormio in the province of Sondrio. It's one of the highest mountain roads of Europe. The road itself is a marvel of engineering skill; the exhilarating serpentine sections ask to be driven by experienced drivers for their own sakes. All in all, this could be the most magnificent road pass in Europe. It's one of the most scenic drives in the world.
Drive the Pikes Peak Highway to the summit of America's Mountain
Pikes Peak, cheesily called “America's Mountain", is a a high mountain peak at an elevation of 4.302m (14,115ft) above the sea level, located in the Rocky Mountains in El Paso County in the United States of America. Along the way you’ll encounter some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world as you wind your way through an alpine wonderland of scenic beauty, mountain reservoirs, beyond timberline, overtaking the clouds… It's one of the highest roads of the USA.