The remote Kleinschmidt Grade Road in ID will test your nerves
Located in Adams County, in the state of Idaho, near the Oregon border, in USA, the Kleinschmidt Grade Road (Forest Road 050) will test your nerves. It is recommended that beginner riders avoid this road. Keep your eyes on the road, not the scenery.
Tucked away west of Cuprum, it’s a notoriously steep and narrow dirt road that winds up from the Hells Canyon. This road, also labeled as National Forest Development Road 050, is an old ore-hauling road. It’s still rarely maintained and it can be dangerous, but an occasional grading allows passage by 2WD car, in dry weather conditions. This pretty steep and very historical dirt road leads up the canyon wall on the Idaho side and into some very remote old Idaho mining country.
The challenging road is 8.69km (5.4 miles) long, running from Hells Canyon Road (NF-454) to Windy Ridge Road (NF-072). It’s pretty steep climbing about 2,200 ft over five miles. It’s in good condition, though there are plenty of blind corners as the road hugs the hillside. In the late 1880s, entrepreneur Albert Kleinschmidt built the road to haul copper and gold from the Seven Devils area to the Snake River.
Located within the Payette National Forest, drive with care as this is a mountain road with hairpin curves and dangerous drop-offs. You might want to take this into consideration if you have passengers that don't like heights. It is not a road for those who fear heights. There are no guardrails, the road is just wide enough for one vehicle and it's straight down several thousand feet on most of the road. You've got to keep looking uphill in anticipation of other rigs while looking for turnouts. Located into Hells Canyon, the journey offers superb views. It's worth the scenic drive. It's a piece of Idaho history with great scenery. The drive offers panoramic views of the western Idaho mountains and the Seven Devils Mountains. The road is not recommended for large RVs or vehicles pulling trailers.
Pic&video: gorillamel