The road to Hat Point in OR is said to be the scary of scaries
Hat Point is an overlook located in Wallowa County, Northeast Oregon, in USA, at an elevation of 2.130m (6,988ft) above the sea level. This is a journey that some will never do again because it frightened them so much: there are steep drop-offs and a very narrow road.
Set high within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, the road to the summit is a fairly bumpy narrow gravel road in very good condition. It’s called Hat Point Road (NF-315). It’s usually open from June through October. This route is suitable for passenger cars with some clearance, but a 4x4 vehicle is recommended. RV's will find the road very steep for the first 6 miles (16% grade) and very difficult to turn around. The road narrows further. It's here that you or your passengers might begin to completely freak-out. While it's not a cliff (and no, there is no guardrail), it looks completely impossible to pass should you encounter another vehicle. The summit offers fantastic views of the Hells Canyon and the Wild and Scenic Snake River. The name Hat Point originated from a cowboy losing his hat in the brush while riding an unruly horse. The harrowing road has lot of washboards. It’s long and dusty, but is it ever worth it.
The road to the summit is steep. Starting at Imnaha, the ascent is 36.69km (22.8 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 1.518 meters. The average gradient is 4.13%. At the summit there’s a lookout tower built in 1948. It’s said to be one of Oregon's highest fire lookout towers at 82 feet tall. The drive will take some skill, some patience, and some tolerance for vertigo. It's very intense because there are no guard rails at the edge and there is little room for error if oncoming traffic swerves in your direction. The road is very steep (16% grade) and narrow. To avoid brake failures stop and allow brakes to cool. Low clearance vehicles, RVs and vehicles pulling trailers are advised to use caution when traveling the lower sections of this road. The road can also be slippery when wet or frozen and is not recommended for trailers in the late fall and winter.
Pic: Jonathan Shafer