Sketchy Roads Suitable for the Highway to Hell
Some roads feel like they were designed during a power outage by someone who had only heard rumors about civil engineering. The kind you remember from childhood road trips, when the family station wagon rattled like it was trying to escape.
Travel shows treat them like charming curiosities while locals quietly negotiate daily survival. Cliffs lean too close, asphalt disappears without warning, and the signage looks hand-painted by a bored ghost. Even a casual turn can feel like an accidental audition for reality TV.
Anyone who enjoys a little trouble will appreciate this list. Everyone else may reconsider every future scenic detour.
Trans Siberian Mud, Russia
Unpaved sections that transform into deep seasonal mud during wet periods make travel extremely difficult.
Hana Turns, USA
One hundred kilometers of rainforest road with six hundred curves and slippery single-lane bridges after rain.
Khardung La Height, India
Very high pass with ice, low oxygen, and glacial streams running directly across the roadway.
Route 5 Norte Haze, Chile
Desert highway with strong winds, drifting sand, and long monotony that reduces visibility and alertness.
Commonwealth Flow, Philippines
Crowded avenue made dangerous by overloaded vehicles, unpredictable traffic behavior, and hazardous pedestrian crossings.
Eyre Void, Australia
Extremely long desert straightaways where driver fatigue and high-speed road trains pose major hazards.
Gotthard Lines, Switzerland
Historic pass with cobbled sections, steep zigzag curves, and traction challenges during sudden weather changes.
Fairy Meadows Track, Pakistan
Sixteen-kilometer gravel route without maintenance, restricted to local 4x4s beside massive vertical drops.
Skippers Ledge, New Zealand
Unpaved cliffside track so narrow most rental companies forbid entry due to high risk.
Taroko Cut, Taiwan
Marble Gorge Road threatened by rockfall due to erosion, seismic activity, and seasonal typhoons.
Sichuan Tibet Crossing, China
Route crossing fourteen high peaks with sudden weather shifts, frequent collapses, and serious altitude concerns.
Karakoram Crest, Pakistan & China
Extreme altitude highway vulnerable to flash floods and landslides triggered by regional seismic activity.
Caucasus Rise, Georgia & Russia
Narrow, unstable mountain road with recurring rockslides and large trucks squeezing through tight corridors.
BR 116 Rush, Brazil
Long deteriorated highway with frequent landslides, poor maintenance, and high crime risk for motorists.
Stelvio Spiral, Italy
Forty-eight tight hairpins on steep slopes demanding precise control and strong nerves in summer traffic.
Dalton Stretch, USA
Six hundred sixty-six kilometers of remote route with ice, gravel, heavy trucks, and almost no services.
Guoliang Hollow, China
Hand-carved cliff tunnel with blind curves, poor lighting, and open windows facing a sheer drop.
Zoji La Slip, India
High mountain pass at 3,500 meters, prone to mud, ice, and debris, as well as avalanches.
Yungas Edge, Bolivia
Single lane gravel hanging over six hundred meter drops with constant fog and zero guardrails.
Libertadores Climb, Argentina
Mountain route with twenty-nine tight switchbacks, often covered in ice, requiring careful, slow maneuvering.
