We’re coming up to Halloween and we think it’s time to break out the scary stories. We’re not talking about spooky ghosts or haunted houses here though, we wanted to scare you with some of the scariest roads you can drive on right now. True scary stories are much worse after all. These roads are dangerous and scary, everything you most likely don’t want from a road-trip.
So buckle up your seat belts, adjust your seat, and check for pre-existing damages before driving away, because we’re about to take a good look at some of the scariest road trips around.
Skippers Canyon Road – New Zealand.
This 16-mile road cuts through a once-popular gold-mining area of New Zealand. The steep rocky terrain road cuts through miles and miles of gorgeous New Zealand mountainside. While this sounds lovely, you only need to peek over the edge of the unguarded, narrow roadside to get the shivers. The road quickly falls away leaving nothing but huge cliff faces, drops that can be 100s of metres high. There’s nothing but careful driving and bravery that separates you from a very nasty fall. The narrow roads also mean that passing traffic makes for a tight encounter, with very little room for cars to pass each other. You’ll definitely feel the tension in the air as you very slowly edge pass a car coming the other way.
Scare Rating: 7/10.
Alice Springs – Australia.
Alice Springs is a small town in Australia’s Northern Territory. It’s a small town steeped in history. It was founded in 1872 as part of the Overland Telegraph Line. Because of this, it’s historic aesthetic and surreal environment has been preserved. Plus. fantastic local scenery like Uluru or Ayers Rock are true natural wonders to behold.
What’s so scary then? Alice Springs in right in the centre of the Australian Outback. For all intents and purposes, the Outback is a dessert that stretches across 5.6 million square kilometres. It is one of the hottest places on earth, features every animal ever that can kill you. Plus, it’s so sparsely populated that breaking down and being unable to contact anyone, is seriously life-threatening.
This means that driving to Alice Springs, means driving 1500km through some of the harshest, most remote conditions on the planet. Blistering heat, freezing nights, lack of water and vicious wildlife makes it a place you certainly don’t want to get a flat tyre.
Scare Rating: 6/10.
Stelvio Pass – Italy.
The Stelvio Pass in Italy is a fantastic mix of horrific and driving enthusiast heaven. This winding mountain road in the Eastern Alps, it is an astonishing 2757 metres above sea level which makes it the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps. The second highest in all the Alps.
The road features 48 tight hairpin bends as you descend from the eastern ramp which means winding, fast turns inches away from devastatingly high drops. The elevation of the road is so steep that picking up speed is inevitable.
Overall though, this road is terrifying in an exhilarating way, it’s a driver’s dream due to the fast-paced, winding road, tight corners and stunning views. One for the thrill-seekers.
Scare Rating: 4/10
Hard Knott Pass – UK.
This Lake District Road is the joint steepest road in England. It features incredibly sharp turns on incredible slopes and winding roads make it hard to see far ahead. The Lake District weather means the road is often wet with rain too so make sure your tyres are in tip-top condition!
Narrow roads, super tight, twisty turns, low visibility and an incredibly steep gradient make this one a white-knuckle driving experience. To make matters worse, the road is often closed during winter months as the 30% incline makes stopping or car control almost impossible in even remotely icey conditions.
Scare Rating: 7/10
Colorado State Highway 82 – USA.
This highway is the highest paved lane in the whole of Colorado, which itself is a mountainous state so this says something. It rises 12,100 feet above sea level which means you can expect steep drop-offs, narrow road barely two cars wide, and steep, rapid descents through winding roads.
This white-knuckle driving is sure to get your heart rate up which, due to the altitude, can quickly become Its own issue. At this high altitude, the air is thinner, which means your body struggles for oxygen much more than it does at normal altitudes closer to sea level. This means headaches, dizziness and confusion are not uncommon.
Once you’re off the highway though the scare doesn’t end. Near to Canon City, there’s a 1200-foot-long suspension bridge that sits nearly 1000 feet above the Arkansas River. This means if you’re not a fan of driving over water, you may have a horrible time driving across.
Scare Rating: 8/10
Conclusion
If you’re after a white-knuckle drive that will get your heart racing, you are not short of options wherever you feel like going. Of course, we’re not recommending that you drive these roads but if you do, make sure to take plenty of caution!
