Not Your Grandfather's Road Trip: The World’s Most Ridiculously Scary Roads

If recent questions on Trippy are any indication, a lot of you will be hitting the open road this year so with that in mind, we thought we’d take a look at some of the world’s scariest roads. Whether it's hair pin turns or breathtakingly narrow highways, here are some ridiculously scary places to let the pedal hit the metal!

Trollstigen; Rauma, Norway
This gives the term "long and winding road" new meaning. It took eight years to complete this road which has a nine percent incline and 11 super-tight turns.
Photo credit: Fil Bohac


Hindustan-Tibet Highway; Himachal Pradesh, India
As if this road weren’t dangerous enough, when an entrance point was closed a few years ago, some area residents, for whom this road is vital, drove on the wrong side of the road to avoid a longer route.
Photo credit: Chris Pearson


Passo dello Stelvio; Bormio, Italy
With no less than 60 hairpin turns, this is not recommended for people who get easily car sick. Although it was built in the 1820s, it was chosen by modern television show Top Gear as “the greatest driving road in the world.”


Chacaltaya; La Paz, Bolivia
If you’ve ever doubted global warming, consider this: the glacier on this mountain, which was thought to be about 18,000 years old and was one of the highest glaciers in South America, is now completely gone.
Photo credit: Pikes on Bikes


Taroko Gorge; Hualien County, Taiwan
If it looks like this road has been carved right out of the mountain, that’s because it has. While scary and certainly dangerous, it lives up to the name “Taroko,” which means “magnificent and splendid” in the language of a local tribe.
Photo credit: Matthew Hine


Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road; Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Looking a bit like a Hot Wheels track, this desert stretch is considered by many to be the world’s best driving road. That said, it’s not just drivers who love it; it’s a very popular training spot for elite cyclists as well.
Photo credit: Arki97


Lombard Street; San Francisco, California
Used in countless movies and television shows, the curves on Lombard were designed in 1922 when the hill's incline proved too severe for most cars. Don't plan on testing your car's handling on this one, though; the speed limit here is only five m.p.h.
Photo credit: Vivid Explosion Photography


Castelmola Village; Sicily, Italy
As this hairpin turn is situated within viewing distance of Mount Etna, you’ll have to really remember to keep your eyes on the road here.
Photo credit: atgof.co


Vrontados; Chios Island, Greece
While it may not be as famous as Crete or Athens, Vrontados has some pretty heady history. It’s said that the poet Homer may have been born here. Additionally, Christopher Columbus supposedly prepared for his journey to America here.
Photo credit: Stijn Awouters


Trail Ridge Road; Grand Lake, Colorado
Believe it or not, this snowy picture of Trail Ridge Road was actually taken on Memorial Day weekend! Not surprisingly, this road is closed during the winter.

Photo credit: Ben Timberlake

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park; Hawai'i County, Hawai'i
Forget about chickens crossing the road. At Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, molten lava crosses it! Needless to say, it shuts down area roads in the process.

Photo credit: Chuck Peterson

Canyonlands National Park; Moab, Utah
If you’ve got a 4 x 4 and nerves of steel you might want to give this one a go. While certainly not for the faint of heart, the views from here are completely unmatched.

Photo credit: Oldmantravels

Via Krupp; Capri, Italy
While the story goes that Via Krupp was originally built by a German businessman who wanted a footpath from his hotel to his research station, some say the path was constructed to make it easier for him to get from his hotel down to some really, really raunchy parties.

Photo credit: Ron/Gwen McWhorter

Piazza Torquato Tasso; Sorrento, Italy
Known as “La Rampa,” this super-tight switchback road leads from the Piazza Torquato Tasso down to the nearby Marina.

Photo credit: David Siedband

Serpentine Road; Dades Gorge, Morocco
If your nerves need a rest after negotiating these hairpin turns, have a stop at one of the many area kasbahs. Not only are they great places from which to enjoy the breathtaking views, they’re great places to stay the night as many have been turned into very affordable hotels.

Photo credit: Ian Chappel

Mercantour National Park; Nice, France
This crazy road just north of Nice is a favorite of motorcyclists as well as serious bike riders. Amazingly, rocks aren’t the only thing to be on the look out for here; the area is full of exotic wildlife like ermine and mouflon.

Photo credit: Joar Wisth Paulsen

Transfagarasan Highway; Transylvania, Romania
Built in the 1970s by communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu, this road was meant to provide Romanian troops easy access across the Carpathian Mountain range. It won’t come as any surprise that it’s now a favorite among driving enthusiasts.

Photo credit: Alex Mihalcea




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