Longest Dirt Road in USA?

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U

umingmaq

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Hey guys,

I know this isn't an expedition build, but I didn't really know where else to post it. Does anyone know what the longest continuous stretch of dirt (unimproved) road is in the contiguous 48 lower United States. I would guess somewhere in the southwest, but I was just wondering if anyone had any guesses.
I don't know, so this is not a trick question, I'm just wonderiing if there is a road that might be an expedition in and of itself here in our backyard? Let me know where and how long you think your candidate is. I'm not talking rockcrawling, I'm talking slow off-raod driving for as long as you can without seeing pavement and camping along the way. Include maps if you got'em. Looking forward to your responses

Cheers,
Matt
 
When you get into Southeastern Oregon, you can be on dirt roads for a hundred miles. I think a requirement would be that the the distance is in between when the road makes a connection with a paved road...even if it continues on.
 
trivia ? or route planning...

maybe i don't understand what you're after but you can get from
almost any two points in the west on dirt roads with a minimum
of pavement. you can drive from the canadian border to mexican
border with less than 250 miles of pavement. i've done mexican
border (outside yuma) to death valley with less than 50 miles of
asphalt including a stop in primm nevada....
 
hks3sgte said:
My guess would be:

Saline Valley Road.

http://www.treknow.com/california/backroads/south_desert/saline_valley.htm
Click to expand...

there are at least 12 roads in utah longer than that road.

I've driven the entire length and width of Utah primarily on dirt roads. North to South we traveled approximately 400 miles with never hitting pavement. If we are talking a dirt 'road' and not combinations of roads both the Lincoln Highway and the Promentory RR grade run from the Wasatch Front in Utah well into Nevada continuously. I would imagine they both run over 500 miles but i've never followed them that far. Linking roads i've done almost 1000 miles with just a few dozen of pavement in utah alone.

If we are talking USA the Dalton HWY in AK is about 500 miles of dirt from Fairbanks north. Considering you have to go up and back it's 1000 miles. it is remote. it is desolate. it is covered in bugs and caribou. i recommend everyone do it. if you time it right (summer solstace) you can do the whole thing and never have the sun set. pretty cool but makes you loopy as hell to not sleep for 60 hours.
dmc
 
dmc said:
If we are talking USA the Dalton HWY in AK is about 500 miles of dirt from Fairbanks north. Considering you have to go up and back it's 1000 miles. it is remote. it is desolate. it is covered in bugs and caribou. i recommend everyone do it. if you time it right (summer solstace) you can do the whole thing and never have the sun set. pretty cool but makes you loopy as hell to not sleep for 60 hours.
dmc
Click to expand...

Is there gas available anywhere along that route or are you pretty much on your own the whole way?
 
Brian894X4 said:
Is there gas available anywhere along that route or are you pretty much on your own the whole way?
Click to expand...

This is leaving Prudhoe Bay (the end or most northern part of the Dalton highway / hall road).

Picture004.jpg


Awesome trip, especially if you archery hunt and fish.
 
all my pics from that trip are on my home pc and i'm on the road right now for work. i carried enough fuel so that i could get fuel in coldfoot, make it to deadhorse and back to coldfoot. i had my taco at the time and got better economy so i only had to carry about 15 gallons.

mtntoys, how long did you spend on the road? it's amazing up there. i lived in juneau for a few years and have a love for the alaskan coast but the north slope was indeed a cool place.
dmc
 
A buddy of mine moved to AK (a little north of Eagle River) a while ago. My dad and I went to visit him 3 years ago. During part of that trip we spend 10 days on the Dalton highway. It was by far the best trip of my life.

We ran into one guy that when through 3 tires just on the way up. Granted he did have a camper in the bed of his truck. Our truck had POS road tires that were all eaten up and some how we managed to get by with out any flats. I think it depends a lot on your driving style. As far as gas goes, at the time it was $3.50 or so a gallon in Prudhoe Bay. I’m sure it a whole lot higher today. The furthest you have to go between fill ups is 240miles between Cold Foot and Dead Horse (Prudhoe Bay).


Here a pic of the road at its best. The worst parts are [FONT=&quot]comparable[/FONT] to old forest service roads. We never used 4wd.

44640022.jpg


Night was this for 3 hours

Picture018.jpg


Musk ox

Picture028.jpg

Grayling

Picture039.jpg


Sagwan River

Picture009-1.jpg


Hunting ptarmigan with bows is great sport.

Ptarmigan.jpg


Bou12.jpg


Wild fires

Picture043.jpg


Picture045.jpg


The Pipeline generally follows the Dalton highway. Some times is a mile or so away.

44640021.jpg


Yukon

44640020.jpg


44640010.jpg
 
that top pic of the Dalton hiway looks better than most Los Angeles Freeways... :D
 
Damn, those are nice pics..................definitely starts my wanderlust.
 
I would also check out eastern Montana. When you get way out in that country it feels like you're on another continent. You can drive all over the eastern half of the state with little or no pavament. Ft. Peck Lake area has alot of dirt two track perimeter type roads that seem to go on for ever. That is some really remote and unique country. Bring extra gas!:)
 
Jarbidge-Owyhee country in NE Nevada along with the bordering SE Oregon area may be up there with some serious lengths of dirt road to explore. The shuttle drive to raft the Jarbidge river was at least 90 miles of dirt, thru a bombing range..

Same with the Utah/Neveda border area out of Ely...
 
Jomama said:
Jarbidge-Owyhee country in NE Nevada along with the bordering SE Oregon area may be up there with some serious lengths of dirt road to explore. The shuttle drive to raft the Jarbidge river was at least 90 miles of dirt, thru a bombing range..

Same with the Utah/Neveda border area out of Ely...
Click to expand...

X2 I can leave elko 90 south of idaho border go north into oregon idaho corner and go another 100 -125 miles not seeing a sole. Distance is determined on the amount of gas I can pack. Also Its possible to travel the whole state of nevada north to south just crossing pavement.
 
I've lived in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. NW New Mexico comes to mind for the most unmarked dirt roads that criss cross each other out in the oil fields, I been out there at night very, very lost. NE Wyoming and Eastern Montana have some pretty good lengths of dirt roads were it could be weeks before someone comes along. I imagine Nevada takes all but have never been in the outback there..

-Wyo
 
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