Camino de la Muerte — La Cumbre to Coroico via the North Yungas Death Road
64km of cliff track with 600-metre drops and no guardrails.
The North Yungas Road — Camino de la Muerte — starts at La Cumbre Pass at 4,650 metres above sea level, buried in cloud and cold. Within 20km it drops into warm Amazonian air, the road narrowing to a single lane carved into a vertical cliff face, no guardrails, waterfalls pouring directly onto the track, and a sheer drop of up to 600 metres on the left shoulder. It was declared the World’s Most Dangerous Road by the Inter-American Development Bank in 1995, and the roadside shrines — hundreds of them — confirm that reputation in real terms. The road was built in the 1930s by Paraguayan prisoners of war captured during the Chaco War. Most vehicle traffic now uses the newer paved Yungas highway, but the original dirt road remains open to adventurous drivers and cyclists for its full 64km descent to Coroico.
A high-clearance 4WD handles the surface conditions — mud, loose gravel, river wash crossings — but the real challenge is width management on blind corners above vertical drops. Uphill traffic yields to downhill in a reversal of standard Bolivian road rules, and you’ll share the track with loaded trucks, cyclists, and tourist groups. Drive with your wheels on the mountain side, not the cliff side. Dry season (May to October) dramatically improves conditions; the wet season turns sections into skating rinks. No permit required. Coroico at the bottom has food, cold beer, and a horizon-wide view of the jungle — well earned.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Extreme |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | High Clearance, Overland Route, Scenic Drive |
| Surface | Dirt, Gravel, Mixed |
| Features | Historic, Remote, Scenic, Water Crossings |
| Length (miles) | 40 mi / 64 km |
| Duration | 1 day |
| Max elevation (ft) | 15256 ft |
| Best season | May-October |
| Minimum vehicle | High-clearance 4WD |
| Nearest town | Coroico, La Paz Department |
| Land manager | Bolivia Ministerio de Obras Públicas / ABC (Administradora Boliviana de Carreteras) |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | Spotty |
| Water crossings | Yes |
| Dispersed camping | No |
| Official sources | Bolivia Road Administration (ABC) |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
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Location
Trail Conditions
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Frequently asked questions
What's the minimum vehicle setup to drive the Death Road — can a stock Land Cruiser or 4Runner handle it?
High-clearance 4WD is mandatory — this isn't a suggestion. A stock Land Cruiser 70/80 series or 4Runner handles the road itself fine, but narrow width is a real advantage on the cliff sections where two vehicles pass with inches to spare. Lifted trucks with wide aftermarket flares are a liability, not an asset here.
When is the Death Road passable and what happens in the wet season?
May through October is the dry window — that's your window. November through April brings heavy rain that turns the road into a mudslide chute, triggers rockfall, and has killed drivers. Don't gamble the wet season on this one.
Do you need a permit or special authorization to drive the Death Road?
No formal permit is required for private vehicles as of current information, but the road is administered by Bolivia's ABC (Administradora Boliviana de Carreteras) and regulations can change — check abc.gob.bo before you go. Some sections have informal toll collections; have small bolivianos on hand.
What's actually the hardest section and what makes it dangerous?
The stretch between La Cumbre and Yolosa is where it gets serious — single-lane track carved into vertical cliff face with 600-metre drops and zero guardrails. Passing oncoming traffic means one vehicle reverses to a wider spot, sometimes inches from the edge, and waterfalls across the road reduce traction unpredictably. Downhill traffic yields to uphill — know this rule before you go.
Is there anywhere to fuel up along the route, or do you need to carry extra fuel from La Paz?
There are no fuel stations on the Death Road itself — fuel up fully in La Paz before you start. The 64km route isn't a massive range problem for most 4WDs, but the descent to Coroico is remote enough that a mechanical issue means you're waiting for help with no resupply. Carry a spare jerry can regardless.
Trail track
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