USA
DifficultCathedral Valley Road — Capitol Reef’s Remote North District via Hartnet Junction
Desert monoliths and river fords in Capitol Reef's wild north.
Surface: Dirt
California
ModerateBunny Flat to Sand Flat — Mount Shasta Volcanic Backcountry via Everitt Memorial Highway
Volcanic pumice and 14k views above Shasta.
Oklahoma
ModerateCalhoun County Road — Ouachita Plateau to Muddy Boggy Creek via Potato Hills Back Road
Oklahoma hill country with teeth.
Oklahoma
ModerateLonesome Highway — Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Back Road to Quanah Parker Lake via French Lake Loop
Bison, granite domes, and Oklahoma's oldest rock.
Kentucky
ModerateWilderness Road to Lonesome Pine Ridge — Daniel Boone National Forest Red River Gorge Backdoor via Sky Bridge Road
Sandstone arches and hollow roads deep in the gorge.
New Mexico
ModerateCoyote Ridge to Pecos Wilderness — Santa Fe National Forest High Divide via Cowles and Panchuela Creek
Pecos high country on a dirt shelf above 10k.
Idaho
DifficultSwamp Creek Road to Wilderness Gateway — Clearwater River Canyon Rim via Selway Corridor
Rim of the largest wilderness left in the Lower 48.
Arizona
ModerateForest Road 500 — Kaibab Plateau North to Jacob Lake via East Rim Viewpoint
Grand Canyon's North Rim without the tour buses.
California
ModerateNacimiento-Ferguson Road — Coast Range Divide to Plaskett Creek via Santa Lucia Crest
Big Sur's sharpest ridgeline — no rails, no mercy.
New Mexico
ModerateGila Cliff Dwellings Back Road — Silver City to Gila Hot Springs via NM-15 and Inner Loop Road
Ancient cliff rooms, hot springs, real canyon country.