5 Of The Scariest Roads In The United States, According To Drivers

Definitions of the scariest roads in America will naturally vary from person to person. Some might say a deserted road through the wilderness at night while driving alone is scary. Others might point to areas with a high number of accidents, something Waze can now warn you about in advance. For our purposes, however, we're calling scary roads those with great heights and low guardrails or thick congestion with visibly angry drivers. As for dangerous roads, well, that runs the gamut from shoulder drop-offs that could prove fatal to steep mountain passes in the dead of winter and areas known for firearm-fueled road rage. 

There are also objectively dangerous roads across the nation, as measured by deaths per 100 million miles. However, we are sticking with the subjectively scary and dangerous roads, those deemed sketchy based on time spent driving them. Though there are surely many other candidates for the scariest roads in the United States, these five are well-known from personal experience, along with passenger commentary and fellow drivers' thoughts on said roads.

Though the Narrows part of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge refers to the water below it, you might wonder if the roadway itself is in fact narrow. Based on experience, the answer is yes. Technically part of I-278, which runs between Staten Island and Brooklyn, I've traversed it to get from my hometown in New Jersey to various boroughs of New York City. The only good reason for this madness is collecting critical car parts. Like the time I went to Queens to pick up a pair of Mazdaspeed3 front seats for use in my non-Speed3.

The Verrazzano should earn a spot on any rundown of scariest roads for the incredibly narrow lanes alone, not to mention the aggressive drivers, big trucks, and potential for ripping winds. The fact that this double-decked behemoth sits 228 feet above the water adds to the sense of danger, especially when taking in the short guardrails. Heading east over the bridge, you can take an exit for the Belt Parkway, but I wouldn't suggest it.

A tight radius greets you, as do walls scarred with a wide palette of car paint and missing chunks of concrete courtesy of untold impacts. It gives you pause. My brother has been through this area as well and would tell you the same thing. So, unless you've had experience driving the, um, exciting highways and byways of the New York metro area, I-278 over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is best avoided.

Anyone who likes to drive and finds themselves in Maui, Hawaii, must drive the Road to Hana. Is it a dangerous road? That depends on your definition. I can tell you my wife would say it's one of the scariest roads in the U.S., and she was in the passenger seat. We picked it up in the cute little town of Paia and went "all the way." For those planning a tour of the Road to Hana, you'll find that there's a portion that literally ends in Hana, from which you can turn back.

Or, you can hit Hana and then keep on going all the way. Tour books and locals will tell you this stretch may be questionable in terms of traversability for several miles. Unpaved, washed-out roads may sound fun in, say, the woods. However, when that road, which can be surprisingly narrow, crosses old bridges over yawning gorges and the guardrails consist of low, flat rock walls with steep drops on the other side, the fun starts to feel scary.

So do the drive in the tourist-favorite Jeep Wrangler as opposed to the equally typical Mustang convertible. There are many excellent aspects of the Road to Hana, like hidden waterfalls and tasty banana bread. Just don't take your eyes, or your white-knuckled palms, off the wheel while taking it all in. Stay with it and you'll find stunning vistas of the Pacific far off in the distance and far down the slope.

In a previous life, I spent many days driving between the St. Louis airport and the city itself. The most direct route for this commute is Interstate 70, a stretch that manages to be both one of the scariest roads out there and arguably one of the most dangerous highways in the U.S. On that latter note, this section of I-70 is renowned for the number of road rage incidents that culminate in the discharge of firearms. On the highway.

If you've ever driven this particular St. Louis highway, you might not be surprised by this fact, as it offers layers upon layers of madness sure to drive anyone nuts. For starters, there's no vehicle safety inspection in the city of St. Louis. As a result, you'll encounter cars in various states of disrepair hurtling down I-70. Think bumpers hanging by a thread, wobbly underinflated tires, and that sideways gait common to vehicles with bent frames. Exciting.

Compounding this is the roadway itself. Dropping in elevation from the airport to the city, this stretch of I-70 is windy and narrow. Congested with maniacal drivers seemingly set on winning an unknown race, it can get gnarly. Thanks to the elevation drop, I learned from coworkers that this part of I-70 is affectionately known as the "St. Louis Sleigh Ride," which suggests merry winter rides over the river and through the woods. But really, it's just one of the scariest roads you can find yourself on.

Things are different at 11,312 feet, especially on a road in the Rocky Mountains during winter. That's the elevation of Highway 50 at Monarch Pass, east of Gunnison, Colorado. The roadway is wide and well-maintained, but the drop-offs are both breathtaking and terrifying. Particularly when your windshield washer nozzles freeze over while it's snowing and you're going downhill.

Going up isn't too bad, as long as you have a good set of snow tires and, ideally, four driven wheels. But coming back down, when the snow gets slushy and you need to stop in a pull-off to unfreeze your washer nozzles, and the car starts sliding, these are the moments you realize you're on one of the scariest roads imaginable. A second vehicle with another family traveling the same route during a visit out here one winter attested that, yes, getting to and from Monarch Pass requires driving on one of the more dangerous roads in America.

It is the kind of place that, if you're planning a trip and the weather is wintry, you'll want to be well-versed in snow chain installation, make sure your car is in solid working order, and confirm that the brakes work. There are plenty of runaway truck ramps in that area given how dangerous the road is for 18-wheeler drivers. It's a reminder that when the pavement gets extremely slippery, as it can so quickly on Monarch Pass, you want to know everything is working as it should.

Growing up in New Jersey, it's practically impossible to avoid the Garden State Parkway (GSP) as it runs from the very southern tip of the state all the way up to the northern border with New York. There are portions of it that are lovely, with sweeping bends, broad tree-lined shoulders, and the colloquially known Parkway deer. Then there is the run between the toll booths in Union and north to about Paramus. This is where the carnage happens.

There are many opinions about the Garden State, but one fact is that it's the most densely populated state in the nation. Driving in NJ will likely include honking horns, outbursts of colorful epithets, and maybe the longest red light in all the land. But when it comes to New Jersey roads you could call truly scary, I give you this stretch of the GSP.

Never not packed with traffic thanks to its proximity to New York City, the combination of tight turns, narrow lanes that are as many as five across, and wildly aggressive driving is not to be taken lightly. Should you find yourself here, assume there will be delays, possibly an accident, and many angry drivers. And be aware that if you keep going, you may quickly find yourself on a particularly terrible highway in Connecticut. Not necessarily a dangerous road, this congested section of the Garden State Parkway can nonetheless be scary for the uninitiated.