Utah's Windiest Road Has Over 3 Miles Of Switchbacks And It’s Not For The Faint Of Heart

While most of UT-261 is paved, Moki Dugway is not. It's a graded dirt and gravel road that's easily traversed by most 2WD vehicles during good weather.

The scenic beauty here is unparalleled, but this is not a drive for the faint of heart. If you're afraid of heights (or just terrified of plunging to your death), then driving Moki Dugway is not for you.

The speed limit is only five miles per hour for a reason. The blind curves and narrow width of this road make it very dangerous.

The only thing you'll need to worry about is making those sharp curves while being distracted by the gorgeous vistas through your windshield.

A steep, 10 percent grade combined with hairpin turns make for some white-knuckle driving. On one side, a cliff. On the other side, a steep drop-off with no guardrail. The road is only about one and a half lanes wide, which means that if there's a car approaching on the other side of this turn, things could get interesting.

You'll see several crushed and broken cars littering the cliffs below. Can you imagine falling off the side of this cliff?

That 10 percent grade is a lot scarier when you're riding your brake all the way down it. And, if you're the passenger while you're descending, just a foot or so from where you're sitting is a drop-off of up to 1,100 feet. This is the view when you look down.

Luckily, the Moki Dugway provides sweeping views of the Valley of the Gods that might distract you from the fact that you're driving on a crazy, curvy, terrifying road that's literally cut into the side of a huge cliff.

If you're going to travel along this stretch of road, keep a few things in mind. The Utah Department of Transportation recommends that only vehicles of less than 28 feet long and 10,000 pounds attempt this trip. Large RVs and vehicles pulling trailers are advised to use caution. During rainy weather, Moki Dugway may become slippery and might even be temporarily closed.