Location: New Zealand
Length: 16.5 miles (26.5 kilometers)
Maximum Elevation: Unknown
Dangers: Unpaved, no guardrails, narrow, steep cliffs
When Skippers Canyon became a popular gold-mining area, the need for safer access to it increased. (Yes, while the road is still dangerous today (claiming hundreds of lives every year), it is far safer than the miners’ original track.)
It took seven years to carve this gorgeous and frightening road out of the cliff face. It was completed in 1890, and many sections of the road remain the same today as they were then.
Today, the road is frequented mostly by tour buses and adventure companies (pity their drivers!).