An empty highway, a beat-up atlas, and no reservations—now that sounds like a road trip. To get you out the door and rolling this summer, we scoured the country for those lost stretches of blacktop where you can still find real adventure.
Bear Camp Road, Oregon
80 miles
It's a rare road that traces a Class IV river, passes through 4,000-foot peaks, and ends at the Pacific. Which is why we love this 80-mile, one-lane, gravel-and-pavement affair through the heart of the Siskiyou National Forest. The route from the one-store village of Galice—start of multi-day Rogue River float trips—to Gold Beach puts you on the edge of pine-lined ridges before dropping you into the confluence of the lllinois and the Rogue. Four-wheel drive isn't necessary, but sturdy tires are—old rockslides near Galice Creek and dozens of blind corners mean you'll want to stick to the middle of the road. The drive takes three hours and offers vistas of coastal fog pouring over mountain ridges. PIT STOPS: Pre-drive, take a 13-mile, daylong river trip on the Rogue from Hog Creek to Grave Creek (seven miles from Galice) with Rogue Wilderness Adventures ($90; wildrogue.com). Once you reach the Pacific, rent a cottage with beach views at Turtle Rock Resort ($130; turtlerockresorts.com).
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