Dirt Roads Are Propaganda

[WhoIsTheLeader]

I still haven't found conclusive proof that public dirt roads exist. At least, ones that aren't some no-outlet pseudo driveway with one home on them. I did make some strides in proving that, believe it or not, gravel roads exist.

I stumbled across a rare unpaved section of road. I've seen one or two unpaved alleys around but this is a road that people live on. And have even built homes on. Highly unusual for the area.

I've become oddly fascinated with attempting to find the closest dirt road to downtown Atlanta. There's one in the East Palisades National Park but only on the Federal government owned part.

I thought that the closest one was this, but I went there and it has since been paved. Now I know of no metro Atlanta area public dirt roads at all.

Are you bored? Help me try to find the closest one.

[pos_camaro]

@whoistheleader Having grown up in a rural area I can assure you that dirt roads are very real and very dusty.

[WhoIsTheLeader]

@pos_camaro I'm sure they are, but seriously, I've spent HOURS trying to find one that hasn't been paved over in the last 10 years and I haven't found a single one within an hour's drive. Not sure why it's this specific fascination but the more I look the more I think it's hopeless.

[pos_camaro]

@whoistheleader I hope you can find one like this soon!

[WhoIsTheLeader]

@pos_camaro

This was where the closest one I could find on Google maps was but I visited there and they had paved it over. Nice fun drive though. Very quiet and twisty.

[Mupalup]

@whoistheleader This stretch between Marble Falls/ Horseshoe Bay to Fredericksburg has at least 15-20 miles of unpaved road.

Found this out the hard way since it looked like a straight shot opposed to the other two alternatives. Whoops, wish I had been in my Mini Countryman S All4 instead of the SS. Would have been driving like I was in a rally instead of creeping and ignoring "I told you so" looks from the wife about the route I choose.

[CarsOfFortLangley]

@whoistheleader said in Dirt Roads Are Propaganda:

I still haven't found conclusive proof that public dirt roads exist.

@cb has entered the chat

[SilentbutnotreallyDeadly]

@whoistheleader
I did about 50 kilometres on unsealed roads on Monday. In some places they were soft enough and bashed up enough to be considered unformed roads as well!.
I was in too much of a hurry to stop and take photos...

[Urambo Tauro]

@whoistheleader Michigan resident here. I'm pretty sure smooth roads are a myth!

[Just Jeepin']

Just a reminder shameless plug for all backroad-seekers:

https://opposite-lock.com/topic/12277/interesting-roads-a-hobbyist-s-guide

[ttyymmnn]

@mupalup

Looks like fun, in the right vehicle. I've been to Horseshoe Bay, Llano, and Marble Falls many times, but I usually stick to the bigger roads. 16 is a nice drive down from Llano. I've done a fair bit of exploring on dirt roads around Abilene when I used to play in the orchestra out there. Some seemed pretty sketchy, and that was in the days before Google Maps and Waze. I was navigating using DeLorme atlas that showed all the tiny roads. Good times.

[ITA97]

@whoistheleader Come West.

[CarsOfFortLangley]

@ita97 Just not North West

[Jordan]

@whoistheleader Just go to South Carolina, they are everywhere in the Midlands.

[Highlander]

@whoistheleader Having grown up on dirt roads they really suck. Here are all the dirt roads in MT.

[WhoIsTheLeader]

@urambo-tauro said in Dirt Roads Are Propaganda:

@whoistheleader Michigan resident here. I'm pretty sure smooth roads are a myth!

We have them, but they seem to be on rotation.

[WhoIsTheLeader]

@ttyymmnn said in Dirt Roads Are Propaganda:

I've done a fair bit of exploring on dirt roads around Abilene when I used to play in the orchestra out there. Some seemed pretty sketchy, and that was in the days before Google Maps and Waze. I was navigating using DeLorme atlas that showed all the tiny roads. Good times.

In what car? Mine is pretty low but I've never had problems with it on rough terrain before. And the paint is so full of rock chips that's not a problem either. I only saw a couple of no outlet rough kinda-roads but they seemed more like public driveways than something you could just casually drive on.

[WhoIsTheLeader]

@jordan Maybe I'll do just that when visiting my brother in his new home over there. Apparently it's just Georgia that paves even the smallest rural road.

[interstate366]

There’s a random section of dirt road about 15 minutes away from me. I have no reason to drive it, so I don’t.

[facw]

@whoistheleader I'm not sure I've ever been on a real one here in Massachusetts (I did drive on a gravel airport access road/rail trail during the Oppo Hunt last year), but I have definitely driven on one in Vermont (Google Maps: please don't route me on dirt roads in Vermont in winter if you can avoid it)

[spacekraken]

@whoistheleader

I'm spoiled lol:

I assure you there is dirt under the 20" of so of compacted snow here...

[WhoIsTheLeader]

@facw said in Dirt Roads Are Propaganda:

@whoistheleader I'm not sure I've ever been on a real one here in Massachusetts (I did drive on a gravel airport access road/rail trail during the Oppo Hunt last year), but I have definitely driven on one in Vermont (Google Maps: please don't route me on dirt roads in Vermont in winter if you can avoid it)

There's a big difference between a well maintained gravel access road and a dirt road that you would just end up on. At least there's no danger of getting routed onto one in winter. Though that would be the exact same as getting routed onto one in summer here.

[KITT222]

@whoistheleader Also from Michigan, you can find a dirt road in a populated area in two clicks of your turn signal off I-75, across from a decently popular mall.

Behold, Lake Angelus Road in Lake Orion, MI. In my brief stint as a Panera Bread driver (don't do it) I ended up on this road a few time. First time it was BADLY rutted. Then they went over it, and it was 5 inches of loose dirt not in the driving path. The Vibe HATED it, since she was on the 17s and coilovers at the time.

I WISH all these things would get paved over. I don't understand how decently well off folks with expensive trucks and SUVs, living in BIG houses, can stand their Escalade being covered in dirt all the time. Conversely, I can understand exactly why my friend got into stage rally.

[WhoIsTheLeader]

@kitt222 said in Dirt Roads Are Propaganda:

In my brief stint as a Panera Bread driver (don't do it)

Don't be a Panera Bread employee of any kind. Worst job I've ever had by a huge margin. But our delivery driver was a special kind of miserable.

I don't understand how the Karens can stand driving over dirt in their SUVs either. I've seen a few super expensive housing developments off of terrible narrow potholed roads (always paved) and they usually get overhauled posthaste.

[jminer]

@whoistheleader if you go to the oconee or Chattahoochee national forest there will certainly be some.