‘Pretty obvious you shouldn’t drive down it’ North Dakota has a road so bad, dozens get stuck every year
In Williston, North Dakota, there was a road so notorious that it built a reputation big enough to land on Google Maps. Locals call it the “Road of Shame.” Over the last few years, it became a viral attraction for drivers curious (or reckless) enough to take it on.
The stretch sat along a section line in Pherrin Township, looking innocent until rain or snowmelt turned it into a deep, muddy trap.
Four-wheel-drive trucks, sedans, box trucks, and even delivery vans all fell victim
One resident who lived nearby said he counted about 300 stuck vehicles in three years. He sometimes watched the parade of mishaps from his own backyard.
What started as neighborhood frustration grew into internet fame. Videos of spinning tires and stranded motorists racked up millions of views. Even overseas viewers from Australia and Wales followed along. Some cars even ended up on their sides.
At one point, a driver traveled from Michigan just to test the road, only to end up needing a tow like everyone else.
It wasn’t just the ruts that made the road famous. It was the culture around it
Neighbors turned rescues into community events. Strangers became friends while tugging each other out of the muck.
Some residents even turned recovery duty into a hobby, saying they had pulled more than a dozen cars free, themselves included.
Families watched from porches as cars sank, sometimes treating the chaos as an evening’s entertainment. For many, the sight was part comedy, part cautionary tale: you could avoid the ordeal just by not driving down it, especially when it looked wet.
This chapter closed in early September
Pherrin Township crews finally brought in gravel and grading equipment, smoothing the surface into something passable.
Some welcomed the fix, while others joked the road had lost its only charm.
Locals noted that the freeze-thaw cycle could bring the mud back by spring, which leaves the future uncertain. Township officials have not yet outlined whether a permanent solution is planned.
For now, the “Road of Shame” has been tamed. Whether it stays that way (or reverts back to legend) depends on how long the gravel holds.
