This Cursed Road Near a North Dakota Oil Field Swallows Up Any Truck That Tries It
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There's a seemingly ordinary dirt road in North Dakota's Bakken oil fields that's nigh impossible to traverse when wet. Despite looking like a normal route most of the time, Williston's 'Road of Shame' is made from some of the softest, loosest soil I've ever seen, and it swallows up even the most capable off-road vehicles like they're nothing. Tacomas and Jeeps are no match for it—and heck, not even the equipment they deploy to rescue stuck trucks is safe.
The old-fashioned wagon trail is a local legend of sorts, with a Facebook group dedicated to the brave but ultimately foolish souls who attempt to take on the Road of Shame, officially known as 135th Ave NW. Few of them make it out without a rescue of some sort. Admittedly, when the road is bone dry, it's not so bad; however, when it seems to be even a little bit wet, all vehicles just sink into the mud with no hope of getting out. It's tough for me to say exactly why the dirt is so soft, but it's proven that soil near oil extraction sites is subject to worsened erosion due to increased runoff.
Either way, it's like quicksand when wet. Devin Davis
Like with so many other obstacles featuring tough terrain, off-roaders want to take it on just because. There's a shocking number of social media and YouTube videos of this road, despite it being remotely located in the middle of North Dakota, since optimistic enthusiasts can't help but try to earn legendary status for slaying the muddy dragon. Other people just sit back, watch, and record all of the attempts, waiting for others to get stuck for some Internet gold. Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on how you look at it—that gold mine is deep and plentiful.
One local, Devin Davis, has been watching people get stuck on the Road of Shame for about 10 years. He told The Drive that he's seen over 300 cars stuck in the infamous road's mud during that time. Part of the problem is that Google and Apple Maps direct people through the road, and they follow their navigation instructions, unaware of the danger. It's hard to blame them, as it seems odd that Google would lead anyone down a random dirt road. Apple Maps even shows vehicles stuck on the road, and yet it still directs people through it. With what Davis calls the 'oil boom,' and countless newcomers driving through for work, it's a never-ending parade of stuck vehicles. @devin.davis68 Something blew and it wasnt good #mudding #vortexoptics #muddin #fyp #chevy #greatoutdoors #environment #great #letsgo ♬ original sound – ROAD OF SHAME
However, the most common vehicles found stuck in the mud are necessary ones: UPS and FedEx trucks, semi trucks, and various other work vehicles that use the road because they have to, not because they want to. Davis has even seen tractors stuck and flipped on their sides. Although it's a dead-end road, it leads to a number of homes and businesses, so some trucks do need to use it.
Another big part of the problem is how the road slopes off into sneakily deep ditches on either side. So when drivers try to avoid the deep mud puddles in the middle of the path, they slide off and either get stuck or tip over.
'Even people who know how to drive in the mud, as soon as it gets a little wet, it gets so slippery [that] people slide off the side,' Davis told me.
So, whether you live in North Dakota or you're just passing through, make sure to avoid the Road of Shame at all costs. And if you think you have a rig that can handle anything, well, maybe think again.
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