How to drive the scary Piste de Vignols in the Alpes-Maritimes?

Hameau de Vignols is a tiny hamlet nestled way up high in the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France, sitting pretty at 1,675m (5,495ft) elevation in the stunning Mercantour National Park. Fair warning: if narrow mountain roads make you nervous, this one will have you white-knuckling the steering wheel.

The route, called Piste de Vignols, is completely unpaved but doable for most regular cars—though honestly, a high-clearance vehicle is your best bet. The road dumps you out at a small parking area below the hamlet, marked by the Mercantour park sign.

Locals call it "the track that never ends," and once you're behind the wheel, you'll understand why. This beast throws everything at you: cramped tunnels, heart-stopping drop-offs, creaky wooden bridges, and sections so tight that two medium-sized cars simply cannot pass each other. Add in multiple river and creek crossings, and things get especially gnarly after heavy rain. Honestly, it's one of the gnarliest drives you can tackle in this region.

Starting from a dark, unlit tunnel near Roubion, the drive stretches 7.5 km (4.66 miles) while climbing 357m in elevation. You're looking at an average gradient of 4.76%—steep enough to keep things interesting the entire way.