The historic Old Plank Road in California was built in 1915

Ever heard of a road made of wood? Deep in California's Imperial County, near the border with Mexico, lies the remains of the Old Plank Road, a seriously cool piece of early 20th-century ingenuity. Back in 1915, this eight-mile stretch was built right across the shifting sands of the Algodones Dunes, a landscape that looks like it belongs in the Sahara!

Imagine driving on wooden planks, laid end-to-end like a primitive roadway. It was a single lane, so turnouts were added every mile so cars could pass each other. They called it a success, though it was hard work to keep the sand off the road. Mules were brought in to dust the planks off or even move sections of the road!

This quirky road made it possible to travel between San Diego and Yuma, Arizona. About 3,000 vehicles a week traveled across the "railroad track for cars"

Sadly, the plank road's reign didn't last. The harsh desert and shifting sands took their toll, and by the late 1920s, it was replaced with asphalt. Today, only fragments remain, a historic landmark and reminder of a time when a wooden road was the only way to cross these majestic dunes. The region of towering dunes resembles the Sahara desert and has been featured in films ranging from Rudolph Valentino's “The Sheik” to 1983's “Return of the Jedi”.