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3 of the best gravel roads in the US wind through MS, survey says. Here's why they’re great

Three of the nation’s best gravel roads are in Mississippi, according to a recent survey.
Three of the nation’s best gravel roads are in Mississippi, according to a recent survey. Alistair Missing via Unsplash

Road trippers looking to take the scenic route in Mississippi, are in luck. Three of the state’s gravel drives were named among the best in the nation, according to a recent survey.

The survey by Potamkin Hyundai, a car dealership based in Miami Lakes, Florida, was conducted in September and asked 3,001 regular road trippers to rank their favorite gravel roads in the country.

Three Mississippi roads were named among the top gravel roads in the country, according to the survey. Here’s where they’re located and what makes them so great.

3 best MS gravel roads

Delta National Forest Backroads near Rolling Fork

The long gravel roads that wind through more than 60,000 acres of the Delta National Forest are the best in the state and ranked #38 in the nation, according to the Potamkin Hyundai survey.

These drives are both scenic and full of wildlife, with common appearances of deer and waterfowl along the roads, according to the survey.

In July, road trippers can see thousands of butterflies floating along the roadsides, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

Homochitto National Forest Roads near Meadville

Take a drive along the gravel roads threading through the Homochitto National Forest, and you’ll experience a true “off-the-beaten-path” ride, according to Potamkin Hyundai.

These roads are shaded by pine woods and hardwood hollows and cross several creeks located throughout the more than 191,000 acres of land.

Bienville National Forest Gravel Tracks near Forest

The gravel tracks looping through the Bienville National Forest are ranked #128 in the nation, passing through a beautiful shaded landscape, according to the survey.

Roadtrippers can find multiple fishing ponds and picnic areas along the route, according to the survey.

Top 10 gravel drives in the US

The best gravel roads are spread across the country — from Hawai‘i to New York, according to the survey. While some of these roads include parts that are paved, this list only refers to the gravel part.

Here’s where the top 10 gravel roads in the country are located, according to Potamkin Hyundai:

1. Gila National Forest Backroads near Silver City, New Mexico

2. Mauna Kea Access Road in Big Island, Hawai‘i

3. Pi‘ilani Highway, in Maui, Hawai‘i

4. C-1W / Black Creek Gravel Trail in Miami-Dade County, Florida

5. Catskill Forest Preserve Backroad near Phoenica, New York

6. Moosehead Lake Backroads near Greenville, Maine

7. Arcadia Management Area Roads near Exeter, Rhode Island

8. Boreas Pass Road in Breckenridge to Como, Colorado

9. Crooked Run Valley Gravel Roads near Paris, Virginia

10. Last Dollar Road in Telluride to Ridgway, Colorado

Natalie Demaree
mcclatchy-newsroom
Natalie Demaree is a service journalism reporter covering Mississippi for McClatchy Media. She holds a master’s in journalism from Columbia Journalism School and a bachelor’s in journalism and political science with a specialization in African and African American Studies from the University of Arkansas. 
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