Longboarding Route 66 Near Oatman | Scenic Desert Downhill Run

The iconic Route 66 is probably the most famous road in the United States, so I couldn’t pass up an opportunity for longboarding Route 66 near Oatman. While in Arizona we visited the cute little town of Oatman, known for their local community of burros (donkeys). While in this area of the state I realized that longboarding Route 66 was something that I should do, and Sitgreaves Pass near Oatman provided the perfect spot!

Quick Info: Longboarding Route 66

I’m sure Route 66 travels up and down a number of mountain passes. But this particular pass that I began my longboarding run is called Sitgreaves Pass. The top of the pass sits at 3,595 ft above sea level and has a fun downhill run on either side of the pass.

Distance: 1-2 miles

Surface Type: Asphalt

Directions: From the town of Oatman follow Route 66 east (north) for a few miles until you reach the pass.

Know Before You Go: Here you’ll find an opportunity for a mellow(ish) run and more extreme run. This is an open road so be very aware of cars and other traffic. There tends to be a lot of motorcycles cruising on this road.

Our Experience

From Oatman we traveled up Route 66 to Sitgreaves Pass. Here you can find a view point that over looks the desert valley. There were a few cars and people stopped here because it’s a large pull off great for taking a break and enjoying the desert scenery. Keep in mind that depending on the time of year and day of the week, you may find there is too much traffic to longboard down the hill. We lucked out because it was the middle of the week and there was very little traffic. The very top of the pass is actually a little bit more up the hill. You’ll see a sign stating the pass name and elevation.

The top of the pass is pretty steep. So if you start from the very top you will definitely build up a lot of speed. Since this was my first time longboarding Route 66 near Oatman, I was a little unsure of the terrain so did a lot of carving to slow my roll a little bit.

Going south towards Oatman the road winds a little bit then has a large turn at the viewpoint. This makes for a fun and fast start to the run. Be careful here because much of the traffic goes into the view point, be aware of the gravel in the road here. The vast desert makes for a really cool backdrop. And there is so much space that I really felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. Knowing that I was longboarding Route 66 felt pretty cool.

Cruise it Later – Pin it Now

I rode down this side of the pass for just over a mile. After the first main downhill I had to kick a little bit, because I slowed down on some of the steep areas. If I were to longboard this area again, I would feel more confident going faster to carry my speed further. I may have been able to avoid kicking, but I was playing it safe. I ended my longboarding run on this side of the pass after about a mile. This is where the road got very steep and there was construction on the road. So, we rode back to the top and did the other side!

Longboarding Route 66 on the East (south) side of Sitgreaves Pass is a longer run than the north side with an equally cool backdrop of Arizona desert. From this side of the pass we saw a bunch of donkeys on the mountain, but you really have to look for them because they blend in really well. There is a good parking area at the top of the pass that made for a good starting place.

This side of the pass has more blind turns and a drop off on one side of the road which makes the fun feel a little bit more exhilarating. The blind turns and unknown traffic ahead did make this side feel a little more dangerous. It was easier for me to take this run further because of the road conditions and the gradual steepness of the road. I estimate a run on this side of the pass is closer to 2 miles long.

I only longboarded this run once so I did a good amount of carving and power slides to slow down. But this hill definitely has the potential for some high speed. Overall, I enjoyed longboarding Route 66 near Oatman. But if I were to spend more time here I would be more confident going a little faster. And I would also continue the run through the little town of Oatman, just to say I did.. but there is a good amount of tourist foot traffic as well as donkeys walking around the streets, so I’d have to be careful.

Thanks for Reading About Longboarding Route 66!

You can check out some more of our longboarding adventures in the articles below:

• Longboarding Truckee River Legacy Trail
• Grass Valley Neighborhood Longboarding Sesh
• Longboarding Island Trail in Lake Havasu
• Longboarding Owens Gorge Road
• Scenic Longboarding Run on Beartooth Highway

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