Sauron's Road

Sauron's Road was a road leading from Barad-dûr to the Cracks of Doom inside Mount Doom.
It crossed the great iron bridge at the Dark Tower, proceeding across Gorgoroth and then up a long causeway to the Sammath Naur.
== Description ==
The Road ran from Barad-dûr to Mount Doom in Mordor. It began at the great western gate of Barad-dûr. It spanned a deep abyss by way of a long iron bridge and then ran westward for a league (3 miles) across Gorgoroth.
On either side of the road were smoking chasms. At the foot of Mount Doom, Sauron's Road climbed a long causeway up the eastern slopes. The road then wound upwards around the mountain, turning first south then west then north and back to the east.
The road encircled the base of the mountain, which was 3,000 feet high, and then ran partway up the cone, which rose another 1,500 feet. It ended at the door to the Chambers of Fire on the east side of Mount Doom facing the Window of the Eye in Barad-dûr. Sauron's Road was a broad path paved with ash and broken rubble.
== History ==
The Road was probably blazed in the late sixteenth century of the Second Age when Sauron sought to control the other rings by creating the One Ring, using it as an easy way to get to and from the mountain during his labors. Over the long ages it was frequently blocked and ruined by the ravages of the erupting volcano, but was always repaired.
Frodo and Sam used part of this road to get up the mountain during their quest to destroy the ring when on March 25, 3019 of the Third Age, Sam carried Frodo up the northern slopes of Mount Doom until he found Sauron's Road leading to their destination. "'Why, it might have been put there a-purpose!' he said to himself. 'If it wasn't there, I'd have to say I was beaten in the end.'"