GTA 5: Best Place To Drift [Top 15]

Rockstar has given the racing fanatics exactly what they want, from supercars and multiplayer racing to drifting past curves with extreme skill. Whether you like racing games or not, we agree that it is pretty cool to see cars drift around sharp turns while making a satisfying noise.

To cater to all the racing fans’ needs, GTA developers included places where the players can drift. Whether you want to host drift meets with your friends or relax and drift around in your car. We will talk about the best places to drift in GTA 5.

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Key Takeaways

• Players spend a generous portion of their time in the game drive vehicles. So, it is important to learn the skill of drifting, as it will make them faster in sharp turns.
• Drifting requires ample practice and timing. You must apply the brakes at the right time and steer the car in your sliding direction.
• There are a wide variety of places to drift depending on your skill level and experience. More technical spots include the Drift Park, Crastenberg Hotel, and The Pavilion Parking Lot.
• Some more extensive areas to practice as a beginner include the Docks, the Pier, LSIA, and Asphalt Parking Lot.
• Some of the fan-favorite places include the highspeed drift spots on the hills. These include Mount Haan, Observatory Hills, and the Great Chapparal Hills. These places require a more powerful car because of its mid-drive boost for longer turns.
• The best place to drift in GTA 5 depends on your skill level and preference. Whether you like high-speed drifting or shorter and quick turns, the best place to drift will vary.

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Importance Of Drifting

There is no doubt that drifting is probably one of the coolest things you can do in a car. However, in addition to being cool, it is also a helpful skill in GTA 5. In a game filled with car chases and racing, having the skill to get ahead of your enemies is essential.

Drifting allows you to make sharp turns without losing much speed or momentum. This is the quickest method to get past a sharp turn and lose the cops behind you.

In addition to being faster in races and car chases, it will also make you look really cool the next time you’re going for a chill drive with your friend. Players spend a major portion of the game driving around in cars, so learning how to drive is a skill that every GTA player needs to know. And to practice this skill, you need to know the best place to drift in GTA 5.

However, it does require a proper technique and a lot of practice to be good at drifting.

How To Drift

If you want to do a perfect drift in GTA 5, you need to time the acceleration and braking perfectly. You will also need a lot of control over the steering, knowing when and where to turn the steering wheel.

Step 1: Choose The Right Car

You will need to choose a car with rear-wheel drive and good handling. You will also want to choose the perfect wheels for this specific purpose. We have covered in great detail the best cars to drift in GTA 5.

Step 2: Accelerate Toward The Turn

Hold down the throttle and accelerate towards the curve. More speed will mean more momentum. Hence the cooler the drift will look.

Step 3: Apply The Brakes At The Right Time

Applying the brakes will initiate the drift but be sure not to hold down the brakes too long because that will slow down the car too much. A simple tap on the break button will do perfectly. Ensure you don’t press the breaks too early or too long.

Step 4: Steering

Now, this is where the hard part begins. You have to steer the car in the opposite direction to your car’s slide. This technique is called counter-steering, and you have to turn your steering wheel to the left when drifting to the right and turn it right when drifting to the left.

Moreover, you have to turn the wheel gently, or you’ll lose control and spin. Time your turns properly, and don’t overdo the steering; you’ll drift like a pro.

Step 5: Accelerate Slowly Back To Normal

Gently start pressing the throttle button again to regain traction. Stop steering at this point and let the car get stable, then accelerate normally.

This may take some time to get a hold of, so don’t get discouraged after a couple of tries. We will now discuss all the best places to practice drifting in GTA 5.

Best Places To Drift In GTA 5

There are dozens of places to go to for drifting; some are better for beginners, while some are more challenging. We will talk about these places, whether you are new to drifting or want to test your abilities in drifting.

The Docks

One of the oldest known drifting spots in the game, The Docks. This is where the OG GTA players spent hours drifting around cargo containers and cranes. This is a huge area located at the bottom of the map, as shown in the figure below. It includes the terminal and Elysian Island.

The Docks is a huge area that consists of all types of drifting places. It has tight spaces for highly skilled players and more open areas for beginners. The terminal is the more popular area of the docks, with great lines near the warehouses to practice your timing.

A drawback of this place is that it’s all on the same elevation, and the scenery isn’t very pleasing. All you see are containers and cargo, which isn’t the usual definition of a ‘pretty view.’ It can get very repetitive if you spend long amounts of time here, but luckily you have many more places to try out.

On the other hand, a great thing about the Docks is the low traffic. There isn’t any traffic here, making it a perfect place to host drift meets with your friends. You can even practice drifting without the fear of bumping into an oncoming car.

Furthermore, note that some security guards are here, and bumping into them will get you a wanted star. But that won’t be a major issue since you can call Lester anytime to remove your wanted level.

Los Santos International Airport (LSIA)

This is one of the more open areas, which is great for practicing your drifts. There aren’t many obstacles here, making it perfect for beginners but boring for skilled players. However, you can fix that by going into the race creator and placing down different props according to your needs.

There are decent lines you can make using the white markings, but you’re essentially drifting without the risk of crashing into an obstacle, which makes it a little less cool.

LSIA does have the same elevation throughout. On the other hand, it doesn’t have any traffic, making it a perfect spot to call players and host your drifting events. The open area and white markings give you the creativity to make endless lines here.

It is a more widely known drift spot, and players end up spending hours exploring different lines here. Again, this is a perfect spot for beginners to learn drifting without fearing traffic and other cars. However, the security guards mean you can’t open fire without getting a wanted level on you. You can navigate to the location by following our guide detailing on where is the airport in GTA 5.

Drift Park

One of the most underrated drift places in GTA 5 the Drift Park. Players often overlook it due to traffic in some areas of the park and speed bumps. There always seem to be pedestrians spawning at the wrong place right where you’re about to drift.

In addition to that, while making a turn from the main road, it’s very difficult to avoid crashing into an oncoming vehicle. The speed bumps are also very useless and annoying,

Moreover, Drift Park is the best place to drift in GTA 5 for more skilled players. The location is extremely tight and requires a lot of precision and timing. You’ll need a good drifting car for this location since it is difficult.

The Drift Park is a smaller area with a few very difficult drifts. But it is extremely fun when you get the hang of it, and the traffic doesn’t crash into you. The elevation change is also a great feature of this area, bringing variety and difficulty.

Crastenberg Hotel

The Crastenberg hotel is located near LSI. It is quite a famous spot for drift meets and drifting competitions, and for good reason. The road that leads around the Crastenberg hotel is very narrow and requires precise technique.

In addition to that, there are a couple of high and low-speed sections, apart from the sharp and narrow turns. Overall, it is a challenging drift spot and definitely not the best for some beginner drifters.

However, for experienced drifters and competitions, it is one of the best places available in the game.

Noodle House Restaurant

A more lowkey drift spot is located at the center of the map, the Noodle House Restaurant. It is a smaller area than other places mentioned on the list, but it is worth discussing.

It consists of a decent elevation change and requires a lot of skill. It’s a place where more experienced players go for challenging their abilities since it isn’t recommended for beginners. Moreover, it is a bumpy area which provides an extra challenge for drifters.

You can combine the Noodle House Restaurant with the Apartment Plots, located right out of the restaurant’s exit. It’s an open area with some decent lines and is perfect for players who want a bit of variety when drifting at the Korean restaurant.

The Pier

You have probably seen a lot of clips of players drifting around in this location. This famous spot is unique and makes drifting way more fun.

The Pier is the best place to drift in GTA 5 because of the wooden walking surface. This material you’ll be drifting on is the slipperiest in the game and allows most cars to drift without much issue.

In addition to that, it has a long entry road for high-speed entry. You can reach the top speed of your car before you drift, making the drift seem more seamless and cool at the same time. You can perform high and low-speed drifts on The Pier.

An amazing thing about this spot is the beautiful scenery you get, especially during sunset. Sunset on the beach, with the satisfying noise of drifting cars on wooden floors, can’t get better than that.

Furthermore, it is an amazing spot for both beginners and experienced players. Beginners can practice car handling and drift on this slippery surface by initiating the drift easily. At the same time, experienced players can make cool clips and do fun drift tricks, which they can’t do at any other location in the game.

Asphalt Parking Lot

This drift spot is located near the Pier, featuring a similar high-speed entry, giving opportunities for fun entries from the left and right. Moreover, it is a bigger area than the Pier, so you can practice your drifts pretty easily.

Another great thing about the Asphalt Parking lot is the low traffic. Even though it has a couple of parked cars in the lot, they don’t seem to be an issue and are just another obstacle to drift past. In addition to that, you can play around the streetlights, or you can always go into the race creator to set the barriers as you wish.

It’s common for players to combine the Asphalt parking Lot with the Pier due to them being very close. And this brings more variety, thanks to the small slippery area of the Pier and the large highspeed entry area of the parking lot. This combination is amazing for both beginners and experienced drifters.

Pillbox Hill Parking Garage

This parking building near the map’s center is considered a more technical spot. However, it also provides drifting opportunities for beginners as well, and it contains many low and medium-speed lines.

Moreover, drifting up the ramps can be challenging and fun at the same time. The parked cars and the pillars make it even more difficult, putting the experienced drifters to the test. But on the other hand, when you reach the top floor, it’s much easier since there is much more room.

You can make a bunch of different lines on the roof, and it is filled with bumps and minor obstacles. It is a very scenic place to drift, especially the roof at nighttime with all the lights on. The beautiful view and variety of drifting options make this among the best places to drift in GTA 5 and a perfect place to host drift meets and competitions.

Pavilion Parking Lot

This is an underground parking area near the center of the map. It is a trendy and technical spot in the game but also fun. You can enter the lot from across the street while hitting a jump drift while entering the parking lot.

Moreover, the Pavilion Parking lot is slow to medium-speed drifting place and accommodates people of all skill levels. You have a bunch of routes to take, and each one gets narrow and difficult to navigate. This makes it more fun and challenging.

In addition to that, you may face some traffic here, but it isn’t that annoying. The existing cars make it more difficult to drift by them and increase the skill level of this place.

Weazel Plaza Roundabouts

The Weazel Plaza is small but perfect for practicing your donuts. The two roundabouts are the main attraction of this place since you can practice transitions from one roundabout to the other.

You don’t have to worry about traffic while you practice your transitions and donuts. It’s a great spot to hang out with friends and host drift meets.

Vine Bowl Parking Lot

One of the more popular drift places in the game, the Vine bowl parking lot, can qualify to be among the best places to drift in GTA 5. The entry to this parking lot has a huge jump drift, making it even better.

Furthermore, apart from the entry drift, it has some cool lines with parked cars, making it even more challenging. It is an old-school drifting spot with experienced drifters who know all too well about it.

It has many jump drift opportunities and is a great place to practice that. On the other hand, this spot is more suited to skilled drifters with more powerful cars. Another issue this parking lot has is the traffic. It can get very annoying and is a major issue regarding this drifting spot.

Lake Vinewood

Also known as the Vinewood Reservoir, it is considered by many players to be the best place to drift in GTA 5 for many reasons. This spot is more suited to skilled drifters but can also provide a great practicing place for beginners who want to up their game.

Lake Vinewood comprises a lot of high-speed drifts with a bunch of long sweeping turns. It is better to have a powerful car while drifting here due to the mid-drive speed boast. If you’re a beginner, several narrow roads are extremely difficult to go through.

There may be a bit of traffic at this spot, however. Nevertheless, it’s an entertaining spot to try your drifting skills, thanks to its long area and various lines.

Adding to that, the scenery is also a big reason this spot is loved by many. Especially near sunset time, the sky and the reservoir have a beautiful color.

Mount Haan Drive

This is the downhill drifting route which is located behind the Vinewood sign. It is amongst the most popular drifting places in GTA 5. It is super fun and a bit scary for newer players.

A unique thing about this place is that the entire route is downhill, making it more challenging and fun. Gravity will help you keep your speed during those longer slides. But at the same time, it’ll make it more difficult to control your car and reduce the margin of error.

Since the whole route is downhill, car handling becomes even more important. That is because it is even more difficult to transition when traveling at such high speeds. However, it is a perfect spot to practice your high-speed drifting abilities and a great place to challenge your friends.

This unique drifting spot is the best place to drift in GTA 5 if you are into more high-speed drifting.

Observatory Hills

The Observatory Hills is another great downhill drifting spot. This includes two main lines that you can take at the top of the hill, either the right or the left.

The line that comes when you take the right turn at the top of the hill is a more mellow route, having higher-speed turns and some quick switchbacks soon after the long turns. The left route is a bit more difficult to follow since it has a really tight turn that may be particularly challenging for new drifters.

In addition to that, this place would need a high-powered car due to the mid-drive speed boost feature. Moreover, as at Mount Haan, the high-speed downhill will make transitions even harder.

The scenic view makes this spot the best place to drift in GTA 5. With mountainous views and being surrounded by nature, it’s definitely a great spot to host drift meets or hang with your friends.

Great Chapparal Hills

Another amazing spot to check out on the hills is the Great Chapparal Hill road. It is a super fun place to drift and is perfect for beginners to intermediate drifters. It is also perfect if you’re an experienced player and want a long high-speed drifting area.

The Great Chapparal Hills road is a long snake-like road with long turns. These long sweeping turns will require a powerful car to use the mid-drive speed boost. Moreover, it also has a jump drift at the beginning, which is always fun to try.

Furthermore, this place is advantageous and fun to drift after you get the hang of it. It’s a great place to practice high-speed drifting and has earned a spot among our best places to drift in GTA 5.  

Closing Remarks

Drifting is an amazing feature that Rockstar has given attention to in GTA 5. They have provided players with amazing downhill routes on the hills and more technical drifting spots in the city. All in all, you need a good place to drift which doesn’t have much traffic and can cater to all skilled and unskilled drifters.

Hence, we discussed all the best places to drift in GTA 5, whether you are starting as a new drifter or an experienced player. If you’re a fan of cars and racing, check out the fastest sports cars in GTA 5.