A C172 PLT MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON A DIRT ROAD NEAR ZZZ; DUE TO LOW FUEL.

Narrative

I FLEW A C172 FROM BOZEMAN; MT; TO SAN CARLOS; CA. THE THIRD PLANNED FUEL STOP WAS HTH; NV. WHEN I STARTED FUELING; THE PUMP DID NOT DELIVER ANY FUEL AT ALL. I MEASURED THE FUEL REMAINING IN THE TANKS MANUALLY WITH A DIPSTICK MADE FOR C172'S AND GOT APPROX 12 GALLONS REMAINING; RESULTING IN APPROX 1 HR 20 MINS OF TOTAL FLT TIME. I DECIDED TO PROCEED ON TO THE NEXT ARPT THAT INDICATED HAVING FUEL WHICH WAS IN THE AREA AND IN MY GENERAL DIRECTION -- LEE FINING (O24). THE WX CONDITIONS ON DEP WERE HIGH SCATTERED CLOUDS AT APPROX 12000 FT. AFTER FLYING FOR 40 MINS; I ARRIVED AT ZZZ TO BE SURPRISED BY A LOW FOG CLOUD LAYER THAT WAS COVERING THE LAKE AND ARPT. I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF MY ALTERNATE I HAD IN MIND WHICH WAS BRYANT (O57). IT WS APPROX 25 MI AWAY. HOWEVER; IT WAS ALSO NEXT TO A LAKE. THUS; I CONCLUDED IF AIR TEMP AND WATER TEMP ARE FAVORABLE TO PRODUCE FOG IT WOULD ALSO BE FOGGED IN. IN ADDITION; THE SUN HAD SET AND IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE ANYTHING ON THE GND. I FIGURED; IF I FLY TO BRYANT AND FOUND OUT IT WAS ALSO FOGGED IN; IT WOULD BE AN IMPOSSIBLE FEAT TO THEN LAND SAFELY AT A LOCATION OTHER THAN AN ARPT. IN ADDITION; NOW SINCE IT WAS NIGHT; THE REQUIRED FUEL RESERVE FOR VFR FLT HAD CHANGED TO 45 MINS. I DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON A 2 LANE ROAD; AS LONG AS I COULD STILL SEE IT. NO CARS WERE PRESENT. THE NEXT CAR CAME AFTER 35 MINS. HAS A 25 MI STRAIGHT STRETCH AT THAT LOCATION. AT NIGHT YOU COULD SEE CARS 5 MINS BEFORE THEY ARRIVED. I CONTACTED 121.5 AND TOLD THEM I WANTED POLICE ASSISTANCE; WHICH ARRIVED 50 MINS LATER. A POLICE RPT WAS WRITTEN AND WE MOVED THE ACFT SAFELY; COMPLETELY OFF THE ROAD.