how to preserve tires on a rough, washboarded road?

Here in Alaska, a dirt road is officially called an actual "highway." In this case, it's the Denali Highway, from Cantwell to Paxson - only about 125 miles of the most breathtakingly achingly beautiful scenery in North America; the Eastern Alaska Range. But the roads are notorious for being hard on tires. They're dirt and they're full of weird angled rocks. One can easily maintain 40 mph, but here's my question:

Will lowering my inflation pressure to 20-25 psi be harder on the tire? Am I more likely or less likely to get a flat if I leave them at full pressure or lower pressure? Granted, the ride will be smoother for sure, but what will the net effect on my tires be?

What's been your experience?

 

I know its a better ride overall whenever I drop my PSI before a trail run.

 

I would be careful how low you go if you're going to travel at those speeds and lengths. Lower pressures build heat and heat kills tires. I'd probably stick to 25 myself.

I don't know exactly how low, fast, and long you can go, and of course there would be vehicle weight as well, before you build up enough heat to damage a tire. Personally I'd error on the side of caution. Your tires probably will be more resilient at a lower pressure but it's a balancing thing.