Alpine Meadows Road Climb

We don't rate roads as safe or unsafe: crash counts can't say how risky a ride is, and roads people like to ride draw more riders, so they see more crashes. What the records show: no bike crashes were reported along the climb from 2021–2025.

How long and steep is the Alpine Meadows Road climb?

3.4 miles (5.5 km) at 4% on average, climbing 722 ft (220 m) from 6,181 ft to 6,903 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 5.8%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 39.18699, -120.19498, where Alpine Meadows Road leaves River Road, and tops out on the road at 39.16498, -120.23903.

Is Alpine Meadows Road paved?

Yes, by its OpenStreetMap tags.

How is the category worked out?

From the climb's shape only: length in metres × average grade (%) of 16,000 or more for Cat 3, 32,000 for Cat 2, 64,000 for Cat 1 and 80,000 for HC. It describes how hard the climb is, not traffic or crashes.

Where does this data come from?

The climb is found from OpenStreetMap roads and USGS 3DEP elevation (every climb, not a list of famous ones). Access is from OpenStreetMap tags; gates and closures change, so obey posted signs. Crash counts are police reports in the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS) on data.ca.gov, counted where their map location is within 100 ft of the climb. The forecast is from the National Weather Service.

• Mount Watson Boulevard from Deer Creek RoadCat 3 · 3.9 mi at 4.4% · 919 ft · starts 1.7 mi away
• Courchevel RoadCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 5% · 594 ft · starts 3.2 mi away
• Barker Pass RoadCat 2 · 6.9 mi at 4.2% · 1,526 ft · starts 5.4 mi away
• Mount Watson Boulevard from Sawmill FlatCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 4.8% · 748 ft · starts 6.3 mi away
• Highlands View RoadCat 3 · 2.7 mi at 4.2% · 607 ft · starts 8.0 mi away
• Martis Peak RoadCat 2 · 4.0 mi at 8% · 1,699 ft · starts 8.5 mi away
• North Shore BoulevardCat 3 · 3.2 mi at 5.5% · 942 ft · starts 9.4 mi away
• Northwoods BoulevardCat 3 · 4.3 mi at 3.3% · 755 ft · starts 9.7 mi away