Bear Creek Road Climb from Old Bear Creek Road

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 Bear Creek Road from Old Bear Creek Road climb?

8.9 miles (14.4 km) at 3.6% on average, climbing 1,726 ft (526 m) from 489 ft to 2,215 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 8.7%. That makes it a Category 2 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 37.1285, -122.12201, where Bear Creek Road leaves Old Bear Creek Road, and tops out on the road at 37.16616, -122.03068.

Is Bear Creek 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.

• Two Bar RoadCat 3 · 3.8 mi at 3.9% · 791 ft · starts 1.2 mi away
• Hopkins Gulch RoadCat 3 · 2.1 mi at 6.3% · 689 ft · starts 1.4 mi away
• Western AvenueCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 13.1% · 804 ft · starts 1.8 mi away
• Jamison Creek RoadCat 2 · 3.0 mi at 9.3% · 1,483 ft · starts 2.3 mi away
• Ridge Road from Roberts RoadCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 8.9% · 581 ft · starts 2.8 mi away
• Fanning GradeCat 3 · 1.8 mi at 9.5% · 886 ft · starts 2.9 mi away
• Roberts RoadCat 3 · 1.5 mi at 8.7% · 673 ft · starts 2.9 mi away
• Alba RoadCat 2 · 3.7 mi at 10.4% · 2,028 ft · starts 2.9 mi away