Bear Gulch 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 Bear Gulch Road climb?

2.7 miles (4.3 km) at 6.9% on average, climbing 971 ft (296 m) from 1,217 ft to 2,188 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 13.9%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 37.36935, -122.31084, and tops out on the road at 37.39267, -122.29483.

Is Bear Gulch 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.

• Star Hill RoadCat 3 · 3.2 mi at 4.5% · 745 ft · starts 1.7 mi away
• Old La Honda Road from La Honda RoadCat 3 · 2.5 mi at 4.4% · 581 ft · starts 2.6 mi away
• Skyline Boulevard from La Honda RoadCat 3 · 4.4 mi at 3.7% · 866 ft · starts 2.8 mi away
• Native Sons RoadCat 3 · 1.3 mi at 8.3% · 591 ft · starts 2.9 mi away
• Old La Honda Road from Portola RoadCat 2 · 3.3 mi at 7.5% · 1,296 ft · starts 4.0 mi away
• Cuesta RealCat 3 · 1.5 mi at 7.9% · 610 ft · starts 4.1 mi away
• Tunitas Creek RoadCat 2 · 9.0 mi at 4.2% · 2,011 ft · starts 4.4 mi away
• Kings Mountain RoadCat 2 · 4.9 mi at 6.4% · 1,654 ft · starts 4.6 mi away