Bear River 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 River Road climb?

2.2 miles (3.5 km) at 6.1% on average, climbing 712 ft (217 m) from 5,820 ft to 6,532 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 8.4%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 38.53954, -120.25781, and tops out on the road at 38.55863, -120.27715.

Is Bear River 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.

• South Bear River RoadCat 3 · 2.3 mi at 5.3% · 643 ft · starts 1.3 mi away
• Cole Creek RoadCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 4.5% · 531 ft · starts 2.7 mi away
• Cat Creek Road SouthCat 3 · 2.3 mi at 5% · 617 ft · starts 3.8 mi away
• Ellis RoadHC · 8.2 mi at 6.2% · 2,710 ft · starts 3.9 mi away
• Mehrten Spring RdCat 3 · 2.3 mi at 7.8% · 942 ft · starts 4.0 mi away
• Salt Springs Reservoir RoadCat 3 · 2.6 mi at 3.9% · 545 ft · starts 4.2 mi away
• Meiss Pass Rd from Cat Creek Road NorthCat 3 · 3.8 mi at 4.3% · 856 ft · starts 5.0 mi away
• Salt Springs Reservoir Road near JacksonCat 3 · 2.0 mi at 6.9% · 719 ft · starts 6.5 mi away