Beardsley Reservoir 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 Beardsley Reservoir Road climb?

8.8 miles (14.1 km) at 5% on average, climbing 2,303 ft (702 m) from 3,514 ft to 5,817 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 9.9%. That makes it a Category 1 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 38.21078, -120.05159, and tops out at State Highway 108 at 38.2209, -119.99897.

Is Beardsley Reservoir 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.

• Hells Half Acre RoadCat 1 · dirt · 7.5 mi at 5.5% · 2,201 ft · starts 2.2 mi away
• State Highway 108 from Sonora Pass HighwayCat 3 · 2.8 mi at 4.7% · 692 ft · starts 2.7 mi away
• Fraser Flat RoadCat 3 · 2.6 mi at 5.9% · 804 ft · starts 2.7 mi away
• Crabtree Road near SonoraCat 2 · 6.9 mi at 5.6% · 2,024 ft · starts 3.1 mi away
• Dodge Ridge RoadCat 2 · 3.7 mi at 5.8% · 1,125 ft · starts 3.1 mi away
• Jenness Park RoadCat 3 · 4.6 mi at 3.7% · 892 ft · starts 7.0 mi away
• State Highway 108Cat 3 · 3.0 mi at 3.3% · 531 ft · starts 7.3 mi away
• Bottini Apple Ranch RoadCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 10.8% · 702 ft · starts 12 mi away