Burdell Mountain Fire 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 Burdell Mountain Fire Road climb?

1.5 miles (2.4 km) at 12.1% on average, climbing 942 ft (287 m) from 541 ft to 1,483 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 16.7%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 38.13581, -122.57784, and tops out on the road at 38.14405, -122.58979.

Is Burdell Mountain Fire 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.

• Scott RoadCat 3 · 1.7 mi at 7.1% · 643 ft · starts 8.0 mi away
• Manor Lane WestCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 6.3% · 1,014 ft · starts 8.8 mi away
• Bayhills DriveCat 3 · 1.5 mi at 10.1% · 778 ft · starts 9.4 mi away
• Oak Springs DriveCat 3 · 1.0 mi at 10.3% · 528 ft · starts 9.5 mi away
• Sonoma Mountain Road near PetalumaCat 2 · 5.4 mi at 6.6% · 1,870 ft · starts 10 mi away
• Hawks BeardCat 3 · 1.3 mi at 7.8% · 528 ft · starts 11 mi away
• White AlderCat 3 · 1.4 mi at 9.6% · 712 ft · starts 11 mi away
• Fairfax-Bolinas Road from Bolinas RoadCat 3 · 2.3 mi at 4.7% · 571 ft · starts 11 mi away