Butte Mountain 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 Butte Mountain Road climb?

2.9 miles (4.6 km) at 3.6% on average, climbing 545 ft (166 m) from 1,253 ft to 1,798 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7.6%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 38.34573, -120.75729, where Butte Mountain Road leaves Clinton Road, and tops out on the road at 38.33945, -120.70992.

Is Butte Mountain 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.

• State Highway 49 from Big Bar RoadCat 3 · 3.1 mi at 4.1% · 682 ft · starts 3.1 mi away
• Gwin Mine RoadCat 3 · 3.2 mi at 4.6% · 781 ft · starts 3.4 mi away
• Ridge Road from Ridge CourtCat 3 · 4.0 mi at 3.9% · 804 ft · starts 3.7 mi away
• Tabeaud RoadCat 3 · 4.8 mi at 3.6% · 902 ft · starts 4.3 mi away
• Stony Creek RoadCat 3 · 4.2 mi at 3.8% · 846 ft · starts 4.6 mi away
• Irish Town RoadCat 3 · 1.6 mi at 7.3% · 604 ft · starts 5.4 mi away
• Old Spring RoadCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 4.9% · 564 ft · starts 5.9 mi away
• Highway 26 near JacksonCat 2 · 5.6 mi at 4.5% · 1,319 ft · starts 6.0 mi away