Cat 3 climb · Paved

Camino San Rafael Climb

Tops out at Ridge Motorway. Near Glendale.
long (1.5 km)
0.9 mi
long (1.5 km)
of climbing (181 m)
594 ft
of climbing (181 m)
average grade
12.2%
average grade
steepest 500 m
18%
steepest 500 m

Elevation profile

1,1651,7590
Grade per 500 m:under 3%3–5%5–7%7–9%9–12%12% and up

From 1,165 ft at the bottom to 1,759 ft at the top. Grades are averaged over each half kilometre, from USGS elevation data, so short ramps can be steeper than they show.

Map of the Camino San Rafael climb
S: bottom, E: top. Map © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap.

Weather at the top of Camino San Rafael this week

Weather

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Is it safe to bike up Camino San Rafael?

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. The records here are also incomplete: most reports along it are filed under Glendale, where only 50% of reported bike crashes have a map location, so the numbers here are too low. What the records show: no bike crashes were reported along the climb from 2021–2025.

The crash numbers here are too low. Most reports along this climb are filed under Glendale, where only 50% of reported bike crashes have a map location.

Common questions about Camino San Rafael

How long and steep is the Camino San Rafael climb?
0.9 miles (1.5 km) at 12.2% on average, climbing 594 ft (181 m) from 1,165 ft to 1,759 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 18%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.
Where does the climb start and finish?
It starts at 34.16886, -118.21251, and tops out at Ridge Motorway at 34.18021, -118.21266.
Is Camino San Rafael 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.

Other climbs nearby

Places to ride to nearby

Bike crash hotspots nearby

Found from OpenStreetMap roads and USGS 3DEP elevation; ranked on shape only. Category 3: 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. Crashes: bike crashes reported within 100 ft of the climb, 2021–2025, from the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), counted only where the report has map coordinates. Weather: National Weather Service. Access from OpenStreetMap tags; obey posted signs. How the data works.