Charleston 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 Charleston Road climb?

1.1 miles (1.8 km) at 10.7% on average, climbing 630 ft (192 m) from 2,070 ft to 2,700 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 14.7%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 38.44263, -120.63143, where Charleston Road leaves Main Street, and tops out at Ponderosa Way at 38.45135, -120.64111.

Is Charleston 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.

• Rams Horn GradeCat 3 · 2.8 mi at 5.9% · 866 ft · starts 0.2 mi away
• Volcano Pioneer RoadCat 3 · 2.3 mi at 5% · 594 ft · starts 0.5 mi away
• Old Giannini Ranch Road from Volcano Pioneer RoadCat 3 · 1.5 mi at 9% · 699 ft · starts 0.9 mi away
• Barone RoadCat 3 · 1.7 mi at 8% · 699 ft · starts 1.1 mi away
• Old Giannini Ranch Road near JacksonCat 3 · 1.3 mi at 12.1% · 850 ft · starts 1.2 mi away
• Ponderosa Way near JacksonCat 3 · 0.8 mi at 12.9% · 571 ft · starts 2.3 mi away
• Ponderosa Way near Amador CityCat 3 · 1.5 mi at 6.8% · 554 ft · starts 3.1 mi away
• Black Oak DriveCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 8.9% · 554 ft · starts 3.2 mi away