Dark Canyon 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 Dark Canyon Road climb?

3.5 miles (5.7 km) at 5.6% on average, climbing 1,043 ft (318 m) from 902 ft to 1,946 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 8.9%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 39.67881, -121.49588, and tops out at Big Bend Road at 39.72119, -121.49716.

Is Dark Canyon 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.

• Red Eye RoadCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 4.9% · 571 ft · starts 0.6 mi away
• Encina Grande Road near ParadiseCat 2 · 3.7 mi at 9% · 1,762 ft · starts 0.7 mi away
• Condor RoadCat 3 · 1.5 mi at 7.8% · 630 ft · starts 1.6 mi away
• Lunt RoadCat 3 · 1.3 mi at 7.8% · 525 ft · starts 3.3 mi away
• Nelson Bar RoadCat 3 · 2.7 mi at 4.6% · 659 ft · starts 3.4 mi away
• Berry Creek RoadCat 3 · 1.7 mi at 8.7% · 797 ft · starts 3.6 mi away
• Pentz RoadCat 2 · 9.9 mi at 3.2% · 1,680 ft · starts 4.1 mi away
• Bloomer Hill RoadCat 2 · 3.0 mi at 7.6% · 1,224 ft · starts 4.1 mi away