Deer Creek Highway Climb near Paradise

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 Deer Creek Highway near Paradise climb?

4.3 miles (6.9 km) at 3.1% on average, climbing 709 ft (216 m) from 3,117 ft to 3,825 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7.5%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 39.97835, -121.63995, and tops out on the road at 40.03301, -121.62051.

Is Deer Creek Highway 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.

• Carpenter Ridge Road near ParadiseCat 3 · 3.4 mi at 5.4% · 981 ft · starts 1.5 mi away
• Carpenter Ridge Road near ParadiseCat 3 · 2.3 mi at 5.6% · 692 ft · starts 3.2 mi away
• Old Loma RoadCat 3 · 1.9 mi at 6.6% · 640 ft · starts 3.9 mi away
• Humboldt Road from Deer Creek HighwayCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 5.7% · 889 ft · starts 4.3 mi away
• Mann and Nolta Ridge RoadCat 3 · 1.9 mi at 6.6% · 673 ft · starts 5.3 mi away
• Vilas RoadCat 3 · 2.8 mi at 5.6% · 837 ft · starts 5.8 mi away
• Retson RoadHC · 11 mi at 5.2% · 3,074 ft · starts 6.6 mi away
• Browns Ravine RoadCat 2 · 7.5 mi at 3.9% · 1,549 ft · starts 6.7 mi away