Drum Canyon Road Climb near Buellton

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 Drum Canyon Road near Buellton climb?

6.0 miles (9.7 km) at 3.1% on average, climbing 991 ft (302 m) from 413 ft to 1,404 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 34.63477, -120.28724, and tops out on the road at 34.71057, -120.28161.

Is Drum 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.

• Santa Rita Road from Campbell RoadCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 6.4% · 748 ft · starts 3.1 mi away
• Santa Rita Road near BuelltonCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 5.8% · 932 ft · starts 3.4 mi away
• Drum Canyon Road from Centennial StreetCat 3 · 2.8 mi at 5.3% · 797 ft · starts 7.2 mi away
• Santa Rita Road from Route 135Cat 3 · 4.3 mi at 4.5% · 1,024 ft · starts 7.9 mi away
• Jalama Road near LompocCat 3 · 4.7 mi at 3.3% · 827 ft · starts 8.0 mi away
• Cat Canyon RoadCat 3 · 4.3 mi at 3.1% · 699 ft · starts 8.2 mi away
• Cabrillo Highway near SolvangCat 3 · 2.1 mi at 6.9% · 758 ft · starts 9.1 mi away
• Penny LaneCat 3 · 2.5 mi at 5.3% · 682 ft · starts 9.4 mi away