Elk Hills Road Climb near Taft

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 Elk Hills Road near Taft climb?

4.8 miles (7.8 km) at 4.1% on average, climbing 1,043 ft (318 m) from 305 ft to 1,348 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7.1%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 35.34741, -119.46927, and tops out on the road at 35.28201, -119.46578.

Is Elk Hills 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.

• Elk Hills Road near TaftCat 3 · 3.6 mi at 3.9% · 738 ft · starts 8.3 mi away
• Tank Farm RoadCat 3 · 2.8 mi at 4.1% · 617 ft · starts 8.7 mi away
• Carissa Highway from 2nd StreetCat 3 · 3.4 mi at 3.1% · 554 ft · starts 9.5 mi away
• Reward RoadCat 3 · 4.3 mi at 3.2% · 728 ft · starts 10 mi away
• Crocker Springs RoadCat 2 · 7.5 mi at 4.4% · 1,719 ft · starts 11 mi away
• Carissa Highway near TaftCat 2 · 9.9 mi at 3.1% · 1,604 ft · starts 13 mi away
• 25 Hill Road from South 10th StreetCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 5.2% · 591 ft · starts 15 mi away
• 25 Hill Road from Olive AvenueCat 3 · 2.0 mi at 5.8% · 607 ft · starts 15 mi away