Forwards Mill 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 Forwards Mill Road climb?

8.3 miles (13.3 km) at 3.8% on average, climbing 1,650 ft (503 m) from 2,789 ft to 4,439 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 8.6%. That makes it a Category 2 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 40.44743, -121.81075, where Forwards Mill Road leaves Rock Creek Road, and tops out at Viola-Mineral Road at 40.45503, -121.67867.

Is Forwards Mill Road paved?

Mostly: OpenStreetMap tags 59% of the climb as paved, and the rest as dirt or gravel.

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.

• Forward RoadCat 2 · 8.4 mi at 3.3% · 1,457 ft · starts 3.2 mi away
• Hazen RoadCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 4.6% · 715 ft · starts 4.1 mi away
• Wilson Hill RoadCat 2 · 4.9 mi at 6.2% · 1,621 ft · starts 4.3 mi away
• Oasis Spring Ranch RoadCat 2 · 3.9 mi at 6.1% · 1,257 ft · starts 5.3 mi away
• Ponderosa WayCat 3 · 2.5 mi at 5.4% · 709 ft · starts 7.0 mi away
• Good Fellows AvenueCat 3 · 2.4 mi at 5.6% · 709 ft · starts 7.5 mi away
• Ponderosa WayCat 3 · 1.9 mi at 5.3% · 545 ft · starts 7.8 mi away
• Withrow RoadCat 3 · 2.4 mi at 6.6% · 846 ft · starts 8.3 mi away