Glacier Point 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 Glacier Point Road climb?

2.0 miles (3.1 km) at 5.8% on average, climbing 600 ft (183 m) from 7,215 ft to 7,815 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7.7%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 37.72715, -119.57444, and tops out on the road at 37.71506, -119.58145.

Is Glacier Point 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.

• Wawona Road from Southside DriveCat 1 · 9.7 mi at 4.3% · 2,182 ft · starts 4.3 mi away
• Big Oak Flat Road from El Portal RoadCat 1 · 10 mi at 4.5% · 2,474 ft · starts 5.9 mi away
• Old Tioga RoadCat 2 · 3.7 mi at 5.9% · 1,161 ft · starts 7.0 mi away
• Tioga RoadCat 3 · 3.9 mi at 4.1% · 850 ft · starts 8.6 mi away
• Tioga RoadCat 3 · 3.1 mi at 5.2% · 846 ft · starts 8.6 mi away
• Glacier Point Road from Wawona RoadCat 2 · 5.7 mi at 4.4% · 1,319 ft · starts 8.7 mi away
• Tamarack Flat Campground Rd.Cat 3 · 2.9 mi at 4.8% · 722 ft · starts 9.0 mi away
• Tioga RoadCat 2 · 9.8 mi at 3% · 1,542 ft · starts 9.9 mi away