Graham Hill 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 Graham Hill Road climb?

4.0 miles (6.5 km) at 3% on average, climbing 643 ft (196 m) from 82 ft to 725 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7.4%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 36.98893, -122.02694, where Graham Hill Road leaves Ocean Street, and tops out at Quarry Road at 37.04221, -122.04832.

Is Graham Hill 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.

• El Rancho DriveCat 3 · 3.2 mi at 3.1% · 528 ft · starts 0.6 mi away
• Empire GradeCat 1 · 14 mi at 3% · 2,257 ft · starts 1.9 mi away
• Granite Creek RoadCat 3 · 2.8 mi at 4% · 604 ft · starts 2.6 mi away
• Hidden Valley RoadCat 3 · 1.8 mi at 6.1% · 577 ft · starts 3.9 mi away
• North Rodeo Gulch RoadCat 3 · 2.1 mi at 5.7% · 633 ft · starts 4.1 mi away
• Glen Haven RoadCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 4.2% · 659 ft · starts 4.5 mi away
• Felton Empire RoadCat 2 · 3.7 mi at 7.7% · 1,516 ft · starts 5.1 mi away
• Vine Hill RoadCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 5% · 778 ft · starts 5.3 mi away