Hecker Pass Highway 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 Hecker Pass Highway climb?

6.0 miles (9.6 km) at 3.4% on average, climbing 1,073 ft (327 m) from 262 ft to 1,335 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 6.2%. That makes it a Category 2 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 37.01336, -121.63342, and tops out at Hecker Pass at 36.99605, -121.71692.

Is Hecker Pass Highway 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.

• Roop RoadCat 3 · 2.7 mi at 5.1% · 709 ft · starts 5.4 mi away
• Mount Madonna RoadCat 2 · 3.9 mi at 7.5% · 1,562 ft · starts 6.4 mi away
• Vanoni Road from Silliman RoadCat 3 · 3.4 mi at 4.6% · 814 ft · starts 6.7 mi away
• Cañada RoadCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 5.3% · 846 ft · starts 7.4 mi away
• Vanoni Road from Riverside RoadCat 3 · 1.5 mi at 9.3% · 748 ft · starts 7.5 mi away
• Hecker Pass RoadCat 2 · 6.3 mi at 3.8% · 1,266 ft · starts 8.1 mi away
• Little Uvas RoadCat 2 · 4.3 mi at 5.6% · 1,270 ft · starts 8.7 mi away
• Caudill RoadCat 3 · 0.8 mi at 12.9% · 561 ft · starts 8.8 mi away