Hennessey Ridge 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 Hennessey Ridge Road climb?

2.0 miles (3.1 km) at 10.9% on average, climbing 1,125 ft (343 m) from 341 ft to 1,467 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 18.2%. That makes it a Category 2 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 38.49501, -122.35046, where Hennessey Ridge Road leaves Chiles Pope Valley Road, and ends where the road ends at 38.5085, -122.34014.

Is Hennessey Ridge 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.

• Long Ranch RoadCat 3 · 2.7 mi at 6.8% · 974 ft · starts 0.9 mi away
• Greenfield RoadCat 3 · 1.8 mi at 6.2% · 594 ft · starts 2.4 mi away
• Reserve RoadCat 3 · 1.5 mi at 8.6% · 663 ft · starts 2.5 mi away
• Oakville Grade RoadCat 3 · 1.4 mi at 9.5% · 725 ft · starts 5.5 mi away
• Whitehall LaneCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 8% · 935 ft · starts 5.5 mi away
• Spring Mountain RoadCat 2 · 4.5 mi at 7.3% · 1,745 ft · starts 7.1 mi away
• Deer Park RoadCat 2 · 4.2 mi at 5.2% · 1,155 ft · starts 7.4 mi away
• Mount Veeder Road from Dry Creek RoadCat 3 · 4.0 mi at 3.7% · 791 ft · starts 7.9 mi away