Hicks Road Climb near Los Gatos

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: 2 bike crashes were reported on or beside Hicks Road along the climb from 2021–2025, 2 of them serious or fatal.

How long and steep is the Hicks Road near Los Gatos climb?

5.5 miles (8.9 km) at 3.7% on average, climbing 1,089 ft (332 m) from 315 ft to 1,404 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 13.9%. That makes it a Category 2 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 37.219, -121.9093, and tops out at Mount Umunhum Road at 37.17566, -121.86346.

Is Hicks 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.

• Reynolds RoadCat 3 · 1.1 mi at 10.5% · 640 ft · starts 1.3 mi away
• Kennedy RoadCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 4.8% · 545 ft · starts 3.0 mi away
• Cypress WayCat 3 · 1.6 mi at 9.7% · 833 ft · starts 3.2 mi away
• Soda Springs Road near Los GatosCat 2 · 3.7 mi at 8.6% · 1,670 ft · starts 3.9 mi away
• Mount Umunhum RoadCat 2 · 5.4 mi at 7.2% · 2,060 ft · starts 3.9 mi away
• Overlook RoadCat 3 · 2.1 mi at 6.8% · 732 ft · starts 4.6 mi away
• Soda Springs Road from Alma Bridge RoadCat 3 · 2.5 mi at 5.8% · 768 ft · starts 4.6 mi away
• Montevina RoadCat 2 · 3.9 mi at 8.8% · 1,811 ft · starts 4.9 mi away