Highland Lakes 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 Highland Lakes Road climb?

3.7 miles (6.0 km) at 4.3% on average, climbing 843 ft (257 m) from 7,854 ft to 8,698 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 11%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 38.53832, -119.82512, and tops out on the road at 38.49842, -119.79913.

Is Highland Lakes Road paved?

Mostly: OpenStreetMap tags 62% of the climb as paved, and the rest as dirt or gravel.

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.

• Wolf Creek Road near South Lake TahoeCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 6.7% · 774 ft · starts 8.2 mi away
• Centerville BridgeHC · 13 mi at 4.4% · 3,051 ft · starts 9.9 mi away
• State Highway 108 from Clark Fork RoadCat 3 · 4.8 mi at 3.4% · 860 ft · starts 13 mi away
• Sonora Pass HighwayHC · 17 mi at 4.4% · 3,983 ft · starts 13 mi away
• Spicer Reservoir RoadCat 3 · 2.6 mi at 4.2% · 568 ft · starts 14 mi away
• Airport RoadCat 3 · 3.1 mi at 4% · 653 ft · starts 14 mi away
• Blue Lakes RoadCat 2 · 7.3 mi at 3% · 1,145 ft · starts 14 mi away
• Spicer Reservoir RoadCat 3 · 4.6 mi at 3% · 741 ft · starts 14 mi away