Highway 190 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 Highway 190 climb?

31 miles (49.6 km) at 4% on average, climbing 6,535 ft (1,992 m) from 696 ft to 7,231 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 10.9%. That makes it a Hors catégorie climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 36.09643, -118.87628, and tops out at Great Western Divide Highway at 36.11229, -118.54036.

Is Highway 190 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.

• Balch Park RoadHC · 24 mi at 4.1% · 5,272 ft · starts 4.9 mi away
• Pothole RoadHC · dirt · 11 mi at 4.6% · 2,799 ft · starts 5.8 mi away
• Chimney RoadCat 3 · 2.1 mi at 8% · 883 ft · starts 6.2 mi away
• Bia 241Cat 3 · 0.8 mi at 14.3% · 597 ft · starts 6.4 mi away
• Bear Creek Road from Balch Park RoadHC · 15 mi at 6.4% · 4,954 ft · starts 7.6 mi away
• Wiggletail RoadCat 3 · 2.1 mi at 6.7% · 755 ft · starts 7.6 mi away
• Yokohl Valley Drive from Balch Park RoadCat 3 · 3.2 mi at 5.1% · 866 ft · starts 9.2 mi away
• Ranchria Fire RoadCat 1 · dirt · 4.8 mi at 8.7% · 2,198 ft · starts 11 mi away