Howell Mountain 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 Howell Mountain Road climb?

2.6 miles (4.2 km) at 8.7% on average, climbing 1,194 ft (364 m) from 719 ft to 1,913 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 11%. That makes it a Category 2 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 38.6152, -122.42812, where Howell Mountain Road leaves Pope Valley Road, and tops out at Ponderosa Drive at 38.59159, -122.44019.

Is Howell Mountain 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.

• Ink Grade RoadCat 3 · 4.2 mi at 4.7% · 1,047 ft · starts 1.6 mi away
• Deer Park RoadCat 2 · 4.2 mi at 5.2% · 1,155 ft · starts 7.0 mi away
• Greenfield RoadCat 3 · 1.8 mi at 6.2% · 594 ft · starts 7.9 mi away
• Spring Mountain RoadCat 2 · 4.5 mi at 7.3% · 1,745 ft · starts 8.0 mi away
• Diamond Mountain Road from Saint Helena HighwayCat 2 · 3.3 mi at 8.2% · 1,444 ft · starts 8.1 mi away
• Lake County HighwayCat 2 · 7.5 mi at 4.8% · 1,896 ft · starts 8.3 mi away
• Langtry RoadCat 3 · 2.1 mi at 5.4% · 597 ft · starts 8.5 mi away
• Kortum Canyon RoadCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 7.2% · 827 ft · starts 8.7 mi away