Kings Canyon Scenic Byway 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 Kings Canyon Scenic Byway climb?

13 miles (20.8 km) at 5.4% on average, climbing 3,658 ft (1,115 m) from 3,179 ft to 6,837 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7.8%. That makes it a Hors catégorie climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 36.82541, -118.85135, and tops out at Cherry Gap at 36.77595, -118.96009.

Is Kings Canyon Scenic Byway 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.

• Tenmile RoadCat 3 · 3.6 mi at 4% · 764 ft · starts 4.2 mi away
• Hume Lake RoadCat 3 · 3.9 mi at 3.1% · 640 ft · starts 4.3 mi away
• Tenmile Road from Tenmile CampgroundCat 2 · 5.3 mi at 4% · 1,106 ft · starts 5.5 mi away
• Little Boulder RoadCat 2 · 3.5 mi at 6.3% · 1,152 ft · starts 5.8 mi away
• Burton RoadCat 3 · 4.1 mi at 4.6% · 1,004 ft · starts 7.5 mi away
• Big Meadows RoadCat 3 · 4.0 mi at 4.9% · 1,040 ft · starts 7.6 mi away
• Generals Highway near Orange CoveCat 3 · 5.3 mi at 3.7% · 1,020 ft · starts 9.0 mi away
• Generals Highway from Stony Creek SpurCat 2 · 5.0 mi at 4.4% · 1,161 ft · starts 11 mi away