Lyons Bald 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 Lyons Bald Mountain Road climb?

2.0 miles (3.2 km) at 7.3% on average, climbing 761 ft (232 m) from 1,982 ft to 2,743 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 12.6%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 37.98727, -120.37333, where Lyons Bald Mountain Road leaves Lyons Street, and tops out on the road at 38.00694, -120.34952.

Is Lyons Bald 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.

• Skyview DriveCat 3 · 1.0 mi at 12% · 646 ft · starts 1.0 mi away
• Mono WayCat 3 · 3.2 mi at 4% · 676 ft · starts 1.5 mi away
• Tuolumne RoadCat 3 · 4.6 mi at 3.4% · 814 ft · starts 1.8 mi away
• Covington RoadCat 3 · 1.6 mi at 11.3% · 974 ft · starts 2.8 mi away
• Jamestown RoadCat 3 · 2.3 mi at 5% · 623 ft · starts 3.1 mi away
• Avenida del SolCat 3 · 1.7 mi at 7.4% · 646 ft · starts 3.4 mi away
• Phoenix Lake RoadCat 3 · 4.1 mi at 3.8% · 830 ft · starts 3.4 mi away
• Big Hill Road from Sawmill Flat RoadCat 2 · 3.5 mi at 7.1% · 1,296 ft · starts 3.5 mi away