Mahoney Canyon 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 Mahoney Canyon Road climb?

3.0 miles (4.8 km) at 3.5% on average, climbing 551 ft (168 m) from 781 ft to 1,332 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7.9%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 35.7593, -120.67476, and tops out on the road at 35.78844, -120.64349.

Is Mahoney Canyon Road paved?

Mostly: OpenStreetMap tags 82% 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.

• Adelaida RoadCat 3 · 5.1 mi at 3.5% · 935 ft · starts 8.0 mi away
• Mountain Springs RoadCat 3 · 2.6 mi at 4.7% · 640 ft · starts 8.4 mi away
• Hare Canyon RoadCat 3 · 5.4 mi at 3.2% · 906 ft · starts 8.9 mi away
• Peachy Canyon Road from Pacific AvenueCat 3 · 2.3 mi at 5% · 607 ft · starts 9.7 mi away
• Peachy Canyon Road near El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)Cat 3 · 4.2 mi at 3.2% · 696 ft · starts 10 mi away
• Nacimiento Lake DriveCat 3 · 3.8 mi at 3.8% · 761 ft · starts 10 mi away
• Niderer RoadCat 3 · 2.1 mi at 5% · 548 ft · starts 14 mi away
• Interlake RoadCat 3 · 1.6 mi at 8.1% · 699 ft · starts 14 mi away