Martis Peak 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 Martis Peak Road climb?

4.0 miles (6.4 km) at 8% on average, climbing 1,699 ft (518 m) from 7,018 ft to 8,717 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 12.4%. That makes it a Category 2 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 39.26726, -120.07436, and tops out at Martis Peak at 39.29164, -120.03296.

Is Martis Peak Road paved?

Mostly: OpenStreetMap tags 92% 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.

• Highlands View RoadCat 3 · 2.7 mi at 4.2% · 607 ft · starts 2.1 mi away
• Mount Watson Boulevard from Sawmill FlatCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 4.8% · 748 ft · starts 2.2 mi away
• North Shore BoulevardCat 3 · 3.2 mi at 5.5% · 942 ft · starts 3.1 mi away
• Somerset Drive near TruckeeCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 4.8% · 564 ft · starts 5.5 mi away
• The StrandCat 3 · 1.5 mi at 7.3% · 594 ft · starts 6.1 mi away
• Mount Watson Boulevard from Deer Creek RoadCat 3 · 3.9 mi at 4.4% · 919 ft · starts 6.9 mi away
• Alpine Meadows RoadCat 3 · 3.4 mi at 4% · 722 ft · starts 8.5 mi away
• Northwoods BoulevardCat 3 · 4.3 mi at 3.3% · 755 ft · starts 8.7 mi away