Mattole Road Climb near Ferndale

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 Mattole Road near Ferndale climb?

6.9 miles (11.1 km) at 5.1% on average, climbing 1,837 ft (560 m) from 43 ft to 1,880 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 11.8%. That makes it a Category 2 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 40.4674, -124.36943, and tops out on the road at 40.50747, -124.29784.

Is Mattole 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.

• Mattole Road near FerndaleCat 3 · 1.8 mi at 9.6% · 919 ft · starts 0.0 mi away
• Mattole Road near FerndaleCat 3 · 4.4 mi at 4% · 928 ft · starts 4.5 mi away
• Upper Bear River RoadCat 2 · 4.8 mi at 6.8% · 1,729 ft · starts 5.1 mi away
• Centennial RoadCat 3 · 3.2 mi at 4.1% · 696 ft · starts 7.0 mi away
• Southmayd RoadCat 3 · 1.0 mi at 10.6% · 574 ft · starts 7.6 mi away
• Burnt Ranch RoadCat 3 · 1.7 mi at 6.6% · 600 ft · starts 8.4 mi away
• Mattole Road from Wildcat AvenueCat 2 · 6.9 mi at 5% · 1,811 ft · starts 9.3 mi away
• Upper Peaked RoadHC · dirt · 4.7 mi at 11.3% · 2,799 ft · starts 11 mi away