Mc Donald 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 Mc Donald Road climb?

1.7 miles (2.7 km) at 8.1% on average, climbing 732 ft (223 m) from 446 ft to 1,178 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 15.2%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 38.7035, -122.74389, and tops out at Pine Flat Road at 38.70456, -122.76161.

Is Mc Donald 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.

• Pine Flat Road near HealdsburgHC · 11 mi at 5% · 2,940 ft · starts 3.8 mi away
• Dillingham RoadCat 3 · 1.7 mi at 8.5% · 778 ft · starts 4.3 mi away
• Castle Spring RoadCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 8.7% · 1,004 ft · starts 4.7 mi away
• Geysers Road near HealdsburgCat 2 · 6.8 mi at 5.8% · 2,093 ft · starts 5.3 mi away
• Dry Creek Road near CalistogaCat 2 · 4.6 mi at 8.3% · 2,008 ft · starts 5.3 mi away
• Socrates Mine Road near ClearlakeCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 9.2% · 591 ft · starts 5.5 mi away
• Geysers Road near HealdsburgCat 3 · 1.8 mi at 8.8% · 843 ft · starts 5.8 mi away
• Ford Flat RoadCat 3 · 2.6 mi at 4.4% · 610 ft · starts 5.8 mi away