McPhail Grade 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 McPhail Grade climb?

2.7 miles (4.4 km) at 8.2% on average, climbing 1,188 ft (362 m) from 1,985 ft to 3,173 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 14.5%. That makes it a Category 2 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 36.6714, -121.32619, and tops out on the road at 36.65981, -121.36109.

Is McPhail Grade paved?

Mostly: OpenStreetMap tags 73% 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.

• Harlan Mountain RoadCat 2 · 4.4 mi at 8.1% · 1,880 ft · starts 1.6 mi away
• Thompson CreekCat 2 · 3.4 mi at 8% · 1,427 ft · starts 2.0 mi away
• Harlin CreekCat 2 · 2.1 mi at 10% · 1,115 ft · starts 4.3 mi away
• Murphy RoadCat 3 · 2.4 mi at 4.8% · 604 ft · starts 5.7 mi away
• Quien Sabe RoadCat 2 · 7.5 mi at 3.6% · 1,417 ft · starts 7.8 mi away
• Santa Anita RoadCat 3 · 4.9 mi at 3.4% · 873 ft · starts 9.3 mi away
• Encinal RoadCat 3 · 3.1 mi at 3.4% · 545 ft · starts 11 mi away
• Salt Creek Road near SoledadCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 6.4% · 1,014 ft · starts 11 mi away