Middle Road Climb near Willits

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 Middle Road near Willits climb?

1.4 miles (2.3 km) at 8.2% on average, climbing 610 ft (186 m) from 1,919 ft to 2,530 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 9.9%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 39.36848, -123.26869, and tops out on the road at 39.35643, -123.27015.

Is Middle 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.

• Mariposa Creek RoadCat 3 · 3.4 mi at 4.9% · 883 ft · starts 1.2 mi away
• Old Boy Scout RoadCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 6.3% · 1,001 ft · starts 1.4 mi away
• Appaloosa WayCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 8.9% · 571 ft · starts 2.2 mi away
• Willits Watershed RoadCat 2 · 3.3 mi at 6.4% · 1,129 ft · starts 2.8 mi away
• Scenic Drive from Cave Creek RoadCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 12.1% · 751 ft · starts 2.8 mi away
• Best Day So FarCat 3 · 2.3 mi at 4.9% · 597 ft · starts 2.9 mi away
• Ridgewood Road from Mariposa Creek RoadCat 2 · 3.7 mi at 6.7% · 1,312 ft · starts 3.0 mi away
• Scenic Drive from Appaloosa WayCat 3 · 1.1 mi at 9.9% · 564 ft · starts 3.2 mi away