Minarets 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 Minarets Road climb?

15 miles (23.6 km) at 3.3% on average, climbing 2,543 ft (775 m) from 4,413 ft to 6,955 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7.3%. That makes it a Category 1 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 37.39005, -119.36673, and tops out at Beasore Road at 37.50855, -119.28742.

Is Minarets 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.

• Grizzly Meadow Road from Minarets RoadCat 3 · 2.0 mi at 5.3% · 548 ft · starts 1.1 mi away
• Grizzly Meadow RoadCat 2 · 7.4 mi at 4.4% · 1,719 ft · starts 1.9 mi away
• Mammoth Pool RoadCat 2 · 5.9 mi at 3.7% · 1,142 ft · starts 4.8 mi away
• Stump Springs RoadHC · 18 mi at 4% · 3,832 ft · starts 6.7 mi away
• Minarets RoadCat 2 · 4.7 mi at 4.5% · 1,129 ft · starts 7.1 mi away
• Sky Ranch Road from 6S20Cat 1 · dirt · 11 mi at 4.2% · 2,438 ft · starts 10 mi away
• Central Camp RoadHC · dirt · 19 mi at 3.5% · 3,442 ft · starts 11 mi away
• Beasore RoadHC · 12 mi at 6.1% · 3,878 ft · starts 11 mi away