Nine Mile Canyon 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 Nine Mile Canyon Road climb?

16 miles (25.5 km) at 6% on average, climbing 5,016 ft (1,529 m) from 2,562 ft to 7,579 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 11%. That makes it a Hors catégorie climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 35.84211, -117.87216, and tops out on the road at 35.92909, -118.05422.

Is Nine Mile Canyon 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.

• Chimney Basin Road from Kennedy Meadows RoadCat 2 · 4.5 mi at 6.3% · 1,496 ft · starts 8.5 mi away
• Aerospace HighwayCat 3 · 3.3 mi at 3% · 525 ft · starts 10 mi away
• Indian Wells Canyon RoadCat 1 · dirt · 7.1 mi at 6.8% · 2,552 ft · starts 12 mi away
• West Inyokern RoadCat 3 · 2.5 mi at 4.2% · 548 ft · starts 14 mi away
• Canebrake RoadCat 1 · dirt · 6.3 mi at 6.6% · 2,221 ft · starts 15 mi away
• Chimney Basin Road from Long Valley RoadCat 1 · 6.4 mi at 6.8% · 2,297 ft · starts 15 mi away
• Chimney Basin Road from Long Valley RoadCat 3 · 2.1 mi at 7.2% · 794 ft · starts 15 mi away