North Rodeo Gulch 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 North Rodeo Gulch Road climb?

2.1 miles (3.4 km) at 5.7% on average, climbing 633 ft (193 m) from 262 ft to 896 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 37.01732, -121.96153, and tops out on the road at 37.04264, -121.96547.

Is North Rodeo Gulch 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.

• Hidden Valley RoadCat 3 · 1.8 mi at 6.1% · 577 ft · starts 0.3 mi away
• Glen Haven RoadCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 4.2% · 659 ft · starts 1.5 mi away
• Granite Creek RoadCat 3 · 2.8 mi at 4% · 604 ft · starts 2.0 mi away
• Soquel San Jose RoadCat 2 · 6.5 mi at 4% · 1,378 ft · starts 2.3 mi away
• Vine Hill RoadCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 5% · 778 ft · starts 2.7 mi away
• Jarvis RoadCat 3 · 2.1 mi at 6.4% · 696 ft · starts 3.1 mi away
• Aptos Creek Fire RoadCat 1 · dirt · 9.5 mi at 4.7% · 2,343 ft · starts 3.2 mi away
• El Rancho DriveCat 3 · 3.2 mi at 3.1% · 528 ft · starts 3.6 mi away