O'Brien Inlet 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 O'Brien Inlet Road climb?

2.0 miles (3.2 km) at 6.3% on average, climbing 650 ft (198 m) from 1,086 ft to 1,736 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 9.6%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 40.81942, -122.33013, and tops out on the road at 40.81038, -122.31059.

Is O'Brien Inlet 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.

• Ycotti Creek RoadCat 3 · 1.5 mi at 8.3% · 676 ft · starts 1.8 mi away
• Lakeview Drive near Shasta LakeCat 3 · 1.6 mi at 7.7% · 640 ft · starts 1.8 mi away
• O'Brien Mountain RoadCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 10.6% · 650 ft · starts 2.0 mi away
• Gilman RoadCat 3 · 3.1 mi at 4.7% · 768 ft · starts 2.1 mi away
• Salt Creek Road from Complict Point RoadCat 3 · 1.3 mi at 8.2% · 545 ft · starts 2.2 mi away
• Packers Bay RoadCat 3 · 1.9 mi at 6.3% · 630 ft · starts 3.3 mi away
• Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity Nra near Shasta LakeCat 3 · 1.4 mi at 7.1% · 528 ft · starts 3.5 mi away
• Waterman Road near Shasta LakeCat 3 · 1.6 mi at 7.2% · 614 ft · starts 4.4 mi away