Old Highway 395 Climb from Pala Mesa Drive

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 Old Highway 395 from Pala Mesa Drive climb?

3.2 miles (5.2 km) at 3.1% on average, climbing 538 ft (164 m) from 305 ft to 843 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 12.4%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 33.34244, -117.15986, where Old Highway 395 leaves Pala Mesa Drive, and tops out on the road at 33.38587, -117.17633.

Is Old Highway 395 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.

• Rice Canyon Road from Pala RoadCat 3 · 3.3 mi at 4.2% · 732 ft · starts 1.5 mi away
• Old Highway 395 from Dulin RoadCat 3 · 1.8 mi at 6.9% · 640 ft · starts 1.6 mi away
• Pala Mesa Mountain DriveCat 3 · 0.9 mi at 11.8% · 574 ft · starts 1.6 mi away
• Couser Canyon RoadCat 3 · 3.4 mi at 4.9% · 866 ft · starts 1.9 mi away
• Huntley RoadCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 9.6% · 633 ft · starts 1.9 mi away
• Stewart Crest RoadCat 3 · 0.6 mi at 17.6% · 528 ft · starts 2.3 mi away
• Pala del Norte RoadCat 3 · 1.4 mi at 12.4% · 896 ft · starts 3.6 mi away
• Arouba RoadCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 12.6% · 817 ft · starts 4.5 mi away