Painted Cave 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: 2 bike crashes were reported on or beside Painted Cave Road along the climb from 2021–2025, 1 of them serious or fatal.

How long and steep is the Painted Cave Road climb?

3.1 miles (5.0 km) at 8.3% on average, climbing 1,371 ft (418 m) from 1,411 ft to 2,782 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 11%. That makes it a Category 2 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 34.4913, -119.79538, where Painted Cave Road leaves Chumash Highway, and tops out at East Camino Cielo at 34.51293, -119.79629.

Is Painted Cave 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.

• West Camino Cielo near GoletaCat 2 · 3.8 mi at 5.4% · 1,086 ft · starts 1.4 mi away
• East Camino Cielo Road from East Camino CieloCat 3 · 2.7 mi at 5.4% · 778 ft · starts 1.5 mi away
• East Camino CieloCat 3 · 2.0 mi at 5.6% · 587 ft · starts 2.0 mi away
• East Camino Cielo Road from Arroyo Burro RoadCat 3 · 2.7 mi at 6% · 860 ft · starts 2.6 mi away
• Chumash Highway near Santa BarbaraCat 2 · 6.9 mi at 5.2% · 1,870 ft · starts 3.0 mi away
• North San Marcos RoadCat 2 · 4.1 mi at 6% · 1,289 ft · starts 3.2 mi away
• Chumash Highway near GoletaCat 2 · 2.3 mi at 8.7% · 1,073 ft · starts 4.3 mi away
• Stagecoach RoadCat 2 · 5.0 mi at 5.1% · 1,348 ft · starts 5.5 mi away