Paraiso Springs 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 Paraiso Springs Road climb?

4.7 miles (7.5 km) at 3.5% on average, climbing 853 ft (260 m) from 200 ft to 1,053 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7.5%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 36.38073, -121.33932, and ends where the road ends at 36.33224, -121.36678.

Is Paraiso Springs 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.

• Paloma Ridge Truck TrailHC · dirt · 8.4 mi at 8.8% · 3,891 ft · starts 0.7 mi away
• Shirtail Canyon RoadCat 2 · 7.3 mi at 4.5% · 1,729 ft · starts 4.2 mi away
• Bryant Canyon RoadCat 3 · 3.3 mi at 5.8% · 997 ft · starts 4.5 mi away
• Gloria RoadCat 1 · 8.4 mi at 5% · 2,208 ft · starts 9.1 mi away
• Sanchez RoadCat 3 · 1.4 mi at 7.3% · 551 ft · starts 9.1 mi away
• East Carmel Valley RoadCat 2 · 10 mi at 3.1% · 1,703 ft · starts 9.7 mi away
• Chalone Creek RoadCat 3 · 2.0 mi at 6% · 627 ft · starts 11 mi away
• Johnson Canyon Road near GonzalesCat 2 · 6.8 mi at 5.3% · 1,883 ft · starts 11 mi away