Pine Flat Road Climb from Bonny Doon Road

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 Pine Flat Road from Bonny Doon Road climb?

3.7 miles (6.0 km) at 4.6% on average, climbing 902 ft (275 m) from 1,283 ft to 2,185 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 6.9%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 37.04206, -122.15054, where Pine Flat Road leaves Bonny Doon Road, and tops out at Empire Grade at 37.07832, -122.1334.

Is Pine Flat 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.

• Smith GradeCat 3 · 1.9 mi at 6.4% · 656 ft · starts 1.9 mi away
• Bonny Doon RoadCat 2 · 6.6 mi at 5.1% · 1,765 ft · starts 3.1 mi away
• Fanning GradeCat 3 · 1.8 mi at 9.5% · 886 ft · starts 4.1 mi away
• El Solyo Heights DriveCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 11.5% · 755 ft · starts 4.2 mi away
• Felton Empire RoadCat 2 · 3.7 mi at 7.7% · 1,516 ft · starts 4.3 mi away
• Old School House Gulch RoadCat 3 · 1.1 mi at 12.2% · 715 ft · starts 4.4 mi away
• Alba RoadCat 2 · 3.7 mi at 10.4% · 2,028 ft · starts 4.6 mi away
• Western AvenueCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 13.1% · 804 ft · starts 5.0 mi away