Pleasant Valley Road Climb from Freedom Boulevard

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 Pleasant Valley Road from Freedom Boulevard climb?

2.7 miles (4.3 km) at 3.9% on average, climbing 551 ft (168 m) from 243 ft to 794 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 11.3%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 36.97633, -121.82525, where Pleasant Valley Road leaves Freedom Boulevard, and ends where the road ends at 37.00707, -121.84549.

Is Pleasant Valley 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.

• Eureka Canyon RoadCat 2 · 8.2 mi at 3.7% · 1,601 ft · starts 1.8 mi away
• Rider RoadCat 3 · 2.5 mi at 5.4% · 722 ft · starts 2.8 mi away
• Caudill RoadCat 3 · 0.8 mi at 12.9% · 561 ft · starts 3.0 mi away
• Old Evans RoadCat 3 · 1.0 mi at 13.2% · 692 ft · starts 3.3 mi away
• Trout Gulch RoadCat 3 · 3.5 mi at 3.9% · 732 ft · starts 3.6 mi away
• Mount Madonna RoadCat 2 · 3.9 mi at 7.5% · 1,562 ft · starts 4.6 mi away
• Tindall Ranch RoadCat 3 · 1.6 mi at 9.2% · 771 ft · starts 4.8 mi away
• Hecker Pass RoadCat 2 · 6.3 mi at 3.8% · 1,266 ft · starts 5.3 mi away