Rattlesnake 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 Rattlesnake Road climb?

3.2 miles (5.2 km) at 3.3% on average, climbing 558 ft (170 m) from 2,260 ft to 2,818 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7.3%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 39.14926, -121.03439, where Rattlesnake Road leaves Dog Bar Road, and tops out at Golden Lily Court at 39.18673, -121.03194.

Is Rattlesnake 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.

• Mount Olive RoadCat 3 · 1.4 mi at 8% · 584 ft · starts 1.3 mi away
• Dog Bar RoadCat 3 · 3.7 mi at 3.8% · 751 ft · starts 1.6 mi away
• Wolf Creek Road from Brewer RoadCat 3 · 2.6 mi at 4.4% · 600 ft · starts 3.2 mi away
• Ben Taylor RoadCat 3 · 2.0 mi at 6.2% · 650 ft · starts 3.9 mi away
• Colfax HighwayCat 3 · 2.9 mi at 3.5% · 531 ft · starts 4.8 mi away
• You Bet Road near ColfaxCat 3 · 3.6 mi at 3.5% · 666 ft · starts 5.0 mi away
• Rollins Lake RoadCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 5.4% · 856 ft · starts 5.1 mi away
• Norton Grade RoadCat 3 · 3.0 mi at 5.1% · 810 ft · starts 5.1 mi away