Route 50 Climb from Parkway Drive

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 Route 50 from Parkway Drive climb?

4.5 miles (7.2 km) at 3.7% on average, climbing 886 ft (270 m) from 2,323 ft to 3,209 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 10%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 38.73347, -120.74041, where Route 50 leaves Parkway Drive, and tops out at Seven Ridges Road at 38.73424, -120.67019.

Is Route 50 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.

• Route 50 from Fall Trail RoadCat 3 · 4.3 mi at 3.3% · 768 ft · starts 0.3 mi away
• El Dorado TrailCat 3 · 3.6 mi at 3% · 581 ft · starts 0.8 mi away
• Carson RoadCat 2 · 8.6 mi at 3.3% · 1,522 ft · starts 2.5 mi away
• Kona DriveCat 3 · 1.7 mi at 7.8% · 692 ft · starts 2.8 mi away
• Mosquito Road near PlacervilleHC · dirt · 12 mi at 4.2% · 2,740 ft · starts 3.0 mi away
• Mosquito Road near PlacervilleCat 3 · 2.0 mi at 9.5% · 981 ft · starts 3.0 mi away
• Snows RoadCat 3 · 1.5 mi at 10.7% · 846 ft · starts 3.9 mi away
• Puerta del Sol RoadCat 3 · 2.4 mi at 6.5% · 840 ft · starts 4.3 mi away