Saint John 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. Most of this climb is a dirt road, and falls away from public roads rarely reach police reports. What the records show: no bike crashes were reported along the climb from 2021–2025.

How long and steep is the Saint John Road climb?

9.4 miles (15.2 km) at 10.1% on average, climbing 5,023 ft (1,531 m) from 1,709 ft to 6,732 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 15.8%. That makes it a Hors catégorie climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 39.38095, -122.65137, where Saint John Road leaves North Fork Crossing Road, and tops out at Saint John Mountain at 39.43407, -122.69332.

Is Saint John Road paved?

Mostly not: OpenStreetMap tags 100% of the climb as dirt or gravel. Dirt roads can be closed in fire season or after rain, so check with the land manager.

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.

• Fouts-Bear Creek Road from Fouts Springs RoadCat 1 · 6.0 mi at 6.9% · 2,172 ft · starts 1.9 mi away
• Letts Ridge TrailCat 1 · dirt · 2.7 mi at 15.1% · 2,139 ft · starts 2.7 mi away
• Old Letts RoadCat 1 · dirt · 5.6 mi at 7.5% · 2,228 ft · starts 2.8 mi away
• Open Ridge-Black Diamond RoadCat 1 · dirt · 10 mi at 4.7% · 2,533 ft · starts 3.8 mi away
• Fouts Springs RoadCat 3 · 4.9 mi at 3.4% · 866 ft · starts 4.9 mi away
• Smelt Ridge RoadCat 1 · dirt · 6.0 mi at 7.1% · 2,234 ft · starts 6.6 mi away
• Cracker Box Ridge RoadCat 1 · dirt · 4.4 mi at 10% · 2,290 ft · starts 7.6 mi away
• Lovelady Ridge RoadCat 1 · dirt · 4.0 mi at 10.2% · 2,123 ft · starts 7.9 mi away