San Elijo Road Climb near San Marcos

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 San Elijo Road near San Marcos climb?

3.1 miles (5.0 km) at 5.9% on average, climbing 951 ft (290 m) from 358 ft to 1,309 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 9.3%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 33.10001, -117.21796, and tops out at Lauren Place at 33.10701, -117.17334.

Is San Elijo 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.

• San Elijo Road from Elfin Forest Road EastCat 3 · 1.7 mi at 7.4% · 653 ft · starts 1.1 mi away
• Attebury RoadCat 3 · 2.0 mi at 5.5% · 571 ft · starts 2.5 mi away
• South Twin Oaks Valley RoadCat 3 · 2.3 mi at 5.9% · 728 ft · starts 3.9 mi away
• Crestwind DriveCat 3 · 0.9 mi at 10.7% · 531 ft · starts 4.2 mi away
• Camino MayorCat 3 · 0.9 mi at 12.9% · 620 ft · starts 8.4 mi away
• Kaywood DriveCat 3 · 2.0 mi at 7.1% · 751 ft · starts 9.4 mi away
• La Honda DriveCat 3 · 1.4 mi at 8.6% · 623 ft · starts 10 mi away
• Old Castle RoadCat 3 · 4.5 mi at 3.3% · 797 ft · starts 11 mi away