Saw Mill 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 Saw Mill Road climb?

2.5 miles (4.0 km) at 7.6% on average, climbing 997 ft (304 m) from 2,703 ft to 3,701 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 13.7%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 38.83024, -122.74464, where Saw Mill Road leaves Sawmill Flat Road, and tops out at Geyser Rock at 38.81356, -122.76516.

Is Saw Mill 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.

• Bottle Rock Road near ClearlakeCat 3 · 3.1 mi at 3.9% · 630 ft · starts 1.6 mi away
• Gifford Springs RoadCat 3 · 1.3 mi at 8.6% · 587 ft · starts 2.1 mi away
• Lakeview Road near ClearlakeCat 3 · 2.5 mi at 4.1% · 541 ft · starts 2.7 mi away
• Observation RoadCat 3 · 1.3 mi at 9.6% · 650 ft · starts 2.9 mi away
• Socrates Mine Road near ClearlakeCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 9.2% · 591 ft · starts 3.3 mi away
• Ford Flat RoadCat 3 · 2.6 mi at 4.4% · 610 ft · starts 3.6 mi away
• Prather Mountain RoadCat 3 · 1.1 mi at 9.6% · 548 ft · starts 3.6 mi away
• Big Sulphur Creek RoadCat 3 · 3.6 mi at 4.4% · 850 ft · starts 3.7 mi away