Shady Oak Drive 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 Shady Oak Drive climb?

0.9 miles (1.5 km) at 11% on average, climbing 528 ft (161 m) from 1,759 ft to 2,287 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 12.4%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 38.98535, -120.91858, and tops out on the road at 38.9947, -120.92006.

Is Shady Oak Drive 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.

• McKeon Ponderosa WayCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 6.2% · 715 ft · starts 1.2 mi away
• Ponderosa Way near ColfaxCat 2 · 5.4 mi at 5.1% · 1,460 ft · starts 1.6 mi away
• Upper Lake Celentine RoadCat 3 · 1.4 mi at 12.3% · 938 ft · starts 3.2 mi away
• Yankee Jims RoadCat 1 · dirt · 7.6 mi at 5.6% · 2,270 ft · starts 3.9 mi away
• Sliger Mine RoadCat 3 · 2.4 mi at 5.9% · 738 ft · starts 5.1 mi away
• Mameluke Hill RoadCat 3 · 1.1 mi at 10.6% · 620 ft · starts 5.3 mi away
• Georgia Slide RoadCat 3 · 1.6 mi at 7.3% · 607 ft · starts 5.3 mi away
• Georgetown Road from Ricci RoadCat 2 · 5.4 mi at 3.8% · 1,096 ft · starts 6.0 mi away