Skyway Climb near Paradise

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 Skyway near Paradise climb?

12 miles (18.6 km) at 3.9% on average, climbing 2,362 ft (720 m) from 2,864 ft to 5,226 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 8.5%. That makes it a Category 1 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 39.89693, -121.55605, and tops out at Bottle Hill at 40.01905, -121.53312.

Is Skyway 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.

• Coutolenc RoadCat 3 · 2.4 mi at 4.2% · 545 ft · starts 2.4 mi away
• Pacific Doon GradeCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 4.6% · 548 ft · starts 2.8 mi away
• Retson RoadHC · 11 mi at 5.2% · 3,074 ft · starts 2.9 mi away
• Jordan Hill Road near ParadiseCat 2 · 3.4 mi at 8.5% · 1,535 ft · starts 5.0 mi away
• Jordan Hill Road near ParadiseCat 3 · 1.6 mi at 9.6% · 797 ft · starts 5.0 mi away
• Concow Road near ParadiseCat 3 · 2.7 mi at 4.8% · 676 ft · starts 6.4 mi away
• Browns Ravine RoadCat 2 · 7.5 mi at 3.9% · 1,549 ft · starts 6.6 mi away
• Deer Creek Highway near ParadiseCat 3 · 4.3 mi at 3.1% · 709 ft · starts 7.2 mi away