Sulphur Mountain Road Climb from North Ventura Avenue

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 Sulphur Mountain Road from North Ventura Avenue climb?

11 miles (18.4 km) at 4% on average, climbing 2,434 ft (742 m) from 315 ft to 2,749 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 9.1%. That makes it a Category 1 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 34.37761, -119.30585, where Sulphur Mountain Road leaves North Ventura Avenue, and tops out on the road at 34.41412, -119.18813.

Is Sulphur Mountain Road paved?

Mostly not: OpenStreetMap tags 89% 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.

• Rancho Dos RiosCat 3 · 1.9 mi at 7% · 699 ft · starts 3.4 mi away
• Shell Road EastCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 8.6% · 561 ft · starts 4.4 mi away
• Black Mountain Fire RoadCat 3 · 1.5 mi at 9.5% · 764 ft · starts 5.1 mi away
• Foothill RoadCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 7.4% · 843 ft · starts 5.8 mi away
• Chismahoo RoadCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 6.2% · 719 ft · starts 6.6 mi away
• Maricopa HighwayHC · 12 mi at 4.3% · 2,815 ft · starts 7.1 mi away
• Reeves RoadCat 3 · 3.2 mi at 4.5% · 745 ft · starts 7.6 mi away
• Matilija Divide TrailCat 1 · dirt · 8.5 mi at 5.2% · 2,316 ft · starts 8.0 mi away