Usona 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 Usona Road climb?

5.5 miles (8.9 km) at 4.6% on average, climbing 1,355 ft (413 m) from 1,207 ft to 2,562 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7.8%. That makes it a Category 2 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 37.36332, -119.83302, and tops out on the road at 37.42957, -119.81821.

Is Usona Road paved?

Mostly: OpenStreetMap tags 73% of the climb as paved, and the rest as dirt or gravel.

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.

• Hirsch RoadCat 3 · 2.6 mi at 3.9% · 551 ft · starts 4.0 mi away
• Indian Peak RoadCat 3 · 3.1 mi at 3.7% · 600 ft · starts 5.1 mi away
• Watt RoadCat 3 · 2.4 mi at 7.2% · 892 ft · starts 5.2 mi away
• Watt RoadCat 3 · 1.6 mi at 7.9% · 653 ft · starts 5.2 mi away
• Harvest DriveCat 3 · 1.2 mi at 9.6% · 587 ft · starts 5.4 mi away
• Boot Jack RoadCat 3 · 3.7 mi at 5.2% · 997 ft · starts 5.9 mi away
• Potter Ridge Fire RoadCat 2 · 6.4 mi at 5.2% · 1,762 ft · starts 6.9 mi away
• Boot Jack - Ahwahnee RoadCat 3 · 2.7 mi at 5.9% · 827 ft · starts 7.4 mi away