White Alder 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 White Alder climb?

1.4 miles (2.3 km) at 9.6% on average, climbing 712 ft (217 m) from 377 ft to 1,089 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 14.9%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 38.29405, -122.5258, where White Alder leaves Grove Street, and tops out on the road at 38.28866, -122.54232.

Is White Alder 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.

• Hawks BeardCat 3 · 1.3 mi at 7.8% · 528 ft · starts 0.1 mi away
• Grove StreetCat 2 · 3.5 mi at 6.9% · 1,273 ft · starts 1.5 mi away
• Morningside Mountain Drive from Sobre Vista RoadCat 3 · 1.0 mi at 11.3% · 623 ft · starts 2.2 mi away
• Morningside Mountain Drive from Arnold DriveCat 3 · 1.8 mi at 6.6% · 636 ft · starts 3.2 mi away
• Moon Mountain RoadCat 2 · 2.6 mi at 7.8% · 1,063 ft · starts 3.3 mi away
• Cavedale RoadCat 2 · 5.1 mi at 7.1% · 1,936 ft · starts 3.5 mi away
• Scott RoadCat 3 · 1.7 mi at 7.1% · 643 ft · starts 3.5 mi away
• Orchard RoadCat 3 · 1.7 mi at 7.3% · 669 ft · starts 3.6 mi away