Willows 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 Willows Road climb?

3.6 miles (5.7 km) at 3.2% on average, climbing 604 ft (184 m) from 2,146 ft to 2,749 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7.9%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 32.83369, -116.73119, where Willows Road leaves West Willows Road Overcrossing, and tops out at Alpine Boulevard at 32.83678, -116.68125.

Is Willows Road 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.

• Japatul RoadCat 2 · 5.6 mi at 4.2% · 1,247 ft · starts 2.7 mi away
• South Grade Road from Arnold WayCat 3 · 4.4 mi at 3.7% · 846 ft · starts 4.4 mi away
• Peutz Valley RoadCat 3 · 2.9 mi at 3.6% · 545 ft · starts 4.4 mi away
• Arnold WayCat 3 · 2.7 mi at 4.3% · 610 ft · starts 4.4 mi away
• Carveacre RoadCat 3 · 2.2 mi at 5% · 597 ft · starts 5.2 mi away
• Alpine BoulevardCat 2 · 8.6 mi at 3.2% · 1,470 ft · starts 5.4 mi away
• Mountain View Road from Frances DriveCat 3 · 2.4 mi at 4.9% · 630 ft · starts 5.9 mi away
• Boulder Creek Road near San DiegoCat 3 · 3.4 mi at 5.1% · 922 ft · starts 6.6 mi away