Yuba Pass 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 Yuba Pass Road climb?

6.1 miles (9.8 km) at 3% on average, climbing 971 ft (296 m) from 6,696 ft to 7,667 ft. The steepest half kilometre averages 7%. That makes it a Category 3 climb.

Where does the climb start and finish?

It starts at 39.61624, -120.48986, and tops out on the road at 39.57365, -120.49156.

Is Yuba Pass 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.

• Calpine Co RoadCat 3 · 1.5 mi at 8.6% · 666 ft · starts 4.7 mi away
• Gold Lake HighwayCat 2 · 5.3 mi at 4.5% · 1,270 ft · starts 5.5 mi away
• South Lincoln StreetCat 2 · 7.9 mi at 3.4% · 1,414 ft · starts 6.9 mi away
• Old Truckee RoadCat 3 · 2.9 mi at 3.7% · 577 ft · starts 7.2 mi away
• Nichols Mill RoadCat 1 · dirt · 8.0 mi at 5.6% · 2,375 ft · starts 7.7 mi away
• Gold Valley RoadCat 3 · 1.7 mi at 9.6% · 869 ft · starts 8.7 mi away
• Antelope Valley Road near LoyaltonCat 3 · 4.4 mi at 3.4% · 791 ft · starts 9.9 mi away
• Gold Lake RoadCat 1 · 9.9 mi at 4.3% · 2,264 ft · starts 11 mi away