Palomar Mountain (South & East Grade)
- mapped
- 19.4 mi
- mapped
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2025
- 45
- motorcycle crashes, 2021–2025
- serious or fatal
- 14
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 2
- fatal
Is Palomar Mountain (South & East Grade) safe to ride on a motorcycle?
We don't rate roads as safe or unsafe: crash counts can't say how risky a road is, and popular riding roads have more crashes partly because more people ride them. What the records show: 45 motorcycle crashes were reported along its 19.4 mapped miles from 2021–2025, 14 of them serious or fatal (2 fatal). 76% involved no other vehicle. What to watch for: South Grade is very tight with sharp hairpins. Weekend crowds and fog near the top.
This week's weather
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How riders crash here
76% of crashes here involve only the motorcycle, usually running wide or losing grip in a corner. Enter corners slower, look through the bend, and watch for gravel, sand and diesel.
Places along the way
Common questions about Palomar Mountain (South & East Grade)
- What is Palomar Mountain (South & East Grade) like to ride?
- Tight switchbacks on South Grade, faster sweepers on East Grade.
- How long is Palomar Mountain (South & East Grade)?
- About 19.4 miles as mapped in OpenStreetMap, for the stretch we cover.
- Is Palomar Mountain (South & East Grade) open?
- Check Caltrans QuickMap (quickmap.dot.ca.gov) for closures, chain controls and roadwork before you go. Mountain roads close for snow, rockslides and fire, and some sections close every winter.
Other riding roads nearby
Crashes: motorcycle crashes reported within 60 m of the road, 2021–2025, from the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS). Road: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Weather: National Weather Service. Distances to other roads are between their middles, in a straight line. How the data works.