Skyline Watershed Ridge Trail

California

A newly opened gravel ride through one of the Bay Area's most protected landscapes. The Skyline Watershed Ridge Trail follows the Peninsula ridge south from Highway 92, offering sweeping views of Crystal Springs Reservoir, the Bay and Pacific Ocean along the way. The broad crushed-rock trail rolls through exposed grasslands, coastal scrub and shaded redwood and Douglas fir forest. Don't let the relatively short distance fool you—the rolling route includes several steep pitches, with grades reaching above 20%. For now the trail ends near the Phleger Estate boundary, making this a roughly 12-mile out-and-back. A future connection toward Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve could eventually turn it into part of a much larger Peninsula gravel network. A free SFPUC annual permit is required. Bring all your water, and note that e-bikes are not permitted.

Dist

11.7 mi

Gain

1,572 ft

Avg

2.55%

Max

7.53%

Rancho hike to wild cat

California

Dist

5.2 mi

Gain

890 ft

Avg

3.26%

Max

11.37%

Mt. Blue Sky Hill Climb from Idaho Springs

Clear Creek County, Colorado

Twenty-seven miles and 7,200 feet from Idaho Springs to 14,138 feet — the highest paved road in North America.

Dist

27.6 mi

Gain

7,227 ft

Avg

4.96%

Max

8.76%

Alto de Letras Colombia

Tolima

Dist

50.7 mi

Gain

19,790 ft

Avg

7.39%

Max

24.23%

Loveland Pass from the East

Clear Creek County, Colorado

Under four miles of US-6 to the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass, 12,000 feet.

Dist

3.7 mi

Gain

1,208 ft

Avg

6.12%

Max

9.7%

Super Flagstaff Climb

Boulder County, Colorado

Boulder's Flagstaff Road ridden past the usual turnaround and on up to 7,700 feet, where the gradient stops relenting.

Dist

4.6 mi

Gain

2,056 ft

Avg

8.51%

Max

15.53%

Maroon Bells from Aspen

Aspen, Colorado

Nine paved miles from Aspen up Maroon Creek to the lake beneath the Maroon Bells.

Dist

9 mi

Gain

1,812 ft

Avg

3.8%

Max

7.78%

Waterton Canyon

Denver Foothills, Colorado

A gentle seven-mile gravel ride up the South Platte, and the start of the Colorado Trail.

Dist

7 mi

Gain

863 ft

Avg

2.35%

Max

8.48%

Lefthand Canyon to Ward

Boulder County, Colorado

Seventeen miles of canyon from the plains to Ward at 9,300 feet — gentle for most of it, then not.

Dist

16.9 mi

Gain

3,837 ft

Avg

4.3%

Max

11.4%

Lookout Mountain from Golden

Golden, Colorado

Golden's benchmark climb: five miles of switchbacks from the edge of town to 7,319 feet.

Dist

5 mi

Gain

1,528 ft

Avg

5.82%

Max

8.43%

Schofield Pass from Gothic

Crested Butte / Gothic, Colorado

A short unpaved climb from Gothic to the 10,700-foot pass, stopping before the notorious part begins.

Dist

4.1 mi

Gain

1,179 ft

Avg

5.47%

Max

9.92%

Boreas Pass from Breckenridge

Breckenridge, Colorado

Breckenridge to the 11,500-foot pass on an old narrow-gauge railroad grade — four miles paved, then dirt.

Dist

11 mi

Gain

2,246 ft

Avg

3.86%

Max

7.27%

Phantom Canyon Road Climb

Cañon City, Colorado

Twenty-four miles of unpaved railroad grade up Phantom Canyon toward Cripple Creek, gaining 4,700 feet.

Dist

23.9 mi

Gain

4,683 ft

Avg

3.71%

Max

7.35%

Cottonwood Pass from Taylor Park

Taylor Park, Colorado

Thirteen paved miles from Taylor Park to the Continental Divide at 12,134 feet.

Dist

13.4 mi

Gain

2,857 ft

Avg

4.05%

Max

6.63%

South High Drive, Evergreen

Evergreen / Denver Foothills, Colorado

A four-mile paved foothills climb above Evergreen — not the Colorado Springs road of the same name.

Dist

4 mi

Gain

1,024 ft

Avg

4.85%

Max

9.8%

Vail Pass from Vail — Recreation Path

Vail, Colorado

Nine miles from Vail to the pass, on the paved recreation path rather than the interstate.

Dist

9.3 mi

Gain

2,229 ft

Avg

4.54%

Max

10.15%

Swan Mountain via the Dillon Reservoir Recpath

Summit County, Colorado

The car-free way over Swan Mountain, on the paved Summit County recreation path beside the reservoir.

Dist

3.5 mi

Gain

586 ft

Avg

3.16%

Max

7%

Chapman Drive, Boulder Canyon

Boulder County, Colorado

A short dirt climb linking Boulder Canyon to Flagstaff Road, and the unpaved way up the mountain.

Dist

2.6 mi

Gain

1,032 ft

Avg

7.47%

Max

10.48%

Molas Pass from the South

Silverton / San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The short, steady US-550 climb to Molas Pass at 10,914 feet, on the Iron Horse route toward Silverton.

Dist

3.7 mi

Gain

1,097 ft

Avg

5.69%

Max

8.94%

Hermit Pass from Westcliffe

Westcliffe, Colorado

4,550 feet in under nine miles of rough four-wheel-drive road to a 13,062-foot pass on the Sangre de Cristo crest.

Dist

8.7 mi

Gain

4,550 ft

Avg

9.91%

Max

21.34%

Boreas Pass from the Trailhead — Short Version

Breckenridge, Colorado

The Boreas Pass climb without the town approach, starting where Boreas Pass Road leaves Breckenridge.

Dist

9.9 mi

Gain

1,791 ft

Avg

3.42%

Max

5.87%

Leadville Trail 100 MTB — Classic Course

Leadville, Colorado

The full 105-mile out-and-back from Leadville at 10,200 feet, over Powerline and Columbine, with 12,600 feet of climbing.

Dist

105.2 mi

Gain

12,008 ft

Avg

2.16%

Max

18.92%

Puma Canyon Gravel Climb

Wet Mountains, Custer County, Colorado

A quiet nine-mile gravel climb on County Road 358 in the Wet Mountains.

Dist

8.8 mi

Gain

1,543 ft

Avg

3.31%

Max

7.58%

Coal Bank Pass from the South

Durango / San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Five miles of steady US-550 to Coal Bank Pass at 10,636 feet, the first of the Iron Horse climbs.

Dist

5.4 mi

Gain

1,978 ft

Avg

6.92%

Max

10.05%

Cottonwood Pass from Buena Vista

Buena Vista, Colorado

Fourteen miles up County Road 306 from the Arkansas Valley to the 12,133-foot Continental Divide.

Dist

14.3 mi

Gain

3,790 ft

Avg

5.03%

Max

9.66%

Last Dollar Road to Last Dollar Pass

Telluride / San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Six miles of unpaved San Juan high country from the Telluride side to the 10,673-foot pass.

Dist

6 mi

Gain

2,023 ft

Avg

6.41%

Max

15.67%

North Cheyenne Cañon Climb

Colorado Springs, Colorado

A steep three miles up North Cheyenne Cañon from Colorado Springs to the Gold Camp Road junction.

Dist

3.2 mi

Gain

1,327 ft

Avg

7.82%

Max

12.18%

Columbine Mine Climb — Leadville Trail 100

Leadville, Colorado

The Leadville 100's decisive climb: 3,100 feet of unpaved mine road to 12,494 feet, steepest at the very top.

Dist

6.7 mi

Gain

3,143 ft

Avg

8.89%

Max

16.06%

Lee Hill Road Climb, Boulder

Boulder County, Colorado

A short, sharp north Boulder foothills climb whose average gradient describes almost none of the riding.

Dist

4.8 mi

Gain

1,386 ft

Avg

5.43%

Max

11.58%

Rampart Range Road from Garden of the Gods

Colorado Springs, Colorado

A twelve-mile dirt forest-road climb starting at Garden of the Gods and finishing above 9,400 feet.

Dist

11.9 mi

Gain

3,570 ft

Avg

5.68%

Max

8.38%

Deer Creek Canyon to City View

Denver Foothills, Colorado

A hard thirteen miles through Deer Creek Canyon and South Turkey Creek, with its steepest pitch at mile eleven.

Dist

13 mi

Gain

3,317 ft

Avg

4.82%

Max

12.3%

Deer Creek to High Grade

Denver Foothills, Colorado

Deer Creek Canyon into the High Grade Road climb, three thousand feet of Denver foothills with no relief.

Dist

11.6 mi

Gain

2,967 ft

Avg

4.85%

Max

10.01%

Juniper Pass from Bergen Park

Evergreen / Front Range, Colorado

Thirteen miles up the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway to Juniper Pass at 11,155 feet, climbing the whole way.

Dist

13.1 mi

Gain

3,172 ft

Avg

4.6%

Max

8.12%

Swan Mountain Road Climb

Summit County, Colorado

A two-and-a-half mile paved connector over Swan Mountain between Dillon Reservoir and Breckenridge.

Dist

2.5 mi

Gain

483 ft

Avg

3.6%

Max

7.58%

Sunshine Canyon to Gold Hill

Boulder County, Colorado

Boulder to the mining settlement of Gold Hill — paved for the first six miles, unpaved for the rest.

Dist

9.5 mi

Gain

3,169 ft

Avg

6.33%

Max

14.55%

Independence Pass from Twin Lakes

Twin Lakes, Colorado

Seventeen miles up Colorado 82 from Twin Lakes to the Continental Divide at 12,103 feet.

Dist

17.2 mi

Gain

3,028 ft

Avg

3.34%

Max

7.22%

Rollins Pass from the Moffat Tunnel

Tolland, Gilpin County, Colorado

Fourteen miles of dirt railroad grade from the Moffat Tunnel portal up to the Needle's Eye, at 11,684 feet.

Dist

14.5 mi

Gain

2,706 ft

Avg

3.53%

Max

7.99%

Powerline Climb — Leadville Trail 100

Leadville, Colorado

The Leadville 100's most feared short climb: 1,600 feet of rutted powerline track, steepest in the first half-mile.

Dist

3.7 mi

Gain

1,616 ft

Avg

8.36%

Max

18.4%

Vail Pass from Copper Mountain — Tenmile Recpath

Summit County, Colorado

The east-side approach to Vail Pass, entirely on the paved Tenmile recreation path from Copper Mountain.

Dist

3.9 mi

Gain

844 ft

Avg

4.09%

Max

6.53%

Pikes Peak Highway to the Summit

Pike National Forest, Colorado

Nineteen miles at 7% from Cascade to 14,112 feet, on a road where cyclists need to check the rules first.

Dist

19.2 mi

Gain

7,202 ft

Avg

7.12%

Max

13.43%

Corralitos and Hazel Dell Loop - Mount Madonna

Santa Cruz Mountains, California

A long loop through the Corralitos hills on the Watsonville side of the Santa Cruz Mountains, with its climbing spread across the whole ride.

Dist

32.8 mi

Gain

3,402 ft

Avg

1.96%

Max

11.81%

Flagstaff Mountain from Boulder

Boulder County, Colorado

Boulder's doorstep climb — from Canyon Boulevard in town onto Flagstaff Summit Road in a little over five miles.

Dist

5.2 mi

Gain

1,434 ft

Avg

5.19%

Max

8.71%

Mount Diablo via South Gate

Contra Costa County, California

A Bay Area benchmark: eleven miles of unbroken climbing from South Gate, saving its steepest quarter-mile for the very last one.

Dist

11.3 mi

Gain

3,235 ft

Avg

5.44%

Max

11.33%

Mount Hamilton to Lick Observatory

Santa Clara County, California

The longest climb in the Bay Area and among the gentlest — but it descends twice on the way up, so you climb more than the mountain is tall.

Dist

18.2 mi

Gain

4,163 ft

Avg

4.34%

Max

8.66%

John Nicholas Trail, Sanborn County Park

Saratoga, California

A sustained forest singletrack climb through Sanborn County Park, 1,545 feet in under four miles.

Dist

3.7 mi

Gain

1,545 ft

Avg

7.8%

Max

15.73%

Puy de Dôme Summit — Access Restricted

Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

The legendary Tour de France summit — but this track follows named mule paths, and access here is restricted rather than open.

Dist

2.2 mi

Gain

1,363 ft

Avg

11.58%

Max

15%

Edencrest Lane Climb, Saratoga

Saratoga, California

Two miles at over 11% on a residential lane in the Saratoga foothills — one of the steepest sustained pitches in the South Bay.

Dist

2.1 mi

Gain

1,277 ft

Avg

11.41%

Max

14.43%

Bohlman Road Climb, Saratoga

Saratoga, California

Four miles at over 9% straight up out of Saratoga village, with a 16.8% quarter-mile and almost no relief.

Dist

4.2 mi

Gain

2,018 ft

Avg

9.15%

Max

16.69%

Dosquebradas to Alto del Nudo

Dosquebradas, Risaralda, Risaralda

A concentrated climb out of Dosquebradas into the hills above the Pereira valley, 2,400 feet in six miles.

Dist

6.4 mi

Gain

2,410 ft

Avg

7.13%

Max

13.57%

Montebello Road from Stevens Canyon

Santa Clara County, California

A compact benchmark climb above Cupertino that puts its hardest work in the first two miles.

Dist

5.2 mi

Gain

2,011 ft

Avg

7.33%

Max

12.14%

Pereira to Mundo Nuevo and La Bella Loop

Pereira, Risaralda, Risaralda

A twenty-mile loop out of Pereira through the university corridor and the hills at Mundo Nuevo and La Bella.

Dist

20.7 mi

Gain

2,227 ft

Avg

2.03%

Max

14.47%

Mount Umunhum via Hicks Road

Santa Clara County, California

The steepest paved climb in the South Bay, and it front-loads almost all of it — the first third averages over 11%.

Dist

6.6 mi

Gain

2,874 ft

Avg

8.19%

Max

16.04%

Page Mill Road to Skyline

Santa Clara County, California

A Peninsula climb whose average grade tells you almost nothing — it varies more than any other route here, and finishes nearly flat.

Dist

8.5 mi

Gain

2,129 ft

Avg

4.76%

Max

12.87%

Mission Peak Climb via Hidden Valley Trail

Fremont, California

Nearly 2,000 feet in three and a half miles of dirt above Fremont, at a 10.5% average — a serious off-road climb.

Dist

3.6 mi

Gain

1,996 ft

Avg

10.5%

Max

18.21%

Chía to Sopó

Cundinamarca, Cundinamarca

A short climb out of Chía on the Vía Chía–Sopó, gaining 1,200 feet on the high plateau north of Bogotá.

Dist

3.9 mi

Gain

1,191 ft

Avg

5.85%

Max

11.15%

Mount Tamalpais from Mill Valley to East Peak

Marin County, California

Near sea level to the top of Marin, finishing along an exposed coastal ridge with the ocean on one side and the Bay on the other.

Dist

12 mi

Gain

2,671 ft

Avg

4.21%

Max

10.3%

Coyote Ridge Trail, Fremont Older

Cupertino, California

A one-mile dirt climb on Coyote Ridge Trail in Fremont Older, steep enough to be a real effort despite its length.

Dist

1 mi

Gain

545 ft

Avg

10.72%

Max

14.54%

Highway 9 — Saratoga to Skyline

Santa Clara County, California

The main road from the valley to Skyline, and far less even than its reputation: it nearly triples in gradient towards the top.

Dist

6.9 mi

Gain

2,133 ft

Avg

5.87%

Max

11.6%

Alba Road to Empire Grade

Santa Cruz Mountains, California

Nearly four miles at over 10% through the redwoods above Ben Lomond, with a 16% quarter-mile and no let-up.

Dist

3.7 mi

Gain

1,998 ft

Avg

10.3%

Max

14.74%