34.1
PDI
20.5 mi
DISTANCE
6,113 ft
GAINED
5.5 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
Page Contributor(s): Bruce Hamilton, La Quinta, CA; Stacy Topping, Tacoma, WA; Lisa Irizarry, NY, NY
INTRO
This is the #5 Most Scenic Bike Climb in California and also one of the most difficult in the US at #20. We enter Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks within the first mile of the climb up through a giant set of hairpins and into some of the greatest Giant Sequoia trees in the world.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. The average grade of this 20 mile climb is 5.5% (6.2% with descent removed). 34% (6.9 miles) of the climb is at 0-5% grade, 47% (9.5 miles) is at 5-10%, and 11% (2.2 miles) is at 10-15% grade. The steepest quarter-mile is 10.9% and the steepest continuous mile is 8.7%.
Consult the PJAMM "Full Forecast" feature for the time you expect to arrive at the finish to assess what clothing to bring on your ride.
Roadway: This roadway, like most, if not all, National Park roads, is in excellent shape and safe to ride a bike on.
Traffic: Depending on the time of year and day, traffic varies from light to heavy, but we have always felt comfortable riding this route.
Parking: There is not much parking near the start of the climb until you are in the park. There is parking on the right 50 yards after entering the park - park here and ride back a half mile to the start of the climb - Map; Street View.
Fee to Enter the Park: To enter on bike is $15 as of 2020.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park area has no shortage of unique vacation homes and mountain cabins.
ROUTE MAP
MEMBER RATING
CURRENT WEATHER
PJAMM TRIPS ADVENTURE STARTER BUNDLES
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NEARBY CLIMBS (0) RADIAL PROXIMITY
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MEMBER REVIEWS & COMMENTS
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MikeyYablong
Did this ride on July 4, 2024 starting from Visalia at 7am and finishing around 12:30pm. Actual ride time was 4:45, but I got a flat that I repaired and stopped twice for refilles.
The temperatures were high - starting at high 70s and getting up to the 90s by 10am. Luckily as I went up in elevation, the temperature remained in the 80s and 90s. I stopped in Three Rivers to refill my bottles (I'm a very heavy, salty sweater).
The main climb up was pretty intense, but very doable with patience and lots of water and nutrition. Drivers were kind and never came too close. I had to stop at about 5,000ft at a viewpoint to ask people for more water. It's a beautiful ride up, especially once you get into the Giant Forest. I went all the way to the General Sherman Tree parking lot. I was pretty exhausted after, but felt very accomplished after covering 58 miles and 8,000ft
whitoriginals
rode this on a wednesday starting at 830. was passed by no more than ten cars. still amazed at the number of cars that will come around on a blind curve. where are they thinking they will go if there is a car coming down? they will pull hard to the right and kill me, of course, but i digress.
i'm not a pjamm purist, so i would recommend starting this climb from the parking lot immediately after the booth where you enter the park and riding all the way to the baldy summit trailhead (and back).
also...when you reach the museum/sentinel tree, be sure to turn right into the parking lot then right again uphill, then down to the moro rock, then out to the end of the road to the meadow. best road/tree ratio in the park.
75 at bottom, 45 at top. bring a change of clothes!
Jghanaie
I love this climb! I rode this yesterday and there was quite a bit of traffic. Traffic was more amused then anything and people were cheering me on as I rode to the top. It was literally leap frog the whole way up/down because people were pulling over to take photos of the flowers and the views. This was a Wednesday and I left later than I should. There was some snow in the hiking trails but none on the road.
lirizar1
Great climb! The really nice views of the sequoias don't come until the last 3 miles or so but the climb to get there has a very consistent grade which makes the climb super enjoyable. The steepest section was probably the second to last mile where the grades are 8-11% but besides that the grades are very moderate. The traffic comes in waves as you can go a mile without seeing a car and then ten cars in a row. The cars give you plenty of space as I think they are more annoyed by the slow driver in front of them driving the speed limit (25mph) than worrying about passing cyclists. You should definitely go past the top of the climb as a lot of the views of the massive sequoias continue along General's Highway as the terrain rolls.
ooga-booga
Rode late November 2020. Beautiful climb nearly the entire stretch. Rode quality excellent and light traffic on an early weekday. Would expect weekend traffic (even early) to detect from the experience.
