United StatesCalifornia Magic Mountain
Magic Mountain Bike Climb - PJAMM Cycling

13.1
PDI
7.1 mi
DISTANCE
2,295 ft
GAINED
5.8 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
MORE

Page Contributor(s): Monica Busby @thecyclingceo

INTRO

A relatively entertaining alternative to the popular Camp 9 climb. We rode it on 25mm tires with only 1 flat, but would absolutely recommend at a minimum 28s, and ideally gravel tires (see photos in the profile tool for views)

See more details and tools regarding this climb's grade via our interactive Profile Tool.
Roadway:
Horrendous; the only benefit is that it's closed to cars. 

Parking:
We recommend parking for free at the scenic Bear Divide Vista Picnic Site and doing the Camp 9 climb as well as Magic Mountain.
There is no water along the route, and we found that out the hard way, riding it on a 95 degree Southern California summer day. The climb is completely exposed with absolutely no shade, so you're exposed for the entire 14 mile up and down.

There is water several nearby spots, and the firefighters are incredibly friendly and happy to provide anything you might need.
Precise locations of water sources:
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.
Information Not Available

If you have any information regarding this climb, we'd like to hear from you. Click the CONTRIBUTE button to share your thoughts with us.

ROUTE MAP

MEMBER RATING

Not Yet Rated
-
Road
-
Traffic
-
Scenery

CURRENT WEATHER

PJAMM TRIPS ADVENTURE STARTER BUNDLES

Check out PJAMM Adventure's prepackaged (self-guided) cycling trips. They will help you plan, document and conquer your next adventure.
ALL TRIPS
Browse all of our prepackaged trips and find your next adventure!
San Gabriel Mountains
United States (CA)
38 ROUTES
43 POIs
ROUTE STATS (TOTAL)
677.5
mi
DISTANCE
80,483
ft
ELEV. GAIN

NEARBY CLIMBS (0) RADIAL PROXIMITY

FROM
No Climbs Found

MEMBER REVIEWS & COMMENTS

Let us know what you thought of this climb. Signup for our FREE membership to write a review or post a comment.
Already have an account?
LOG IN HERE
ROUTE MAP
PROFILE TOOL
Route Data
S.G. (%)
hide
Segment Data
hide

Climb Profile Not Found
CLIMB SUMMARY

Climb summary by PJAMM Cycling’s Sam Lyons

Aerial view of the climb with the summit in the distance (towers)

This climb starts just to the north of Bear Divide right across the street from where the road to Camp 9 starts. Camp 9 is an extremely popular climb outside of Santa Clarita/San Fernando, with nearly 20k strava attempts. Camp 9 includes water fountains, shady trees, and friendly firefighters, whereas Magic Mountain… does not.

You could describe Magic Mountain as the evil twin to the Camp 9 climb: a bit longer, a much steeper climb gradient, and a horrendous surface.  Plus, when we did it in June 2021  it was 98 degrees when we reached the summit 🔥🥵🔥

We started off the day parking at Hansen Dam Park, a great place to start a ride through Tujunga Canyon, Camp 9, or Magic Mountain. We decided to do Camp 9 first, and good thing we did - we ran out of water just before reaching the water fountains at the fire station on the summit.

After descending back to Bear Divide, we debated whether or not to keep going and document one more climb in the rising heat- it was already 10am with temperatures already approaching 90.  For better or worse, with refilled water bottles we decided to push on.

The climb is closed to cars

The average grade is deceiving for this ride, skewed by two short descents of -5% - however, the climb gradient is above 8%, with brief sections getting well above 10%, and combined with the slippery gravel surface, well, not fun.