29.1
PDI
9 mi
DISTANCE
3,865 ft
GAINED
8.1 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
Burley Mtn is an 8.96-mile gravel climb in Washington's Gifford Pinchot National Forest, gaining 3,865 feet at an 8.14% average grade on its way from the Cispus Valley floor (1,318 ft) to a saddle just below the 5,156-foot summit. That's the PJAMM database's 58th-hardest climb in the world, and it earns the ranking honestly - the road attacks the mountain's north side with almost no flat ground to recover on, and the steepest quarter-mile sections push past 12%.
What makes Burley Mtn worth the effort is what's waiting at the top. The Burley Mountain Lookout, built in 1934, is one of only three fire lookouts still standing - and still staffed for fire detection - in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It's left open and unlocked for visitors, so riders who make the short hike up from the saddle parking area can sign the summit register inside. On a clear day the payoff is a 360-degree view across the Cascades, with Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Hood all visible from the catwalk.
The road itself is a old logging-era forest route, narrow and rutted enough that it sees very little vehicle traffic - which is good news for cyclists, since it means long, quiet stretches with nothing but gravel crunch and birdsong. It's remote enough that riders should treat it as true backcountry: no services, no cell coverage, and no one to flag down if something goes wrong.
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. Burley Mtn holds a tough, sustained 8.14% average over its full 8.96 miles, with 3,865 feet of total elevation gain - enough to place it 58th on PJAMM's world difficulty ranking. There's no long flat or downhill section to recover on; the road climbs steadily from the Cispus Valley floor at 1,318 feet to a saddle at 5,156 feet just below the lookout.
The grade isn't evenly spread. PJAMM's segment data shows the steepest 100 yards averaging 13.4%, the steepest quarter-mile at just over 12%, and the steepest full mile still averaging 11% - meaning the road has real teeth in multiple places, not just one signature ramp. Expect the final push toward the saddle to be the hardest sustained stretch, with the payoff view arriving only in the last quarter-mile.
Roadway: Forest Road 7605 is an unpaved, single-lane forest road climbing the north face of Burley Mountain - old logging grade, hard-packed dirt and gravel with sections of washboard and deep ruts left by runoff. Riders and hikers who've been up describe the surface as rough for a passenger car but genuinely good for a gravel bike, with no technical obstacles, just sustained grade and the occasional loose patch.
Traffic: Very light. The ruts that make the road hard on regular vehicles also keep casual traffic away, so most days you'll share the road with, at most, a Forest Service truck or a high-clearance 4WD headed for the lookout. Hikers use the upper end near the Burley Mountain Trail #256A junction.
Parking: There's no developed trailhead for the road climb itself. Riders typically start from a pullout at the base of FR-7605 where it leaves Forest Road 28, or stage from a dispersed camping spot along FR-23/FR-28 in the Cispus Valley. At the top, a small unpaved parking area sits in the saddle below the summit, used by hikers heading up the final half-mile trail to the lookout. As of 2026, the Gifford Pinchot National Forest has multiple active road-repair projects and a "Very High" fire danger rating in effect elsewhere in the forest - none currently listed for FR-23/FR-28/FR-7605 specifically, but check the forest's current alerts page before heading out, since Cascade forest roads at this elevation are also subject to seasonal snow closure into early summer.
A gravel bike with tires in the 40-45c range is the right tool here - the road surface is good enough for a rigid gravel setup, but the ruts and washboard reward a bit of extra volume and a dropper or flared bars for control on the descent. There are no services anywhere on the route, so carry all the water and food you'll need for a climb that can take well over an hour of sustained effort. Cell coverage is unreliable to nonexistent once you leave Randle, so pack a paper map or downloaded GPX, a basic repair kit, and let someone know your plan before heading up. Mountain weather at 5,000+ feet changes fast - pack a wind layer even on a warm day at the trailhead.
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.
Randle, on US Highway 12, is the last stop for gas, groceries, and food before heading into the forest - top off and fuel up here, since there's nothing beyond it until you're back. The Cispus Learning Center, a few miles in from Randle, is a useful landmark for navigating the maze of forest roads (FR-23, FR-25, FR-28) that lead to the base of the climb.
If you want to make a full day - or overnight - of it, the Burley Mountain Lookout at the summit is open and unlocked to visitors when not staffed, so it's possible to sign the register and soak in the Cascade views before heading back down. Riders looking to camp nearby will find dispersed sites along the Cispus River in the valley below. Best riding window is roughly late June through October, once the upper elevations have shed their winter snowpack - check the Gifford Pinchot National Forest's current conditions page beforehand, since high-elevation forest roads here can hold snow into early summer.
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