Famous Cycling Climbs in California: Old La Honda, Hawk Hill and Mount Diablo

California’s best-known climbs are the ones local riders time themselves on: short benchmarks under the redwoods and above the Golden Gate, and one long one up Mount Diablo.

Strava is a trademark of Strava, Inc. Corbah isn’t connected to Strava; this is our own guide.

The Bay Area

• Old La Honda: 3.4 miles at about 7% under the redwoods.
• Hawk Hill: 1.8 miles above the Golden Gate Bridge.
• Mount Diablo: about 10.5 to 11 miles at about 5.7% from the South Gate, with a steep ramp to the summit.

Next door

Mount Lemmon, out of Tucson, Arizona, is about 30 miles and 7,000 feet of climbing. For more road trips, see the best cycling roads in the USA.

Riding them well

• Short and hard: Old La Honda and Hawk Hill are short enough to race. Go steady for the first half.
• Long and steady: Mount Diablo is a long effort. Read how to pace a long climb.
• Bring a layer: fog and wind can make the tops cold, even in summer.

What to wear

For an American flag jersey, see The Patriot. Our Climbs jerseys are drawn from the mountains: the Mont Ventoux Mistral, Contour and TOUGH After the Climb. Each is made to order, with free personalization.

More climbs: famous Strava climbs.

Strava is a trademark of Strava, Inc. Corbah isn’t connected to Strava; this is our own guide.