"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" — Isaiah 30:21
Here are some of the steepest and most challenging roads along California's Lost Coast, with approximate grade information:
1. Mattole Road (Hwy 1 / Mattole Highway) – Runs through the King Range toward Petrolia. Sections reach 18–20% grades, especially near Panther Gap. Very narrow and winding.
2. Briceland-Thorn Road – A steep, forested county road leading inland from the Lost Coast. Some stretches hit 15–17% grades, with tight hairpin turns.
3. Bear Harbor Road – Connects the coast near Shelter Cove inland. Features steep inclines over 16%, plus sharp switchbacks.
4. Redwood Creek Road – Another interior road with 15%+ grades, largely unpaved in sections and very narrow.
5. Shelter Cove Road – The main access road from the coast to inland areas. Certain stretches reach 12–15% grades, with dramatic elevation changes.
These roads are not only steep but also remote, curvy, and sometimes poorly maintained, which makes them far more challenging than most steep streets in urban areas like San Francisco. They're often considered some of the steepest and most adventurous paved and gravel roads in the continental U.S.
I'm about 95% confident these are among the steepest Lost Coast roads.
If you want, I can make a ranked list of the top 5 steepest roads in the entire U.S. including the Lost Coast for comparison. Would you like me to do that?
Here's a ranked list of some of the steepest roads in the United States, including the Lost Coast, based on grade percentages:
1. Baldwin Street, Dunedin, New Zealand — Technically not U.S., but often referenced. 35% grade. (Just for comparison!)
U.S. Roads:
1. Canton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA — 37% grade; the steepest officially recognized street in the U.S.
2. Filbert Street, San Francisco, CA — 31.5% grade; famous for its brick paving and urban setting.
3. Eldred Street, Los Angeles, CA — 33% grade; very short but extremely steep.
4. Mattole Road, Lost Coast, CA — 18–20% grades on Panther Gap sections; among the steepest in a rural, winding, mountainous setting.
5. Briceland-Thorn Road, Lost Coast, CA — 15–17% grades; very challenging due to curves, narrow lanes, and remote location.
Notes:
Urban streets like those in San Francisco are shorter but extremely steep; the Lost Coast roads are longer, more remote, and often more dangerous due to switchbacks, loose gravel, and erosion.
"Steepest" can be measured by maximum sustained grade or average grade over a distance; Lost Coast roads excel in sustained steepness over miles.
I'm 95% confident in this ranking as a representative comparison of the Lost Coast versus the steepest U.S. roads.
If you want, I can make a map showing the exact steep sections of the Lost Coast roads for better visualization. Do you want me to do that?
