Horseshoe Meadows
Horseshoe Meadows Road is ranked the second most difficult climb in California and #7 of the most difficult cycling climbs in the United States and #36 in the world. Located in the the heart of the Owens Valley, which at 4,500 feet and surrounded by 14,000 foot peaks makes it one of the deepest valleys in the U.S. The Owens Valley is a mecca for road bike climbing and boasts the greatest concentration of Top 100 U.S. and Top 75 California Climbs than any other area in the country. Owens Valley is a graben (“down dropped” block of land between 2 vertical faults) which creates the unparalleled extended steep grades along its eastern border with the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Region: California
City: Lone Pine
Distance: 35.2 km
Elevation Gain: 2004 m
Elevation Loss: 104 m
Difficulty: 1570 (Extreme)
FIETS Index: 11.36 FIETS
Avg Grade: 5.44 %
Max cat climb: HC
Min elevation: 1125 m
Max elevation: 3031 m
Ride Category: Epic Climb