Motorcycle Ride Planner · Routes · United States
Palomar Mountain South Grade Road (S6 / S7)
United States · CA-S6 / CA-S7
Southern California's tightest switchback climb, ascending 4,400 vertical feet in just 12 miles through 21 numbered hairpins. Famous playground for knee-dragging sportbikes ending at the historic Hale Telescope.
Palomar Mountain South Grade Road (S6 / S7) runs 16 miles between Pauma Valley (CA-76), CA and Palomar Observatory / Summit, CA. We count about 140 corners along it, which is relentless. A hard road that rewards experience and punishes bravado.
Tank-bag quick reference
- StartPauma Valley (CA-76), CA33.3039, -116.985
- High1,100 ft - 5,560 ftelevation range
- EndPalomar Observatory / Summit, CA33.3563, -116.8647
T-CLOCS before you go: tyres and wheels, controls and cables, lights and electrics, oil and fluids, chassis and stand.
Repair within reach
- 41 miGP MotorcyclesSan Diego, United States
- 54 miMoto Baja TecateTecate, Baja California
Straight-line distance from the start of the route, not driving distance.
More in United States
- California Route 36 - '140 Miles of Curves'140 mi · 1800 corners
- Blue Ridge Parkway (Virginia Ridge & Peaks of Otter)176 mi · 620 corners
- Blue Ridge Parkway (Southern High Peaks Section)129 mi · 580 corners
- The Snake 421 (Holston Mountain Pass)33 mi · 489 corners
- Coronado Trail (The Devil's Highway)92 mi · 460 corners
- Lolo Pass (Lewis and Clark Highway)132 mi · 450 corners
Questions riders ask
- How long does Palomar Mountain South Grade Road (S6 / S7) take to ride?
- About 16 miles. At an unhurried pace with stops that is roughly 1 hour of riding, longer if you are stopping for photographs.
- Where does Palomar Mountain South Grade Road (S6 / S7) start and end?
- It runs between Pauma Valley (CA-76), CA and Palomar Observatory / Summit, CA. Either end works as a start; the route reads the same in both directions.
- Is Palomar Mountain South Grade Road (S6 / S7) a twisty road?
- We count about 140 corners across 16 miles, which is relentless.
- Is there a GPX file for Palomar Mountain South Grade Road (S6 / S7)?
- Yes. The GPX is free, there is no account, and the planner will build a route that includes this road alongside others nearby.
Where these numbers come from
Distances and corner counts come from the route's own geometry, not from ratings or votes. Nothing here is crowdsourced and nobody paid to appear.