Highway 49 · Auburn to Cool
The Highway 49 canyon between Auburn and Cool: descend from the Auburn side to the American River crossing, then climb toward the Highway 193 junction. Expect everyday traffic and people accessing Auburn State Recreation Area around the river.
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Use designated parking around the confluence and watch for people entering the road. Check Caltrans for current restrictions. Check current access ↗ · Reviewed 2026-09-13
Road shape
- Length
- 5.9 mi
- Bends
- 37
- Switchbacks
- 8
- Bends per mile
- 6.3
- Turning per mile
- 687°
- Curviest rank
- 38of 135
Measured from the OpenStreetMap centreline at a 20 m sampling step — road shape only, not a safety or speed judgement. How bends are counted.
Elevation
- Total climb
- 1,888ft
- Climb per mile
- 320ft
- Highest point
- 1,533ft
- Steepest grade
- 8.5%
Sampled every 100 m from USGS 10 m elevation data, a public-domain federal dataset. Total climb counts vertical change in both directions, so it does not depend on which way you drive. How elevation is measured.
Speed limits
Varies
Unverified
Check posted signs along the road.
Limits vary by section. Follow posted signs.
Posted signs always govern. How speed evidence is handled.
Sources
Difficulty 2/3 (Winding) is our editorial rating of width, bends and sightlines; “Medium speed” describes character, not a target speed. Full method. Identified from:
- California State Parks · Auburn State Recreation Area trails and Highway 49 access ↗
- Caltrans · Highway 49 conditions ↗
- OpenStreetMap road data ↗ (12 ways in this trace)
Reviewed 2026-09-13. The trace shows selected road sections, not a navigation route.
Roads nearby
Distances are approximate straight lines between road centers, not driving distances or direct connections.