Ipswich Incline Index: Your Guide to Ipswich’s 15 Steepest Streets

Steepest Streets at a Glance

Ranking metric: Our Ipswich Steepest Streets Index measures and ranks the steepest 25 m stretch on each street.
Context figure: the average grade is also measured over a continuous 200-300 m+ segment of the same road (so you can see how long the pain lasts, not just the worst pinch).
Photo match-up: all slopes correspond exactly to the street sections shown in the Google Earth images.
Living list: we’ll keep adding climbs as we survey more of Spring Mountain, nearby rural lanes, and any streets you nominate—send your suggestions and we’ll go for a hike.

🔢 By The Numbers

Outside Ipswich—Explorers Bridge Rd (Mt Crosby, Brisbane): 28 % / 13.1 % avg
Bluff Buster – Paidley Rd: 26.6 % / 12.1 % avg
Bellbird Breaker – Surrey Rd: 25 % / 13.6 % avg
Eric’s Escalator – Eric St: 24 % / 11 % avg
Denmark Drag – Ellenborough St: 18 % / 12.7 % avg
Murphy’s Mayhem – Murphy St: 18 % / 12.4 % avg
Coal Burner – Macrae St: 18 % / 8.8 % avg
Reservoir Ramp – Jones St: 17.2 % / 11.7 % avg
Clay Crusher – Clay St: 16.5 % / 11.6 % avg
Stephenson Slide – Stephenson St: 16 % / 11.2 % avg
Conte Climb – Conte Cct: 16 % / 12.5 % avg
Panton Punch – Panton St: 15 % / 10.4 % avg
Winland Wall – Winland Dr: 15 % / 10.4 % avg
Nicely Nasty – Nicholas St: 14 % / 8.8 % avg
Blakes Backbreaker – Blakes Rd: 14 % / 7.3 % avg
Hawthorne Haul – Hawthorne St: 13 % / 7.1 % avg

Welcome to Ipswich’s vertical playground.

Below you will find some of the steepest Ipswich roads we could find. Each with its elevation profile, steepest 25 m and avg slope over the measured distance.

You’ll also find a Google Street View planted right there so you can have a walk up the street without the effort.

Take a look at the details then start exploring Ipswich’s steepest street.

Here’s the details of how we ranked Ipswich’s steepest streets.

More Ipswich Gold

The Steepest Road We Could Find: Explorers Bridge Rd, Mount Crosby

Not Ipswich but close enough to have a look.

28% Steepest - Explorers Bridge Rd, Mt Crosby - Avg 13.1%

How steep is Explorers Bridge Road?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 28 % (15.6°)
Average slope over measured distance: 13.1 % (7.5°)

Have a walk along Explorers Bridge Rd

Paidley Rd, The Bluff

This dirt road to Marburg Weather Station also leads you to the highest elevation house in Ipswich (391 m). It is the only dirt road on this list and for that reason, it is probably not a fair addition. But oh well, let’s have a look anyways.

How steep is Paidley Road?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 26.6 % (14.9°)
Average slope over measured distance: 12.1 % (6.9°)

Have a walk along Paidley Rd

Surrey Rd, Bellbird Park

I went and hiked this one after it was suggested on Instagram. It packs a wallop in short order, but is more of a sprint than a grind. You feel like you’re on a roller coaster driving down it.

How steep is Surrey Road?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 25 % (14.0°)
Average slope over measured distance: 13.6 % (7.7°)

Have a walk up Surrey Rd

Eric St, Goodna

I hiked this one the same day I did Surrey Rd. Good fun. You can see in the graph its steepness varies a fair amount over its length.

How steep is Eric Street?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 24 % (13.5°)
Average slope over measured distance: 11 % (6.3°)

Have a walk down Eric St

Ellenborough St, Denmark Hill

Probably the first street that came to mind when you read the title of this article.

How steep is Ellenborough Street?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 18 % (10.2°)
Average slope over measured distance: 12.7 % (7.3°)

Have a walk up Ellenborough St

Murphy St, Denmark Hill

It is closely debated which is steeper in walking and cycling circles—Murphy or Ellenborough?

How steep is Murphy Street?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 18 % (10.2°)
Average slope over measured distance: 12.4 % (7.1°)

Have a walk up Murphy St

Macrae St, Coalfalls

Have you been up (or down) this road in Coalfalls? It two steep sections before reaching Rowland Terrace. But over the 227 m stretch it was “only” 8.8 % gradient.

How steep is Macrae Street?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 18 % (10.2°)
Average slope over measured distance: 8.8 % (5.0°)

Have a walk up Macrae St

Jones St, Blackstone

Did you even know about this steep street leading to the Blackstone water reservoir behind Castle Hill Blackstone Reserve?

How steep is Jones Street?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 17.2 % (9.8°)
Average slope over measured distance: 11.7 % (6.7°)

Have a walk up Jones St

Clay St, Denmark Hill

Some swear Clay St is that hardest climb of all the Denmark Hill streets. What do you think?

How steep is Clay Street?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 16.5 % (9.4°)
Average slope over measured distance: 11.6 % (6.6°)

Have a walk up Clay St

Stephenson St, Coalfalls

Wow does this road feel steep driving down the north end.

How steep is Stephenson Street?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 16 % (9.1°)
Average slope over measured distance: 11.2 % (6.4°)

Have a walk up Stephenson St

Conte Cct, Augustine Heights

This road makes for a great climb. By adjusting your start and end points, you can push its average slope higher than any road on Denmark Hill—though it never quite reaches the same peak steepness.

How steep is Conte Circuit?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 16 % (9.1°)
Average slope over measured distance: 12.5 % (7.1°)

Have a walk around Conte Cct.

Panton St, Woodend

I didn’t know about this road before starting this article. Is it a well-known steep road?

How steep is Panton Street?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 15 % (8.5°)
Average slope over measured distance: 10.4 % (5.9°)

Have a walk up Panton St

Winland Dr, Deebing Heights

This Deebing Heights climb rolls up steadily before kicking harder near the top.

15% Steepest - Windland Dr, Deebing Heights - Avg 10.4%

How steep is Winland Drive?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 15 % (8.5°)
Average slope over measured distance: 10.4 % (5.9°)

Have a walk up Windland Dr

Nicholas St, Denmark Hill

Had to include this one for comparison to the other Denmark Hill streets.

How steep is Nicholas Street?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 14 % (8.0°)
Average slope over measured distance: 8.8 % (5.0°)

Have a walk up Nicholas St

Blakes Rd, Rosewood

A longer rural rise above Rosewood that hides its nasty middle section until you’re on it.

How steep is Blakes Road?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 14 % (8.0°)
Average slope over measured distance: 7.3 % (4.2°)

Have a walk up Blakes Rd

Hawthorne St, Coalfalls

Another Coalfalls special, tucked between houses but steep enough to test low gears.

How steep is Hawthorne Street?

Steepest 25 m stretch: 13 % (7.4°)
Average slope over measured distance: 7.1 % (4.1°)

Have a walk up Hawthorne St

📏 Road-Geometry Rules of Thumb (QLD / Ipswich)

See Sources Section Below For Links To These Docs

National baseline — Use the Austroads Guide to Road Design as the starting point.
State highways (100 km/h) — Sustained grades up to 4 % on flat terrain, 6 % in mountainous areas.
Urban arterials (80 km/h) — Aim for 5–7 %; exceed only on very short, low-traffic pinches.
60 km/h collectors — Desirable 7–9 %; add a climbing lane if > 6 % continues for 300 m.
Steep-pinch limit — Any stretch > 6 % should be capped at 300 m before relief (lane or crest).
Local & access streets — 16 % desirable cap; 20 % absolute max, and only for ≤ 60 m bursts.
Intersections — Through-grade should stay under 4 % so vehicles can stop safely.
Drainage minimums — Kerb-and-channel needs 0.5 % (0.2 % absolute); rural table drains prefer ≥ 1 %.
Driveway tie-ins — Verge ≤ 2.5 % and private driveway ≤ 16 % (20 % absolute).
Vertical curves — On local streets, smooth any grade change > 1 % with a vertical curve.

What do you think?

Will you go have a walk up them all?

Do you want to tell me how wrong the list is and tell me the actual steepest street in Ipswich?

Awesome!
Email me: jamey at ipswichinsider dot com

Sources

What is the steepest street on Denmark Hill? Facebook.com
Guide to Road Design Part 3: Geometric Design. austroads.gov.au
Guide to Road Design Part 4A: Unsignalised and Signalised Intersections. austroads.gov.au
Road Planning and Design Manual – 2nd Edition. tmr.qld.gov.au
RPDM Chapter 12: Vertical Alignment (PDF). tmr.qld.gov.au
FNQROC Development Manual – D1 Road Geometry (PDF). fnqroc.qld.gov.au
Street Design Manual: Walkable Neighbourhoods (PDF). dsdmipprd.blob.core.windows.net
Complete Streets: Guidelines for Urban Street Design (PDF). ipwea.com
Queensland Development Code NMP 1.1 – Driveways (PDF). hpw.qld.gov.au
Driveways – Ipswich City Council Information. ipswich.qld.gov.au
QDesign Manual (PDF). hpw.qld.gov.au

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