Arizona · Rock climbing · Mount Lemmon · Near Oracle

Lower Highway

Lower HighwayPhoto: Tanque Verde, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
9 routes
5.4 – 5.11a
Trad · Mixed
Oct–May
best months

Is Lower Highway open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Santa Catalina Ranger District. It doesn't name Lower Highway, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Santa Catalina Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Lower Highway is a climbing area in the Santa Catalina Ranger District of Coronado National Forest in Arizona, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots, with Bug Spring Wall, The Aviary and The Watering Hole all about 0.4 miles away. Molino Basin Trail #11 and the Molino Basin Group campground are about half a mile off, making it easy to pair a day on the rock with a ride or an overnight stay. The area has nine routes, eight of which are trad and one mixed. Grades run from 5.4 up to 5.11, with Animal Crackers at 5.9 and Hard Time at 5.11. The first ascent of Animal Crackers was by Don Gallagher and John Steiger in 1976. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show October highs around 77°F with lows near 52°F, while June and July average highs in the low 90s.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Molino Basin Group

    Campground

    Campground · 0.5 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Butler Hall

    Fast food

    On your way back · 5 mi
  • If it rains

    Wildlife Viewing Area

    Viewpoint

    On your way back · 18 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Oracle
  • Best time to go · Oct–May

    Best time to visit Lower Highway

    Best months: October–May. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      56° / 35°

      6 wet

    2. Feb

      58° / 37°

      6 wet

    3. Mar

      64° / 42°

      6 wet

    4. Apr

      71° / 46°

      3 wet

    5. May

      82° / 56°

      2 wet

    6. Jun

      92° / 66°

      3 wet

    7. Jul

      91° / 69°

      9 wet

    8. Aug

      90° / 67°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      86° / 63°

      7 wet

    10. Oct

      77° / 52°

      4 wet

    11. Nov

      64° / 42°

      4 wet

    12. Dec

      55° / 36°

      5 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Oracle 2 Se, AZ, 18.1 mi away at 4,510 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (9)

This is NOT Astoria (Honnold's Crag)(1)

This is NOT Data5.4

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Bug Spring WallPhoto: Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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