Arizona · Rock climbing · Mount Lemmon · Near Oracle

Goosehead

18 routes
5.6 – 5.14a
Sport · Trad · Bouldering
Mar–Nov
best months

Is Goosehead open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Santa Catalina Ranger District. It doesn't name Goosehead, 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.

Goosehead is a climbing area in Arizona's Coronado National Forest, within the Santa Catalina Ranger District and managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with School of Rock, K12 and Lizard Rock all about a tenth of a mile away. The climbing here runs the full range from sport and trad to a single boulder problem. Of 18 routes, 10 are sport, 7 are trad and one is bouldering. The YDS grades range from 5.6 up to 5.14a, with The Morgue the hardest at 5.14a. The Golden Egg is a sport route at 5.9, and The Devil's Pitchfork is a trad route at 5.10+ with a first ascent in 1971 by Mike McEwen and Mark Axen. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Mt Lemmon Willow Canyon run to highs around 71°F in May and 68°F in October, while January and February average highs near 50°F with lows around 33°F. Bug Springs Trail is less than a mile away for a hike, and Rose Canyon Lake offers mountain biking about a mile off. General Hitchcock campground is about 1.2 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    South Rim Campgrounds

    Campground

    Campground · 0.8 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Butler Hall

    Fast food

    On your way back · 2 mi
  • If it rains

    Wildlife Viewing Area

    Viewpoint

    On your way back · 16 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Oracle
  • Best time to go · Mar–Nov

    Best time to visit Goosehead

    Best months: March–November. 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

      50° / 34°

    2. Feb

      50° / 33°

    3. Mar

      55° / 37°

    4. Apr

      62° / 43°

    5. May

      71° / 51°

    6. Jun

      80° / 60°

    7. Jul

      80° / 63°

    8. Aug

      79° / 62°

    9. Sep

      75° / 59°

    10. Oct

      68° / 49°

    11. Nov

      59° / 40°

    12. Dec

      49° / 33°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mt Lemmon Willow Canyon, AZ, 0.8 mi away at 7,027 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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