California · Rock climbing · Yosemite National Park

Lower Cathedral Spire

Lower Cathedral Spire in California has 6 trad routes on 3 difficulty grades.

Photo: Capt' Gorgeous, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

6 routes

5.9 – 5.11

Trad

Is Lower Cathedral Spire open right now?

No closures listed

The National Park Service lists no closures for Yosemite National Park.

As of Oct 24, 6:30 pm PDT · Source: NPS · Yosemite National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Lower Cathedral Spire

Best months: March–June and September–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.

Jan
48° / 29°
9 wet
Feb
51° / 30°
9 wet
Mar
57° / 33°
10 wet
Apr
63° / 38°
8 wet
May
70° / 45°
6 wet
Jun
80° / 51°
3 wet
Jul
89° / 57°
1 wet
Aug
89° / 57°
1 wet
Sep
83° / 51°
2 wet
Oct
71° / 41°
3 wet
Nov
56° / 32°
6 wet
Dec
46° / 28°
8 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yosemite Park Hq, CA, 3.3 mi away at 4,018 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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.

Lower Cathedral Spire is a climbing area in Yosemite National Park, California, within the Yosemite Wilderness. It is managed by the National Park Service, and a fee is charged for access. The area sits among several named climbing areas. Higher Cathedral Spire is about 0.1 mile away and the Cathedral Area is about 0.2 mile away, so the spire makes a natural addition to a visit to either. The climbing here is all traditional, with six routes ranging from 5.9 to 5.11. The Regular Route and the Northeast Face are both 5.9, while South by Southwest is 5.10d and Long Live The Chief is 5.11. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Yosemite Park HQ, which sits about 1,500 feet lower, show May highs around 70°F and October highs around 71°F. That station runs much warmer than the spire, so temperatures on the rock run cooler. Summer is hot, with typical highs near 89°F in July and August. The Bridalveil Fall Trail and the Rockslides hike are both about a mile away. Bridalveil Creek Campground and Lower Pines Campground, both a little over 3.7 miles off, are the nearest campgrounds.