The Arena
7 climbing routes in California spanning 6 grades, sport and trad.
- 7 routes
- 5.7 – 5.10d
- Sport · Trad
Is Arena, The open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Tahoe National Forest.
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Tahoe National Forest · Order 17-26-25 · USFS · Tahoe National Forest
Camping and Campfire Restrictions-Truckee and Sierraville Districts
Agency alert covering Tahoe National Forest · Order 17-25-05 · USFS · Tahoe National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Tahoe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The Arena
Best months: May–September. 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
41° / 17°
11 wet
Feb
43° / 18°
10 wet
Mar
48° / 22°
10 wet
Apr
53° / 26°
7 wet
May
63° / 33°
6 wet
Jun
73° / 38°
3 wet
Jul
82° / 44°
2 wet
Aug
81° / 42°
2 wet
Sep
74° / 36°
2 wet
Oct
63° / 29°
4 wet
Nov
49° / 23°
7 wet
Dec
39° / 17°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Donner Mem Sp, CA, 4.5 mi away at 5,937 ft. The station sits about 1,400 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.
The Arena is a climbing area in California's Tahoe National Forest, within the Truckee Ranger District. It sits among a cluster of climbing and outdoor destinations, with Deep Creek Crags about a tenth of a mile away and The Oven roughly 2 miles off. The climbing here runs from sport and trad routes, with grades from 5.7 to 5.10d. Santa's Route is a trad 5.7 first ascended by John Jackson in 1994, and Oh, My My! is a sport 5.10d also by Jackson. Climbers will find seven routes in total, with sport and trad styles split about evenly. Summer and early fall are the warmest stretch. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 82°F and September highs around 74°F, while winter highs sit in the low 40s with lows near 17°F. That station sits about 1,400 feet lower than the area, so expect cooler temperatures on the rock. Goose Meadow and Goose Meadows campgrounds lie about a mile away. The Deep Creek hike and the Cena Lar Trail for mountain biking are both within 2 miles.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Shirley Canyon Cliffs
~7 min drive
Shirley Canyon Cliffs in California has 4 climbing routes ranging from easy to difficult, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Center Wall
~7 min drive
Center Wall in California has 5 climbing routes across 4 grades.
Deep Creek Crags
~0 min drive
Deep Creek Crags in California has 3 routes with sport and trad climbing.
Three Towers Wall
~3 min drive
Three Towers Wall in California has 12 sport climbing routes across 6 grades.
Center Wall
~3 min drive
Center Wall in California has 10 sport climbing routes across 8 difficulty grades.
Mini Buttress
~3 min drive
Mini Buttress in California has 12 sport climbing routes across 10 grades.
South Wall
~3 min drive
South Wall is a California climbing crag with 9 sport routes.
Pentathlete Wall
~4 min drive
Pentathlete Wall in California has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades.
Sawtooth Ridge
~4 min drive
Sawtooth Ridge in California offers 3 sport climbing routes across 3 difficulty grades.
Light Deprivation Buttress
~4 min drive
11 sport climbing routes in California spanning 7 difficulty grades.
