California · Rock climbing · Paicines

Bad Man Mezzanine/Lower and Upper Terraces

11-route climbing area in California with sport and trad options spanning 7 difficulty grades.

Bad Man Mezzanine/Lower and Upper TerracesPhoto: randomduck, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
11 routes
5.4 – 5.10a
Sport · Trad

Is Bad Man Mezzanine/Lower and Upper Terraces open right now?

Alert in the area

The National Park Service lists an alert for Pinnacles National Park.

  • Fire Danger HIGH

    Park alert covering Pinnacles National Park · NPS · Pinnacles National Park

As of · Source: NPS · Pinnacles National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Bad Man Mezzanine/Lower and Upper Terraces

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

    63° / 34°

    12 wet

  2. Feb

    64° / 36°

    11 wet

  3. Mar

    68° / 38°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    72° / 39°

    6 wet

  5. May

    80° / 43°

    3 wet

  6. Jun

    89° / 47°

    1 wet

  7. Jul

    96° / 50°

    0 wet

  8. Aug

    96° / 50°

    0 wet

  9. Sep

    92° / 48°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    82° / 43°

    3 wet

  11. Nov

    70° / 37°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    62° / 33°

    11 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pinnacles Nm, CA, 1.6 mi away at 1,307 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Bad Man Mezzanine/Lower and Upper Terraces is a climbing area in Pinnacles National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among a cluster of other climbing and hiking spots, with the Main Face, Machete Ridge and the Balconies Cliffs Trail all about 0.1 mile away. The area has 11 routes, 10 of them sport and one trad, with grades ranging from 5.4 to 5.10a. True Grit is the easiest at 5.4, and Gary and Phyllis' Headwall is the hardest at 5.10a. The routes are all sport, so plan on using gear rather than placing your own. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 80°F and October highs around 82°F, while July and August average about 96°F. A fee is charged for park activities.

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