Big Chief
Big Chief in California has 18 sport climbing routes across 12 difficulty grades.
- 18 routes
- 5.9 – 5.12b
- Sport
Is Big Chief 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 Big Chief
Best months: May–October. 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
40° / 21°
11 wet · 7 snow
Feb
40° / 21°
10 wet · 7 snow
Mar
45° / 24°
10 wet · 7 snow
Apr
50° / 28°
8 wet · 4 snow
May
59° / 34°
7 wet · 1 snow
Jun
69° / 40°
3 wet
Jul
78° / 46°
1 wet
Aug
77° / 45°
2 wet
Sep
70° / 41°
2 wet
Oct
59° / 33°
4 wet · 1 snow
Nov
48° / 26°
7 wet · 3 snow
Dec
40° / 21°
10 wet · 6 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tahoe City, CA, 6.2 mi away at 6,230 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Big Chief is a sport climbing area in the Truckee Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing and riding spots, with the Mini Buttress and Center Wall climbing areas each about 0.1 mile away and the Big Chief Trail (Lower) mountain biking route about 0.2 mile off. The climbing here is all sport, with 18 routes ranging from 5.9 to 5.12b. The median grade is 5.10c, and some of the named routes include Community Service at 5.9, Gold Digger at 5.11c and Copper Feather at 5.12b. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Tahoe City show July highs around 78°F with lows near 46°F and only about one wet day in the month. That station sits roughly 1,000 feet below the area, so temperatures at Big Chief run cooler. Goose Meadows campground is about 0.9 mile away, and Pole Creek Nordic, a cross-country ski area, is about 0.6 mile away. Martis Creek, a paddling spot, is about 3.9 miles off.
Routes (18)
Gold (a.k.a. Upper Central ) Wall(2)
Honeycomb Wall(4)
North Pass Pillar(3)
North Pillar(1)
North Wall(2)
South Cave(2)
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
~8 min drive
Center Wall in California has 5 climbing routes across 4 grades.
Mini Buttress
~0 min drive
Mini Buttress in California has 12 sport climbing routes across 10 grades.
Center Wall
~0 min drive
Center Wall in California has 10 sport climbing routes across 8 difficulty grades.
South Wall
~0 min drive
South Wall is a California climbing crag with 9 sport routes.
Light Deprivation Buttress
~1 min drive
11 sport climbing routes in California spanning 7 difficulty grades.
Pentathlete Wall
~2 min drive
Pentathlete Wall in California has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades.
Sawtooth Ridge
~2 min drive
Sawtooth Ridge in California offers 3 sport climbing routes across 3 difficulty grades.
The Arena
~3 min drive
7 climbing routes in California spanning 6 grades, sport and trad.
Deep Creek Crags
~3 min drive
Deep Creek Crags in California has 3 routes with sport and trad climbing.
