Big Rocks
Big Rocks in California has 7 sport climbing routes across 4 grades.
- 7 routes
- 5.8+ – 5.10b
- Sport
Is Big Rocks open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Los Padres National Forest.
Los Padres Fire Use and Firearm Restrictions
Agency alert covering Los Padres National Forest · Order 05-07-00-26-05 · USFS · Los Padres National Forest
Santa Barbara Front Country Fire Use Restrictions
Agency alert covering Los Padres National Forest · Order 05-07-5406-01 · USFS · Los Padres National Forest
West Cuesta Fire Use Restrictions
Agency alert covering Santa Lucia Ranger District · Order 05-07-53-24-19 · USFS · Santa Lucia Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Los Padres National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Big Rocks
Best months: Year-round. 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
63° / 41°
8 wet
Feb
62° / 42°
8 wet
Mar
65° / 44°
8 wet
Apr
68° / 45°
5 wet
May
70° / 48°
2 wet
Jun
75° / 50°
1 wet
Jul
77° / 53°
0 wet
Aug
78° / 54°
1 wet
Sep
78° / 52°
1 wet
Oct
75° / 49°
3 wet
Nov
68° / 44°
5 wet
Dec
61° / 39°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Twitchell Dam, CA, 15.1 mi away at 582 ft. The station sits about 1,300 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Big Rocks is a climbing area in the Santa Lucia Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest, on land managed by the Forest Service. It sits among several other climbing spots in the district, so it works well as one stop in a day of exploring the area's rock. Summer is the driest and warmest stretch for climbing here. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show highs around 77 to 78°F in July and August, with almost no wet days. That station sits well below the area, so temperatures on the rocks run cooler. Several climbing areas are close by: Hwy 166/Silly Rock is about 0.2 miles away, and Doom Wall and Mr. Lees Greater Hong Kong are each about 0.7 miles off. For a hike, Gifford is about 2.4 miles away.
Routes (7)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Sergei Gussev, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Grime Dog Wall
~54 min drive
Grime Dog Wall in California has 6 routes with 5 difficulty grades, offering bouldering and sport climbing.
Photo: hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Chlorissa
~59 min drive
Chlorissa is a California climbing area with 10 routes on 7 difficulty grades.
Photo: hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)P-Wall
~60 min drive
P-Wall in California has 39 climbing routes across 16 difficulty grades.
Photo: hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Hidden Gully
~60 min drive
Hidden Gully in California has 6 routes across 6 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
Photo: Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Cabrillo Peak
~1h 13m drive
Cabrillo Peak in California has 12 climbing routes with 11 difficulty grades.
Photo: Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Rock Land
~1h 13m drive
Rock Land in California has 13 routes across 9 grades with mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Morro Bay Harbor
~1h 18m drive
Morro Bay Harbor, California climbing area with 2 routes.
Photo: NewMillenniumMusic, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Kelly's Hill
~1h 18m drive
Kelly's Hill in California has 8 bouldering routes with 6 difficulty grades.
Photo: vonguard, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Breakwater Boulder
~1h 18m drive
Breakwater Boulder in California has 6 bouldering routes across 5 grades.
Photo: DieselDemon, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Top of the World
~1h 18m drive
Top of the World in California has 21 bouldering routes across 8 grades.
