California · Rock climbing · North Fork

Big Sleep

Big Sleep in California has 5 routes with 5 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

5 routes
5.4 – 5.9
Trad · Sport

Is Big Sleep open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Sierra National Forest. It doesn't name Big Sleep, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Sierra National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Big Sleep

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.

  1. Jan

    43° / 24°

    11 wet

  2. Feb

    44° / 23°

    11 wet

  3. Mar

    46° / 26°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    50° / 29°

    8 wet

  5. May

    56° / 36°

    6 wet

  6. Jun

    66° / 42°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    74° / 49°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    74° / 49°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    68° / 44°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    58° / 37°

    4 wet

  11. Nov

    49° / 31°

    8 wet

  12. Dec

    44° / 25°

    10 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Huntington Lake, CA, 13.6 mi away at 7,020 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Big Sleep is a climbing area in the Bass Lake Ranger District of Sierra National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots, with Voodoo Dome about 0.2 miles away and Crocodile Dome about 0.3 miles away, so the whole group is easy to combine into a single outing. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Huntington Lake show July and August highs around 74°F with lows near 49°F and only one or two wet days a month. Winter is cold, with January highs around 43°F and lows in the mid-20s. Several other destinations lie close by. Shuteye Pass is a hike about 0.4 miles away, and Gaggs Camp offers camping about 2.9 miles off. For paddling, Sand Creek is about 3.1 miles away.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive