California · Rock climbing · North Fork

Big Sleep Area

Big Sleep Area in California has 10 climbing routes with 9 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad styles.

10 routes
5.5 – 5.11a/b
Sport · Trad

Is Big Sleep Area open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Sierra National Forest. It doesn't name Big Sleep Area, 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 Area

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, 12.6 mi away at 7,020 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Big Sleep Area is a climbing area in California's Sierra National Forest, within the Bass Lake Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Milky Way Wall about a third of a mile away and Eagles Nest roughly 0.4 miles off. For hikers, Shuteye Pass is under a mile away. The climbing here runs from about 5.5 to 5.11a/b, with sport routes making up most of the 10 listed. The hardest is Struggle Within at 5.11a/b. Runnel Lust is a trad route at 5.5, and Runnelicious and Runnelrama are sport routes at 5.10a and 5.10b. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the Huntington Lake weather station, about 12.6 miles away, show July and August highs around 74°F and lows near 49°F, with only one or two wet days a month. Winter is much colder, with January highs in the low 40s. Whisky Falls campground and Soda Springs are both about 3.7 miles away, and West Fork Chiquito Creek, a paddling route, is a similar distance.

Routes (10)

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