California · Rock climbing · Big Bear Lake

Black Bluff

Black Bluff in California has 7 climbing routes with alpine no fixed protection.

7 routes

5.5 – 5.12a

Alpine

Is Black Bluff open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Mountaintop Ranger District. It doesn't name Black Bluff, so check the source for the area it covers.

Radford Fire Closure Area
Agency closure covering Mountaintop Ranger District · Order 05-12-52-24-06 · USFS · Mountaintop Ranger District
Safety Alert - Falling Rocks at Bonita Falls
Agency alert covering San Bernardino National Forest · USFS · San Bernardino National Forest
Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering San Bernardino National Forest · Order 05-12-00-26-05 · USFS · San Bernardino National Forest

As of Oct 24, 6:45 pm PDT · Source: USFS · Mountaintop Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Black Bluff

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
46° / 24°
6 wet
Feb
46° / 24°
6 wet
Mar
51° / 27°
6 wet
Apr
57° / 31°
4 wet
May
66° / 37°
2 wet
Jun
75° / 43°
1 wet
Jul
80° / 50°
2 wet
Aug
79° / 49°
3 wet
Sep
73° / 44°
2 wet
Oct
63° / 35°
2 wet
Nov
53° / 28°
3 wet
Dec
46° / 24°
6 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Big Bear Lake, CA, 4.6 mi away at 6,753 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Black Bluff is a climbing area in the Mountaintop Ranger District of San Bernardino National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing faces, with the North Face and the N. Face (Right Side) both about 0.1 mile away. The area is a base for alpine-style climbing, with seven routes spread across a range of grades from 5.5 to 5.12a. Chicken Chat is the easiest at 5.5, and Green Planet is the hardest at 5.12a. Big Juan and Shout in the Dark fall in between at 5.9 and 5.11a. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the nearby Big Bear Lake weather station, which sits about 900 feet lower, show July highs around 80°F with lows near 50°F. Winter there runs much colder, with highs in the mid-40s and lows in the mid-20s. The Bluff Mesa Loop Trail is about a mile away, and Bluff Mesa Group Camp is about 1.2 miles off. Big Bear Lake, roughly 2 miles away, offers fishing, and Boulder Group Camp is about 2.8 miles away.