Black Tower
Black Tower in California has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades, featuring bouldering pads, sport, and trad.
Photo: regexman, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 6 routes
- 5.7 – 5.9
- Sport · Trad · Bouldering
Best time to visit Black Tower
Best months: February–November. 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
54° / 39°
13 wet
Feb
56° / 40°
11 wet
Mar
60° / 41°
11 wet
Apr
66° / 42°
8 wet
May
73° / 47°
4 wet
Jun
80° / 51°
1 wet
Jul
85° / 54°
0 wet
Aug
84° / 54°
0 wet
Sep
81° / 53°
1 wet
Oct
72° / 50°
4 wet
Nov
60° / 43°
9 wet
Dec
53° / 39°
13 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Angwin Pacific Union College, CA, 11.3 mi away at 1,715 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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 Tower is a climbing area in Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in California, managed by State Park and Recreation. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Kimball Canyon Crag just 0.1 mile away and The Far Side and Far Side Gallery each about 0.2 mile off. That makes it an easy addition to a day exploring the park's other crags. The area has six routes in total, with four sport routes and one each of bouldering and trad climbing. The sport routes run from 5.7 to 5.9, and the trad route, "Black Arrow," is 5.7+. Among the sport options, Sky Raider is 5.8, and Barrel Roll is 5.9. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 73°F and October highs around 72°F, while July and August average highs in the mid-80s and winter brings the most wet days. That station sits roughly 1,500 feet below the crag, so temperatures on the rock run cooler. The Mount Saint Helena Trail and the Stevenson Memorial Trail are both about 1.2 miles away, and Maacama Creek, a paddling spot, lies about 7.4 miles off.
Routes (6)
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