California · Rock climbing · Nevada City

Bowman Valley

Bowman Valley in California has 24 climbing routes with 18 difficulty grades.

24 routes
5.6 – 5.12
Sport · Bouldering · Trad

Is Bowman Valley open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Tahoe National Forest.

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

Best time to visit Bowman Valley

Best months: April–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

    46° / 29°

  2. Feb

    47° / 28°

  3. Mar

    49° / 30°

  4. Apr

    55° / 33°

  5. May

    64° / 40°

  6. Jun

    73° / 47°

  7. Jul

    82° / 54°

  8. Aug

    81° / 54°

  9. Sep

    77° / 51°

  10. Oct

    66° / 42°

  11. Nov

    54° / 34°

  12. Dec

    45° / 29°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bowman Dam, CA, 1 mi away at 5,385 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Bowman Valley is a climbing area in California's Tahoe National Forest, within the Yuba River Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the area sits about a mile from the Bowman Dam weather station, which makes it easy to pair with a stop at the dam. The climbing here is sport-based, with 21 sport routes and one trad route among the 24 listed. The grades run from 5.6 up to 5.12, with a median of 5.10b. Boulderers will find two boulder problems, one of which is rated V8. Some of the named routes include Easy Breezy (5.6), West Wind (5.8+), High Lands (5.10b) and Gangrene (5.12). Summer is the warmest stretch. Typical averages from the nearby Bowman Dam station put July highs around 82°F with lows near 54°F, while winter highs sit in the mid-40s. The Cove and Candy Land are both climbing areas within a quarter mile. For time off the rock, Bowman Mountain is about 2 miles away, and Lindsey Lake campground is also about 2 miles off.

Routes (24)

Downstream Crag, The(1)

Rockytop5.10b

Island In The Sky (aka Bowman Lake Dome)(1)

Paradise @ 55005.10d

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