California · Rock climbing · Bishop

Buttermilk Crags

Buttermilk Crags in California has 15 routes across 7 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.

Buttermilk CragsPhoto: mjhbower, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
15 routes
5.6 – 5.10c
Trad · Sport · Mixed

Is Buttermilk Crags open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Inyo National Forest.

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

Best time to visit Buttermilk Crags

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, 36 mi away at 7,020 ft. The station sits about 600 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Buttermilk Crags is a climbing area in the White Mountain Ranger District of Inyo National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Birthday Boulders and Loaf, The both about 0.1 mile away. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Huntington Lake weather station show July and August highs around 74°F with lows near 49°F and only one or two wet days a month. Winter is much colder, with January highs in the low 40s and lows in the mid-20s. For a longer outing, Mount Tom and Horton Lakes are both about 2.8 miles away. Bitterbrush Campground and Horton Creek Campground, each a little over 3 miles off, offer places to stay.

Routes (15)

Grouse Mountain(1)

The Claw5.7

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