California · Rock climbing · South Lake Tahoe

Cal Trans Wall

Cal Trans Wall is a California climbing crag with 6 sport routes.

Cal Trans WallPhoto: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
6 routes
5.6 – 5.9-
Sport

Is Cal Trans Wall open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. It doesn't name Cal Trans Wall, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Cal Trans Wall

Best months: May–September. 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° / 18°

    9 wet

  2. Feb

    43° / 19°

    9 wet

  3. Mar

    48° / 24°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    53° / 28°

    8 wet

  5. May

    62° / 33°

    7 wet

  6. Jun

    72° / 38°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    80° / 43°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    80° / 41°

    2 wet

  9. Sep

    73° / 35°

    3 wet

  10. Oct

    62° / 29°

    5 wet

  11. Nov

    51° / 23°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    43° / 18°

    10 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at South Lake Tahoe Ap, CA, 4.7 mi away at 6,314 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Cal Trans Wall is a sport climbing area in California's Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, managed by the Forest Service. It sits within the Lake Tahoe Basin, about 0.1 mile from Guntower Wall and the Gunmount Trail, and about 0.5 mile from the Pacific Crest Trail. The climbing here is all sport, with six routes ranging from 5.6 to 5.9-. The easiest are 4X4 and R1_, both 5.6, and the hardest is Cal Trans Wall Mystery Route#1 at 5.9-. The routes were first ascended by Todd Offenbacher and Abe Greenspan. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at South Lake Tahoe show July and August highs around 80°F with lows in the low 40s and only about two wet days a month. Winter is much colder, with highs in the low 40s and lows near 18°F. Nearby, Toltec Boulder is about 0.4 mile away, and Fallen Leaf Campground is about 5.8 miles away. The Upper Truckee River, about 2.3 miles off, offers paddling.

Routes (6)

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