Calavera Lake
Calavera Lake has 22 bouldering routes in California.
Photo: alicezeppelin, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 22 routes
- V0 – V5
- Bouldering
Best time to visit Calavera Lake
Best months: Year-round. 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
65° / 48°
7 wet
Feb
64° / 49°
8 wet
Mar
65° / 51°
8 wet
Apr
66° / 53°
5 wet
May
68° / 57°
3 wet
Jun
70° / 60°
1 wet
Jul
74° / 64°
1 wet
Aug
76° / 65°
1 wet
Sep
76° / 64°
2 wet
Oct
73° / 59°
4 wet
Nov
69° / 52°
6 wet
Dec
65° / 47°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Carlsbad Palomar Ap, CA, 2.6 mi away at 328 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Calavera Lake is a climbing area in California's Carlsbad Highlands Ecological Reserve, managed by State Fish and Wildlife. It sits about 0.1 mile from the James Trail, which makes it easy to pair with a walk on the surrounding network of hiking routes. The area stays mild year-round. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show highs around 65°F in winter, rising to about 76°F in late summer and early fall, with only one or two wet days a month from June through September. Several other climbing areas lie close by. Wall of Sage is about 0.4 mile away and Planet Space Ball about 0.5 mile. The Calavera Mountain Trail and South Shore Trail both start within a quarter mile.
Routes (22)
Circus Tent Boulder(3)
Diamondback Den Boulder(1)
Hornets Nest, The(1)
Lake View Boulder(4)
Lemonade Berry Boulder(1)
Lumpy Toad Boulder(1)
No Man's Land(1)
NW Water Tower Boulder(3)
Oak Riparian Park Slab(2)
Top Ramen boulder(1)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: ZachR10, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Wall of sage
~1 min drive
Wall of sage is a California climbing area with 5 bouldering routes.
Photo: ewen and donabel, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Face Climb
~30 min drive
Face Climb in California has 8 bouldering routes across 5 grades.
Photo: RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Del Poconitos
~30 min drive
Del Poconitos in California has 5 bouldering routes across 3 grades.
Photo: RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Rancho Penasquitos Canyon
~30 min drive
Rancho Penasquitos Canyon in California has 17 climbing routes with 10 difficulty grades, offering bouldering pads, mixed, and sport styles.
Planet Space Ball
~1 min drive
Planet Space Ball in California has 14 routes across 10 grades, offering bouldering and sport climbing.
Hill Top area
~7 min drive
Hill Top area in California has 22 bouldering routes across 17 grades.
VHB rock, aka RISK rock
~7 min drive
VHB rock, aka RISK rock in California has 6 bouldering routes.
OPD boulder
~7 min drive
OPD boulder is a 5-route bouldering area in California with bouldering pads.
El Corrádor, AKA The Corridor / Hill Top Area.
~7 min drive
El Corrádor is a California bouldering area with 6 routes from 5.10a to 5.11b.
Jim Thoen Boulder
~7 min drive
Jim Thoen Boulder in California has 7 bouldering routes across 5 grades.
