California · Rock climbing · Mount Shasta

Cantara Loop

Cantara Loop in California has 7 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad options.

7 routes

5.6 – 5.11a

Sport · Trad

Best time to visit Cantara Loop

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.

Jan
44° / 27°
13 wet
Feb
48° / 28°
12 wet
Mar
53° / 31°
13 wet
Apr
59° / 34°
11 wet
May
68° / 40°
9 wet
Jun
76° / 46°
5 wet
Jul
85° / 51°
2 wet
Aug
84° / 49°
2 wet
Sep
78° / 44°
3 wet
Oct
64° / 38°
6 wet
Nov
50° / 31°
11 wet
Dec
43° / 27°
13 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mt Shasta, CA, 3.9 mi away at 3,613 ft. The station sits about 800 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.

Cantara Loop is a climbing area in California's Cantara-Ney Springs Wildlife Area, managed by State Fish and Wildlife. It sits within the wildlife area's network of trails and waterways, and the Sacramento River runs about half a mile away. The climbing here is a mix of sport and trad routes, with eight routes in total. The grades range from 5.6 to 5.11a, and the hardest is The Roof, a sport route at 5.11a. Komatose, a sport route at 5.10a, was first climbed by Shawn Moore in 2015. For comfortable weather, late spring and early fall are the sweet spots. Typical averages from the nearby Mt Shasta weather station show May highs around 68°F and September highs around 78°F, with only a few wet days in each month. That station sits about 800 feet lower than the area, so temperatures at the loop run cooler. Nearby, Ney Springs Creek and Fairy Falls are both hikes within about a mile and a half. Castle Lake Campground is roughly 4 miles away, and the Mount Shasta Area climbing area is about 3 miles off.