California · Rock climbing · Idyllwild

Cat Boulder

Cat Boulder in California offers 6 bouldering routes across 5 difficulty grades.

Photo: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

6 routes

V2 – V5

Bouldering

Is Cat Boulder open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for San Bernardino National Forest.

Safety Alert - Falling Rocks at Bonita Falls
Agency alert covering San Bernardino National Forest · USFS · San Bernardino National Forest
Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering San Bernardino National Forest · Order 05-12-00-26-05 · USFS · San Bernardino National Forest

As of Oct 24, 6:45 pm PDT · Source: USFS · San Bernardino National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Cat Boulder

Best months: April–July and September–November. 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
55° / 31°
7 wet · 2 snow
Feb
54° / 30°
7 wet · 3 snow
Mar
59° / 32°
6 wet · 2 snow
Apr
64° / 35°
4 wet · 1 snow
May
71° / 41°
2 wet
Jun
80° / 48°
1 wet
Jul
85° / 55°
2 wet
Aug
86° / 55°
3 wet
Sep
81° / 50°
2 wet
Oct
72° / 42°
2 wet
Nov
62° / 35°
4 wet · 1 snow
Dec
54° / 30°
6 wet · 2 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Idyllwild Fire Dept, CA, 1.6 mi away at 5,380 ft. The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Cat Boulder is a bouldering area in California's San Bernardino National Forest, within the San Jacinto Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the boulders sit close together with other climbing and hiking destinations, making this a compact corner for those who like to stack a few objectives in one outing. The climbing here is all boulder problems, with six routes on record and grades ranging from V2 to V5 on the V scale. The highest-graded route is Big Electric Cat at V5, and Cat People at V4 was first climbed by Michael Paul in 1984. The most comfortable weather comes in late spring and early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Idyllwild, about 1.6 miles away, show May highs around 71°F and October highs around 72°F, while winter brings highs in the mid-50s and a few snow days each month. Mantel Boulder and South Ridge Boulders are both about 0.1 mile away, and the South Ridge hike starts at a similar distance. For an overnight base, Fern Basin campground is roughly 4.4 miles off.