California · Rock climbing · Big Bear City

Central Pinnacles

Central Pinnacles in California has 13 routes across 6 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

13 routes
5.6 – 5.10c
Trad · Sport

Is Central Pinnacles open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Mountaintop Ranger District. It doesn't name Central Pinnacles, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Mountaintop Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Central Pinnacles

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

    46° / 24°

    6 wet

  2. Feb

    46° / 24°

    6 wet

  3. Mar

    51° / 27°

    6 wet

  4. Apr

    57° / 31°

    4 wet

  5. May

    66° / 37°

    2 wet

  6. Jun

    75° / 43°

    1 wet

  7. Jul

    80° / 50°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    79° / 49°

    3 wet

  9. Sep

    73° / 44°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    63° / 35°

    2 wet

  11. Nov

    53° / 28°

    3 wet

  12. Dec

    46° / 24°

    6 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Big Bear Lake, CA, 5 mi away at 6,753 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Central Pinnacles is a climbing area in the Mountaintop Ranger District of San Bernardino National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among the pinnacles, with Gunsmoke Wall and Thunderbird Wall both about 0.1 mile away, so the three make a compact cluster of rock. The area draws climbers with 13 routes, a mix of trad and sport climbing. Grades range from 5.6 to 5.10c, with a median of 5.8. Gold Standard is a sport route at 5.6, and Cool Water and Flash for Hash are trad routes at 5.7 and 5.8. Summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to climb. Typical averages from the nearby Big Bear Lake weather station run from highs of 75°F in June to 73°F in September, with lows around 43 to 49°F. That station sits about 800 feet below the pinnacles, so temperatures up high run cooler. For an overnight, Tanglewood Group Camp is about 1.3 miles away, and Van Dusen Canyon Spur is about 1.5 miles off. Big Bear Lake Recreation Area is roughly 3.4 miles away, and Holcomb Valley Ranch offers camping about 2.1 miles from the pinnacles.

Routes (13)

Bonsai Boulder(1)

[Redacted]5.10c