California · Rock climbing · Badger

Chimney Spire

Chimney Spire in California offers 6 climbing routes with mixed and traditional styles.

6 routes

5.9 – 5.11

Trad · Mixed

Is Chimney Spire open right now?

No closures listed

The National Park Service lists no closures for Kings Canyon National Park.

As of Oct 24, 10:30 am PDT · Source: NPS · Kings Canyon National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Chimney Spire

Best months: June–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
39° / 17°
9 wet · 8 snow
Feb
41° / 18°
10 wet · 8 snow
Mar
45° / 22°
10 wet · 8 snow
Apr
50° / 26°
8 wet · 5 snow
May
58° / 33°
5 wet · 2 snow
Jun
68° / 40°
3 wet
Jul
76° / 46°
2 wet
Aug
76° / 44°
2 wet
Sep
70° / 39°
2 wet
Oct
59° / 31°
4 wet · 1 snow
Nov
47° / 23°
6 wet · 4 snow
Dec
37° / 17°
8 wet · 6 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lodgepole, CA, 8.2 mi away at 6,735 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Chimney Spire is a climbing area in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness, within Kings Canyon National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among the park's backcountry, and the closest named climbing area is Crystal Wall, about 0.2 miles away. The climbing here is trad, with one mixed route, and the grades run from 5.9 up to 5.11. The easiest route is Duet at 5.9, and the hardest is A Few Good Men at 5.11. The Beckey Route and Kitty From Hell are both 5.10b and 5.10d. The area is a compact cluster of routes, so it works well as a single-day objective. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the Lodgepole weather station, about 8 miles away, show July and August highs around 76°F with lows in the mid-40s and only a couple of wet days a month. Winter brings highs in the upper 30s and regular snow days. Nearby, Big Baldy is about a mile away, and the Fir Group and Cove Group campgrounds are both within 2 miles. The Muir Grove hike is about 2.2 miles off.