California · Rock climbing · South Lake Tahoe

Corkscrew Area

Corkscrew Area in California has 5 trad routes on 4 difficulty grades.

Corkscrew AreaPhoto: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
5 routes
5.7 – 5.10a
Trad

Is Corkscrew Area open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. It doesn't name Corkscrew Area, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Corkscrew Area

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

    36° / 23°

    9 wet

  2. Feb

    37° / 23°

    8 wet

  3. Mar

    42° / 26°

    7 wet

  4. Apr

    48° / 29°

    5 wet

  5. May

    56° / 35°

    4 wet

  6. Jun

    66° / 42°

    2 wet

  7. Jul

    75° / 49°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    74° / 49°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    67° / 44°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    55° / 36°

    3 wet

  11. Nov

    43° / 28°

    5 wet

  12. Dec

    35° / 23°

    7 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Dagget Pass, NV, 12.8 mi away at 7,334 ft. The station sits about 700 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.

Corkscrew Area is a rock climbing area in California's Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, managed by the Forest Service. It sits within the Lake Tahoe Basin, about 12.8 miles from the Dagget Pass weather station, and its routes run from about 5.7 to 5.10a on the YDS scale. The surrounding area is also used for hiking, with the Saucer Lake Trail and Gunmount Trail each about 0.8 miles away. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical July highs reach about 75°F with lows near 49°F, and August is similar. Winters are cold, with typical January highs around 36°F and lows near 23°F. The Dagget Pass station sits a few hundred feet below the area, so temperatures here may run slightly cooler. The climbing routes are all trad, and five are listed. Corkscrew is the easiest at 5.7, and I Don't Care is the hardest at 5.10a. Boppy's Crack and Summer Breeze, both 5.8, were first ascended by Mike Corbett and Bill Serniuk in 1979. Mid Dome and Flagpole Peak Area are each about 0.1 mile away.

Routes (5)

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