California · Rock climbing · Swall Meadows

Cracked Towers

12 mixed climbing routes at Cracked Towers in California, grades 5.5 to 5.12a.

Cracked TowersPhoto: Ben Chun, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
12 routes
5.7 – 5.12c
Sport · Trad · Mixed

Is Cracked Towers open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Inyo National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Inyo National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Cracked Towers

Best months: April–May and 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

    56° / 24°

    4 wet

  2. Feb

    59° / 26°

    4 wet

  3. Mar

    67° / 31°

    3 wet

  4. Apr

    74° / 37°

    2 wet

  5. May

    83° / 44°

    2 wet

  6. Jun

    94° / 51°

    1 wet

  7. Jul

    100° / 57°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    98° / 54°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    90° / 47°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    78° / 37°

    1 wet

  11. Nov

    64° / 27°

    2 wet

  12. Dec

    55° / 22°

    3 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bishop Ap, CA, 16.1 mi away at 4,102 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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.

Cracked Towers is a climbing area in California's Inyo National Forest, within the White Mountain Ranger District. It sits on city land, and the closest neighbors are the Gotham City and Dihedrals climbing areas, both about 0.1 mile away. The area has 12 routes, with sport climbing making up seven of them and trad accounting for four. Grades run from 5.7 to 5.12c, with the hardest route being Wooly Bugger, a 5.12c sport climb. The mix of styles and grade range gives climbers options for both sport and trad, from easier to more challenging outings. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the Bishop airport weather station, about 16 miles away, show April highs near 74°F and October highs near 78°F, while July averages around 100°F and winter lows drop to about 22°F. Lower Rock Creek Trail, Section 3, is about 2.7 miles away, and the Sand Canyon mountain biking area is about 3.7 miles off. Tuff Campground and Holiday Campground, both within about 6 miles, are the nearest places to camp.

Routes (12)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Gotham CityPhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Gotham City

~0 min drive

Gotham City, California has 21 climbing routes ranging across 13 grades, offering sport and trad options.

DihedralsPhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Dihedrals

~0 min drive

Dihedrals in California has 27 climbing routes across 16 grades, featuring sport and trad styles.

All You Can EatPhoto: Ben Chun, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

All You Can Eat

~0 min drive

All You Can Eat is a California climbing crag with 15 routes.

SanitariumPhoto: Ben Chun, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sanitarium

~0 min drive

Sanitarium in California has 6 sport climbing routes across 4 grades.

Upper Elbow RoomPhoto: Ben Chun, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Upper Elbow Room

~0 min drive

Upper Elbow Room in California has 12 climbing routes across 9 grades, offering sport and trad styles.

Junior AreaPhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Junior Area

~0 min drive

5 sport climbing routes at Junior Area in California.

Trestle WallPhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Trestle Wall

~0 min drive

Trestle Wall is a California climbing crag with 8 sport routes across 8 difficulty grades.

Warm Out WallPhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Warm Out Wall

~0 min drive

Warm Out Wall is a California climbing crag with 7 routes.

Upper GorgePhoto: Ben Chun, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Upper Gorge

~0 min drive

Upper Gorge in California has 11 climbing routes across 10 difficulty grades, featuring sport and trad styles.

North GorgePhoto: Ben Chun, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

North Gorge

~0 min drive

North Gorge in California has 4 routes with sport and trad options.