Dark Side
Dark Side is a climbing crag in California with 8 routes.
- 8 routes
- 5.9 – 5.12c
- Sport · Trad · Mixed
Is Dark Side open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Sierra National Forest. It doesn't name Dark Side, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).
Safety Tips for Burned Areas: Garnet Fire Area
Agency closure covering Sierra National Forest · USFS · Sierra National Forest
Wilderness Food and Refuse Storage
Agency closure covering Sierra National Forest · Order 05-15-00-26-03 · USFS · Sierra National Forest
Food and Refuse Storage
Agency closure covering Sierra National Forest · Order 05-15-00-26-02 · USFS · Sierra National Forest
Forest Order removes Fish Camp, Soda Springs, and Little Jackass from closure list
Agency alert covering Sierra National Forest · Order 05-15-00-26-11 · USFS · Sierra National Forest
Ansel Adams and John Muir Wilderness Campfire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Sierra National Forest · Order 05-15-00-26-09 · USFS · Sierra National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Sierra National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Dark Side
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.
Jan
43° / 24°
11 wet
Feb
44° / 23°
11 wet
Mar
46° / 26°
10 wet
Apr
50° / 29°
8 wet
May
56° / 36°
6 wet
Jun
66° / 42°
3 wet
Jul
74° / 49°
2 wet
Aug
74° / 49°
1 wet
Sep
68° / 44°
2 wet
Oct
58° / 37°
4 wet
Nov
49° / 31°
8 wet
Dec
44° / 25°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Huntington Lake, CA, 15.2 mi away at 7,020 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Dark Side is a climbing area in the Bass Lake Ranger District of Sierra National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Main Wall and Main Wall - Lower Left both about 0.1 mile away. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Huntington Lake weather station show July and August highs around 74°F with lows near 49°F and only one or two wet days a month. Winter is much colder, with January highs in the low 40s and lows in the mid-20s. The Shuteye Lookout Trail is about 0.8 mile away, and the Sleeper Trail is about 1.2 miles off. For an overnight stay, Soda Springs campground is about 2.2 miles away, and Gaggs Camp is about 2.4 miles away.
Routes (8)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Guywelch2000, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Main Wall - Lower Left
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