California · Rock climbing · Soda Springs

Donner Pass

Donner Pass is a bouldering area in California with 13 routes.

13 routes
V0 – V11
Bouldering

Is Donner Pass open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Tahoe National Forest.

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

Best time to visit Donner Pass

Best months: May–September. 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

    41° / 17°

    11 wet

  2. Feb

    43° / 18°

    10 wet

  3. Mar

    48° / 22°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    53° / 26°

    7 wet

  5. May

    63° / 33°

    6 wet

  6. Jun

    73° / 38°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    82° / 44°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    81° / 42°

    2 wet

  9. Sep

    74° / 36°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    63° / 29°

    4 wet

  11. Nov

    49° / 23°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    39° / 17°

    10 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Donner Mem Sp, CA, 4.4 mi away at 5,937 ft. The station sits about 900 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.

Donner Pass is a climbing area in California's Tahoe National Forest, within the Truckee Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the pass sits at the heart of a cluster of bouldering spots, with the Black Wall climbing area just 0.1 mile away. The climbing here is all bouldering, and the routes run from V0 to V11. The hardest of them, The Drawing of the Three, is a V11, while Incitement of Insurrection is a V0. The area's bouldering draws climbers to the Black Wall, which sits right beside the pass. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 82°F with lows near 44°F, and only about two wet days that month. Winter is much colder, with January highs around 41°F and lows near 17°F. For a longer outing, the Donner Summit Lakes Trail starts about 0.7 mile away, and the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 passes within a mile. Milton Reservoir, about 1.8 miles off, offers fishing, and Granite Flat campground is roughly 6 miles away.

Routes (13)

White Lines Boulder(1)

White LinesV8

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Cuckoo's NestPhoto: donner summit historical society, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Cuckoo's Nest

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Cuckoo's Nest in California has 8 climbing routes with mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Grouse #6Photo: Jonathan Fox, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Grouse #6

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Grouse #6 in California has 4 bouldering routes across 3 difficulty grades.

The PerchPhoto: Dana L. Brown, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Perch

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Perch, The in California has 6 trad climbing routes across 5 grades.

East FacePhoto: Jonathan Fox, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

East Face

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East Face in California has 24 climbing routes across 13 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Black Wall - Left

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Black Wall - Left in California has 38 climbing routes.

Black Wall

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Black Wall in California has 4 trad routes with 4 distinct difficulty grades.

Black Wall - Right

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Black Wall - Right in California has 14 climbing routes across 12 grades.

Black Wall - Upper Right

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Black Wall - Upper Right in California has 5 climbing routes with mixed protection.

Shark Wall

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Shark Wall in California has 5 climbing routes with sport and trad options.

Dragon's Nest

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