California · Rock climbing · Soda Springs

Dragon's Nest

Dragon's Nest in California has 5 climbing routes with sport and trad options.

5 routes
5.8 – 5.10c
Trad · Sport

Is Dragon's Nest 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 Dragon's Nest

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, 4.5 mi away at 5,937 ft. The station sits about 1,000 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.

Dragon's Nest is a climbing area in California's Tahoe National Forest, within the Truckee Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land. The climbing area holds five routes, with grades ranging from 5.8 to 5.10c. Three are trad routes and two are sport routes. Double Dragon and Enter The Dragon are both 5.8, while Dragon's Breath is the hardest at 5.10c. The names are evocative: Dragonfly and Hidden Dragon round out the list. 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 a month from July through September. That station sits roughly 1,000 feet lower than the area, so temperatures at the nest run cooler. Cuckoo's Nest and Black Wall - Upper Right are both about 0.1 mile away. The Donner Summit Lakes Trail and the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 are within a mile.

Routes (5)

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

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