California · Rock climbing · Idyllwild

Elephant Man Boulder

Elephant Man Boulder in California has 5 bouldering routes with pads.

Photo: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

5 routes

V0+ – V2-3

Bouldering

Is Elephant Man Boulder open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for San Bernardino National Forest.

Safety Alert - Falling Rocks at Bonita Falls
Agency alert covering San Bernardino National Forest · USFS · San Bernardino National Forest
Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering San Bernardino National Forest · Order 05-12-00-26-05 · USFS · San Bernardino National Forest

As of Oct 24, 7:55 pm PDT · Source: USFS · San Bernardino National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Elephant Man Boulder

Best months: April–July and September–November. 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
55° / 31°
7 wet · 2 snow
Feb
54° / 30°
7 wet · 3 snow
Mar
59° / 32°
6 wet · 2 snow
Apr
64° / 35°
4 wet · 1 snow
May
71° / 41°
2 wet
Jun
80° / 48°
1 wet
Jul
85° / 55°
2 wet
Aug
86° / 55°
3 wet
Sep
81° / 50°
2 wet
Oct
72° / 42°
2 wet
Nov
62° / 35°
4 wet · 1 snow
Dec
54° / 30°
6 wet · 2 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Idyllwild Fire Dept, CA, 1.7 mi away at 5,380 ft. The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Elephant Man Boulder is a bouldering area on Forest Service land in the San Jacinto Ranger District of San Bernardino National Forest, in California. The surrounding district and national forest make it a natural fit for climbers already exploring the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains. The bouldering here is all on rock, with five routes grouped around the Elephant Man name. Most of them are rated V0+ or V1, and one runs up to V2-3. The routes include Elephant Man Arete at V0+, Elephant Man Corridor V1 and Elephant Man Corridor V2/3, so climbers can choose from a range of grades within a small cluster of boulders. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the Idyllwild Fire Dept weather station, about 1.7 miles away, show May highs near 71°F and October highs near 72°F. That station sits roughly 1,100 feet below the boulders, so temperatures here run cooler. Mantel Boulder and Cat Boulder are both about 0.1 mile away, and the South Ridge hike starts just as close. For an overnight stay, Fern Basin campground is about 4.4 miles off.