The Emeralds
Emeralds, The in California has 4 climbing routes on 3 difficulty grades.
- 4 routes
- 5.9 – 5.11c
- Sport · Mixed
Is Emeralds, The open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Tahoe National Forest.
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Tahoe National Forest · Order 17-26-25 · USFS · Tahoe National Forest
Camping and Campfire Restrictions-Truckee and Sierraville Districts
Agency alert covering Tahoe National Forest · Order 17-25-05 · USFS · Tahoe National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Tahoe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The Emeralds
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
44° / 25°
Feb
46° / 26°
Mar
51° / 27°
Apr
56° / 30°
May
64° / 37°
Jun
75° / 43°
Jul
82° / 48°
Aug
82° / 47°
Sep
76° / 44°
Oct
65° / 37°
Nov
51° / 30°
Dec
43° / 25°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lake Spaulding, CA, 0.4 mi away at 5,156 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Emeralds is a climbing area in California's Tahoe National Forest, within the Yuba River Ranger District. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Camo Crag about 0.2 miles away and The Bear's Lair about 0.3 miles away, making it easy to pair with other routes in the same corner of the forest. The area's four routes run from about 5.9 to 5.11c on the YDS scale. Three are sport routes, and one, Bear Box, is a mixed climb. The hardest of them, Juluka, is a 5.11c sport route. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the nearby Lake Spaulding weather station, at about 5,150 feet, show July and August highs around 82°F with lows in the upper 40s, while winter highs sit in the low to mid 40s. The Sierra Discovery Trail and Spaulding Lake Trail are both within about 1.5 miles, and Rucker Lake campground is about 2.6 miles away.
Routes (4)
Flume Face, The(1)
Oasis, The(2)
Spaulding Campground(1)
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