The Forbidden Forest
13 bouldering routes in California spanning 9 difficulty grades.
- 13 routes
- V2-3 – V7-8
- Bouldering
Best time to visit The Forbidden Forest
Best months: October–June. 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
65° / 37°
12 wet
Feb
67° / 39°
12 wet
Mar
71° / 40°
10 wet
Apr
75° / 42°
7 wet
May
80° / 46°
4 wet
Jun
85° / 49°
2 wet
Jul
88° / 51°
0 wet
Aug
90° / 51°
1 wet
Sep
89° / 49°
1 wet
Oct
83° / 44°
4 wet
Nov
71° / 40°
8 wet
Dec
64° / 37°
12 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Ben Lomond #4, CA, 6.1 mi away at 420 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Forbidden Forest is a climbing area in California, about a mile from the town of Rincon. It sits right next to UC Santa Cruz, which is just 0.1 mile away, and the two are the closest neighbors in this cluster of climbing and hiking. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 80°F with only about four wet days, and October highs near 83°F with similar dry weather. That station sits a few hundred feet lower than the forest, so temperatures here run a little cooler. Geoff's Trail and the Rincon Trail are both about 0.4 mile away, and the Lime Kiln Trail is about half a mile off. For more climbing, the Santa Cruz area is roughly 1.6 miles away.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: npdoty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Underworld Rock
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Underworld Rock in California has 11 mixed and sport climbing routes with difficulty grades from 5.9 to 5.12c.
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Lyme Disease Rock in California has 9 sport climbing routes across 7 grades.
Photo: btwashburn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)The Muffins
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Muffins, The is a climbing crag in California with 8 routes.
Photo: btwashburn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Lower Muffins
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Lower Muffins in California has 6 climbing routes with 5 difficulty grades.
Photo: Vadim Manuylov, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Waterfall Cliff
~27 min drive
Waterfall Cliff in California has 18 routes with 11 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
Photo: Doug Olson, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Yabo Zone
~27 min drive
Yabo Zone is a 7-route bouldering area in California using bouldering pads.
Photo: npdoty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Mr Magoo Boulder
~27 min drive
Mr Magoo Boulder is a 25-route bouldering crag in California with 13 difficulty grades.
Photo: npdoty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)The Beak
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Beak, The is a 6-route bouldering crag in California with routes across 6 difficulty grades.
Photo: npdoty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Castle Rock Proper
~27 min drive
Castle Rock Proper in California has 19 climbing routes across 16 difficulty grades, offering bouldering pads, mixed, and sport styles.
Photo: npdoty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)360 Degree Boulder
~27 min drive
360 Degree Boulder in California has 5 bouldering routes across 3 difficulty grades.
