Forty Licks
Forty Licks in California has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad styles.
- 6 routes
- 5.8 – 5.11c/d
- Sport · Trad
Is Forty Licks open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Sierra National Forest. It doesn't name Forty Licks, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).
Safety Tips for Burned Areas: Garnet Fire Area
Agency closure covering Sierra National Forest · USFS · Sierra National Forest
Wilderness Food and Refuse Storage
Agency closure covering Sierra National Forest · Order 05-15-00-26-03 · USFS · Sierra National Forest
Food and Refuse Storage
Agency closure covering Sierra National Forest · Order 05-15-00-26-02 · USFS · Sierra National Forest
Forest Order removes Fish Camp, Soda Springs, and Little Jackass from closure list
Agency alert covering Sierra National Forest · Order 05-15-00-26-11 · USFS · Sierra National Forest
Ansel Adams and John Muir Wilderness Campfire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Sierra National Forest · Order 05-15-00-26-09 · USFS · Sierra National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Sierra National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Forty Licks
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
43° / 24°
11 wet
Feb
44° / 23°
11 wet
Mar
46° / 26°
10 wet
Apr
50° / 29°
8 wet
May
56° / 36°
6 wet
Jun
66° / 42°
3 wet
Jul
74° / 49°
2 wet
Aug
74° / 49°
1 wet
Sep
68° / 44°
2 wet
Oct
58° / 37°
4 wet
Nov
49° / 31°
8 wet
Dec
44° / 25°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Huntington Lake, CA, 19.1 mi away at 7,020 ft. The station sits about 600 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.
Forty Licks is a climbing area in the Bass Lake Ranger District of Sierra National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Half Day Dome about 0.1 mile away and Quarter Day Dome about 0.2 mile away. The area has six routes, four of which are sport and two are trad. Grades run from 5.8 up to 5.11c/d, with the hardest route named Forty Licks. Tasty buds is a 5.10c sport route, and Cornered is a 5.11a sport route. The Anderson clan and Jeff Scheurell are among the climbers who have left their mark on the area. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the Huntington Lake weather station, about 19 miles away, show July and August highs around 74°F with lows near 49°F and only one or two wet days a month. Winter is much colder, with January highs around 43°F and lows near 24°F. For a longer outing, the Central Trail is about 2 miles away and Texas Flat campground is about 3.7 miles away.
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