The Grotto
22-route sport climbing crag in California with 11 difficulty grades
Photo: Churnice, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 22 routes
- 5.7 – 5.12b
- Sport
Is Grotto, The open right now?
No closures listed
The National Park Service lists no closures for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
As of · Source: NPS · Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The Grotto
Best months: October–May. 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
70° / 43°
6 wet
Feb
70° / 44°
7 wet
Mar
74° / 46°
6 wet
Apr
78° / 48°
3 wet
May
82° / 53°
1 wet
Jun
89° / 57°
0 wet
Jul
95° / 61°
0 wet
Aug
97° / 61°
0 wet
Sep
94° / 59°
1 wet
Oct
85° / 53°
2 wet
Nov
76° / 46°
3 wet
Dec
69° / 42°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Woodland Hills Pierce College, CA, 20.6 mi away at 790 ft. The station sits about 1,400 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Grotto is a climbing area in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, managed by the National Park Service. It sits within the recreation area's network of climbing spots and is close to several other climbing areas, so it works well as a stop among them rather than a destination in isolation. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show April highs around 78°F with lows near 48°F, and November highs around 76°F, while summer highs reach the mid-90s. That station sits well below the Grotto, so temperatures up high run cooler. Several climbing areas sit about 0.1 mile away, including Left Flank, Upper Tier, The and Java Wall. The Mishe Mokwa Trail starts about 0.3 mile off, and Circle X Ranch Group Campground is about 1.2 miles away for an overnight stay.
Routes (22)
Facts about this crag
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