California · Rock climbing · Hume

Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon in California has 20 climbing routes across 12 grades, featuring mixed, sport, and trad styles.

20 routes
5.5 – 5.12a
Trad · Sport · Mixed

Is Kings Canyon open right now?

No closures listed

The National Park Service lists no closures for Kings Canyon National Park.

As of · Source: NPS · Kings Canyon National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Kings Canyon

Best months: February–May and October–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.

  1. Jan

    58° / 30°

    4 wet

  2. Feb

    61° / 33°

    4 wet

  3. Mar

    69° / 39°

    3 wet

  4. Apr

    76° / 44°

    1 wet

  5. May

    85° / 53°

    1 wet

  6. Jun

    96° / 62°

    1 wet

  7. Jul

    102° / 67°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    101° / 65°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    93° / 58°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    81° / 48°

    1 wet

  11. Nov

    67° / 36°

    2 wet

  12. Dec

    57° / 29°

    4 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Independence, CA, 27.2 mi away at 3,950 ft. The station sits about 700 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.

Kings Canyon is a climbing area within Kings Canyon National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits among the park's own boundaries, and the closest trailheads and routes lie just a short distance away. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Independence show April highs around 76°F and October highs around 81°F, while July and August average in the low 100s. Lower Lewis Creek and the Lewis Creek Trailhead are both about 0.2 miles away. The South Fork Kings River, about 1.4 miles off, offers paddling, and Sentinel Campground, roughly 1.5 miles away, has saltwater fishing.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive