California · Rock climbing · Lee Vining

Lee Vining Canyon / Tioga Road

Near Lee Vining

Lee Vining Canyon / Tioga RoadPhoto: Seth Tisue, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
19 routes
5.8 – 5.12a
Alpine · Trad · Sport

Is Lee Vining Canyon / Tioga Road open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Inyo National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Inyo National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Lee Vining Canyon / Tioga Road

Best months: June–September. 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

    41° / 13°

  2. Feb

    38° / 12°

  3. Mar

    42° / 15°

  4. Apr

    45° / 22°

  5. May

    54° / 27°

  6. Jun

    65° / 33°

  7. Jul

    71° / 38°

  8. Aug

    70° / 36°

  9. Sep

    65° / 32°

  10. Oct

    57° / 26°

  11. Nov

    47° / 20°

  12. Dec

    40° / 12°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tuolumne Meadows Rs, CA, 7.9 mi away at 8,694 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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.

Lee Vining Canyon / Tioga Road is a climbing area in California's Ansel Adams Wilderness, within the Mono Lake Ranger District of Inyo National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route network sits along Tioga Road, about 1.2 miles from Big Bend Campground and 1.3 miles from Ellery Campground. The climbing here is alpine in style, with 19 routes spread across the canyon. Alpine routes make up nine of them, and the grade range runs from 5.8 to 5.12a, with a median of 5.10c. Sport routes include Unknown A at 5.8 and Brake Lining Blues at 5.10b, while Queen Jane and Right Chicken Foot Crack are alpine at 5.10d and 5.10c. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Tuolumne Meadows, which sits about 1,600 feet lower, show July highs around 71°F and lows near 38°F. That station's figures are not directly comparable to the canyon's higher elevation, so expect cooler temperatures up top. Several other climbing areas lie within a few tenths of a mile, including Dinosaur Crag and Demonology Cliff Band. The Warren Fork Trail and Nunatak Tioga Tarns Trail are both within about 1.6 miles.

Routes (19)

Bard Harrington Wall(1)

Barbarians Near the Gate5.10b

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