Lower Merced River Canyon
Lower Merced River Canyon in California has 27 climbing routes across 18 grades.
Photo: stevelyon, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 27 routes
- 5.7 – 5.13a
- Trad · Sport · Mixed
Is Lower Merced River Canyon open right now?
No closures listed
The National Park Service lists no closures for Yosemite National Park.
As of · Source: NPS · Yosemite National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Lower Merced River Canyon
Best months: March–June and September–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.
Jan
48° / 29°
9 wet
Feb
51° / 30°
9 wet
Mar
57° / 33°
10 wet
Apr
63° / 38°
8 wet
May
70° / 45°
6 wet
Jun
80° / 51°
3 wet
Jul
89° / 57°
1 wet
Aug
89° / 57°
1 wet
Sep
83° / 51°
2 wet
Oct
71° / 41°
3 wet
Nov
56° / 32°
6 wet
Dec
46° / 28°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yosemite Park Hq, CA, 7.4 mi away at 4,018 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Lower Merced River Canyon is a climbing area in Yosemite National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits within the park's boundaries, and a fee is charged for visits. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 70°F and October highs around 71°F, while July and August average highs near 89°F. Several climbing areas lie close by, including Bc. Elephant Rock Area and Elephant Rock, each about half a mile away, and Cookie Cliff, The, about 0.7 miles off. For a hike, Old Big Oak Flat Road Trail is roughly 1.3 miles away.
Routes (27)
Ab. Narrow Escape Cliff(1)
Ag. Roadside Attraction(3)
Ah. Kat Pinnacle(2)
Ai. Sunshine Cliff(3)
Ak. Wildcat Falls & Above the Cookie(4)
As. Gold Rush Area(1)
Aw. Highway Star(1)
Ay. Cream(3)
Az. Generator Station(4)
Bd. Hand Out Cliff(2)
Short Circuit Boulder(3)
Facts about this crag
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: stevelyon, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Elephant Rock
~1 min drive
Elephant Rock in California has 24 climbing routes with sport and trad options.
Photo: stevelyon, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Bc. Elephant Rock Area
~1 min drive
Bc. Elephant Rock Area is a climbing crag in California with 5 routes.
Photo: Ktr101, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)East Pillar of the Cookie
~1 min drive
East Pillar of the Cookie in California offers 12 climbing routes across 9 grades in sport and trad styles.
Photo: Ktr101, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)The Sugar Cookie
~1 min drive
11-route climbing area in California with sport and trad options.
Photo: msprague, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Ba. The Rostrum
~1 min drive
Ba. The Rostrum is a California climbing crag with 7 routes.
Photo: Ktr101, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)The Cookie Sheet
~1 min drive
Cookie Sheet, The in California has 8 climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades.
Photo: Ktr101, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Al. Knobby Wall
~2 min drive
Al. Knobby Wall in California has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.
Photo: lewinb, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Am. Pat and Jack Pinnacle
~2 min drive
Am. Pat and Jack Pinnacle in California has 40 routes with mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
Photo: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Ap. New Diversions
~2 min drive
Ap. New Diversions in California has 13 climbing routes across 9 grades.
Photo: msprague, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Ao. This and That Cliff
~2 min drive
Ao. This and That Cliff is a climbing crag in California with 8 routes.
Also worth it near here
Photo: Seth Tisue, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Old Big Oak Flat Road Trail
~2 min drive
Photo: David Hornor, CC BY 2.5 (via Wikimedia Commons)Silver Strand Falls
~4 min drive
Photo: Eeekster, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Tamarack Flat Campground
~5 min drive
Photo: Jeffrey Pang from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Dewey Point
~6 min drive
