California · Rock climbing · Los Gatos

Lower Muffins

Lower Muffins in California has 6 climbing routes with 5 difficulty grades.

Photo: btwashburn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

6 routes

5.7+ – 5.11b/c

Sport · Bouldering

Best time to visit Lower Muffins

Best months: April–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
55° / 41°
14 wet
Feb
55° / 40°
14 wet
Mar
58° / 41°
13 wet
Apr
62° / 43°
10 wet
May
67° / 47°
7 wet
Jun
75° / 52°
3 wet
Jul
81° / 58°
1 wet
Aug
81° / 59°
1 wet
Sep
79° / 57°
2 wet
Oct
71° / 52°
6 wet
Nov
60° / 44°
11 wet
Dec
54° / 40°
15 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Skyline Ridge Preserve, CA, 7.5 mi away at 2,270 ft. The station sits about 500 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.

Lower Muffins is a climbing area in Castle Rock State Park in California, managed by State Park and Recreation. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with The Muffins and Waterfall Cliff each about 0.1 mile away and Last Temptation Cliff about 0.2 mile off. The Ridge Trail is also within 0.2 mile, so it pairs easily with a day on the rock. The climbing here is sport, with one boulder route. Of the six routes, five are sport and range from 5.7+ to 5.11b/c, with Corn Muffin and Jelly Roll both at 5.10d. Burnt Muffin is the hardest at 5.11b/c. The boulder route is rated V6. Summer is the driest and warmest stretch. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 81°F with only about one wet day a month, while winter brings highs in the mid-50s and rain on roughly 14 to 15 days a month. That station sits about 500 feet lower than the park, so temperatures on the cliffs run a little cooler.