California · Rock climbing · Benton

Main Island

Main Island in California has 7 sport climbing routes spanning 7 difficulty grades.

7 routes
5.8 – 5.12d
Sport

Is Main Island 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 Main Island

Best months: May–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° / 17°

  2. Feb

    41° / 18°

  3. Mar

    45° / 22°

  4. Apr

    51° / 27°

  5. May

    60° / 35°

  6. Jun

    70° / 42°

  7. Jul

    78° / 49°

  8. Aug

    77° / 47°

  9. Sep

    71° / 40°

  10. Oct

    61° / 30°

  11. Nov

    49° / 23°

  12. Dec

    41° / 17°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mammoth Lakes Rs, CA, 10.1 mi away at 7,804 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Main Island is a climbing area in California's Inyo National Forest, within the Mono Lake Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the area sits among several other climbing spots, including North Island and The Alcove, each about 0.1 mile away. The climbing here is all sport, with seven routes spread across a range from 5.8 to 5.12d. Porridge is the easiest at 5.8, and Shadow is the hardest at 5.12d. Welcome to Bohemia and Rocket in My Pocket sit in the 5.10 range, while Maltese Falcon and Dirty Dancing are 5.12a and 5.12b. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Mammoth Lakes show July highs around 78°F with lows near 49°F, while winter highs stay around 41°F. Big Springs Campground is about 3 miles away, and Glass Creek Campground is about 5 miles away. Hot Creek, a paddling spot, is roughly 9.5 miles off.

Routes (7)