California · Rock climbing · Santa Barbara

Main Saddle

Main Saddle is a California climbing area with 14 routes and 12 difficulty grades.

14 routes
V0 – V7
Bouldering

Is Main Saddle open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Los Padres National Forest.

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

Best time to visit Main Saddle

Best months: October–May. 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

    61° / 33°

    6 wet

  2. Feb

    62° / 34°

    6 wet

  3. Mar

    66° / 37°

    5 wet

  4. Apr

    71° / 40°

    3 wet

  5. May

    80° / 45°

    2 wet

  6. Jun

    88° / 51°

    0 wet

  7. Jul

    95° / 57°

    0 wet

  8. Aug

    94° / 56°

    0 wet

  9. Sep

    89° / 52°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    78° / 43°

    1 wet

  11. Nov

    68° / 36°

    3 wet

  12. Dec

    61° / 32°

    5 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at New Cuyama Fire Stn, CA, 31.3 mi away at 2,160 ft. The station sits about 1,300 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.

Main Saddle is a bouldering area in the Santa Barbara Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest in California, about 30 miles from the town of Santa Barbara. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with the Morning Glory and Jacked and Tan areas each about 0.1 mile away. The area is a bouldering destination, with 14 routes spread across the V0 to V7 range on the V scale. The easiest is Awesome, or Hella Stupid? at V0, and the hardest is Overtaker at V7. The Old Man Project is a V5-6 project. Most of the routes are boulders, and the area is best suited to climbers who enjoy the bouldering style. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show April highs around 71°F and October highs around 78°F, while July and August average in the mid-90s. That station sits well below the saddle, so temperatures here run cooler. For more time on the rock, the Tunnel Connector and Rock Garden Trail hikes are each about a mile away. Upper Oso Campground, roughly 6 miles off, offers a place to stay.

Routes (14)

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