California · Rock climbing · Mammoth Lakes

Mammoth Lakes Area

Mammoth Lakes Area in California has 21 climbing routes across 14 difficulty grades.

21 routes
5.6 – 5.12d
Sport · Trad · Alpine

Is Mammoth Lakes Area 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 Mammoth Lakes Area

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, 0.9 mi away at 7,804 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Mammoth Lakes Area is a climbing area in California's Inyo National Forest, within the Mammoth Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the surrounding cluster of climbing spots and trails makes this a compact hub for rock and boulder climbing, with routes close enough to link easily with hiking and camping. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Mammoth Lakes put July highs around 78°F with lows near 49°F, while winter brings highs around 41°F and lows near 17°F. The area holds 21 routes, with sport and trad styles making up the bulk. The grade range runs from 5.6 up to 5.12d, with examples like Stick With It (5.6, trad) and Jalapeno (5.11d, sport). Alpine climbing is also represented by Why Ya Sufferin'?, rated 5.8. Mammoth Creek Road and College Boulder sit just a short distance away. New Shady Rest Campground and the Mammoth Rock Trail are both within a mile, so it's easy to string together a day on the rock with an overnight stay.

Routes (21)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Sector FPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sector F

~4 min drive

Sector F is a California bouldering crag with 8 routes.

Sector APhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sector A

~4 min drive

Sector A is a California bouldering crag with 18 routes across 6 grades.

Sector CPhoto: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sector C

~4 min drive

Sector C is a 5-route bouldering area in California with routes spanning 5 difficulty grades.

Sister BoulderPhoto: inkknife_2000 (14 million views), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sister Boulder

~6 min drive

8 bouldering routes at Sister Boulder in California, grades 5.10a to 5.12c.

T J SlabsPhoto: inkknife_2000 (14 million views), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

T J Slabs

~7 min drive

T J Slabs in California has 6 bouldering routes with 5 difficulty grades.

Horseshoe Slabs BoulderPhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Horseshoe Slabs Boulder

~7 min drive

Horseshoe Slabs Boulder has 8 bouldering routes in California.

T J LakePhoto: mjhbower, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

T J Lake

~7 min drive

T J Lake is a California climbing area with 4 routes across 4 grades.

Horseshoe SlabsPhoto: inkknife_2000 (14 million views), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Horseshoe Slabs

~7 min drive

16-route climbing area in California with mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Spring WallPhoto: inkknife_2000 (14 million views), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Spring Wall

~7 min drive

13 routes at Spring Wall in California range across 10 difficulty grades.

Mammoth Creek Road

~0 min drive

Mammoth Creek Road is a bouldering crag in California with 1 route.