California · Rock climbing · Yosemite National Park

May Lake Area

May Lake Area in California has 9 climbing routes across 7 grades.

May Lake AreaPhoto: scorpio-tiger, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
9 routes
5.6 – 5.10a/b
Trad · Alpine

Is May Lake Area 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 May Lake Area

Best months: June–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° / 13°

  2. Feb

    38° / 12°

  3. Mar

    42° / 15°

  4. Apr

    45° / 22°

  5. May

    54° / 27°

  6. Jun

    65° / 33°

  7. Jul

    71° / 38°

  8. Aug

    70° / 36°

  9. Sep

    65° / 32°

  10. Oct

    57° / 26°

  11. Nov

    47° / 20°

  12. Dec

    40° / 12°

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tuolumne Meadows Rs, CA, 9.1 mi away at 8,694 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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.

The May Lake Area is a climbing area within Yosemite National Park, part of the Yosemite Wilderness in California. The National Park Service manages the land, and the area sits inside the park's wilderness boundary. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Tuolumne Meadows show July highs around 71°F with lows near 38°F, while winter highs there stay in the low 40s. A fee is charged for activities here, so plan for that before heading out. Several climbing areas and trails are close by. The May Lake - Battle Tanks climbing area is about a mile away, and the Mount Hoffman Trail and May Lake Trail are each within about a mile. North Pines Campground is roughly 8 miles off for an overnight base.

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