The Moon
7 climbing routes in California, grades 5.10 to 5.12, sport and trad.
- 7 routes
- 5.9- – 5.11a/b
- Sport · Trad
Is Moon, The open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Tahoe National Forest.
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Tahoe National Forest · Order 17-26-25 · USFS · Tahoe National Forest
Camping and Campfire Restrictions-Truckee and Sierraville Districts
Agency alert covering Tahoe National Forest · Order 17-25-05 · USFS · Tahoe National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Tahoe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The Moon
Best months: May–October. 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
44° / 25°
Feb
46° / 26°
Mar
51° / 27°
Apr
56° / 30°
May
64° / 37°
Jun
75° / 43°
Jul
82° / 48°
Aug
82° / 47°
Sep
76° / 44°
Oct
65° / 37°
Nov
51° / 30°
Dec
43° / 25°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lake Spaulding, CA, 0.7 mi away at 5,156 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Moon is a climbing area in the Yuba River Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest in California, about 0.1 mile from The Negativity Cave and The Benches. It sits at roughly 5,150 feet, and the closest weather station, at Lake Spaulding, sits at a similar elevation. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from that station show July and August highs around 82°F with lows in the upper 40s, while winter highs stay in the low to mid 40s. The area has seven routes, six of them sport and one trad, with grades ranging from 5.9- to 5.11a/b. Dark Star is the easiest at 5.9-, and Starfish Prime is the hardest at 5.11a/b. Lunar Wave is the only trad route, at 5.10c. Nearby, the Spaulding Lake Trail and Sierra Discovery Trail are both within about 2 miles. Rucker Lake campground is about 2.2 miles away, and Fall Creek offers canoeing about 3.4 miles off.
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