The Mouth
7-route climbing area in California with bouldering pads, sport, and trad.
- 7 routes
- 5.8 – 5.10c
- Sport · Trad · Bouldering
Best time to visit The Mouth
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.
Jan
59° / 41°
6 wet
Feb
64° / 43°
6 wet
Mar
70° / 47°
6 wet
Apr
76° / 51°
4 wet
May
84° / 58°
2 wet
Jun
92° / 65°
1 wet
Jul
98° / 71°
0 wet
Aug
97° / 70°
0 wet
Sep
91° / 65°
1 wet
Oct
80° / 55°
2 wet
Nov
67° / 45°
4 wet
Dec
59° / 40°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bakersfield Ap, CA, 14.7 mi away at 489 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Mouth is a climbing area in California, about 4 miles from the town of Tarina. It sits right next to the Lower Kern River Canyon Bouldering, which is just 0.1 mile away, and the Lower Power station climbing area is about 1.4 miles off. The area is a compact cluster of sport and trad routes, with a single boulder problem, and it works well as a short stop for climbers already exploring the Kern River Canyon. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Bakersfield show April highs around 76°F and October highs around 80°F, while July and August average in the upper 90s. The routes here run from about 5.8 to 5.10c on the YDS scale, with sport climbing making up most of the options. Big Hands is a trad route at 5.8, and Slim Figs and Dishpan hands are sport routes at 5.10a and 5.10c. The Powerhouse hike is about 3 miles away for a break from the rock.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Annette Teng, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Owl Rock
~14 min drive
Owl Rock in California has 9 traditional climbing routes across 3 difficulty grades.
Photo: stevelyon, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Bukit Timah USA
~1h 21m drive
Bukit Timah USA in California has 8 bouldering routes across 3 grades.
Photo: waterarchives, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Lower Power station
~2 min drive
Lower Power station in California has 8 climbing routes across 5 grades.
Photo: Qwert üpoiuz, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Lower Kern River Canyon
~10 min drive
Lower Kern River Canyon in California has 20 climbing routes across 12 grades, offering bouldering, sport, and trad.
Photo: Mike Guy, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Kernville Rock (a.k.a. Kern Slabs)
~55 min drive
Kernville Rock (Kern Slabs) in California has 27 routes with 15 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.
Bald Eagle Peak
~33 min drive
Bald Eagle Peak in California has 5 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Bear Valley Springs
~35 min drive
Bear Valley Springs in California has 6 climbing routes with 6 difficulty grades.
Boulder Gulch
~42 min drive
California bouldering area with varied problems in a scenic gulch setting.
Central Boulder
~42 min drive
Central Boulder in California has 6 bouldering routes across 5 grades.
Campground 61
~42 min drive
Campground 61 in California has 9 bouldering routes across 6 difficulty grades.
