Nightmare Tower
Nightmare Tower in California has 6 climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades.
- 6 routes
- 5.7 – 5.10a
- Alpine
Is Nightmare Tower open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Mountaintop Ranger District. It doesn't name Nightmare Tower, so check the source for the area it covers.
Radford Fire Closure Area
Agency closure covering Mountaintop Ranger District · Order 05-12-52-24-06 · USFS · Mountaintop Ranger District
Safety Alert - Falling Rocks at Bonita Falls
Agency alert covering San Bernardino National Forest · USFS · San Bernardino National Forest
Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering San Bernardino National Forest · Order 05-12-00-26-05 · USFS · San Bernardino National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Mountaintop Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Nightmare Tower
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
46° / 24°
6 wet
Feb
46° / 24°
6 wet
Mar
51° / 27°
6 wet
Apr
57° / 31°
4 wet
May
66° / 37°
2 wet
Jun
75° / 43°
1 wet
Jul
80° / 50°
2 wet
Aug
79° / 49°
3 wet
Sep
73° / 44°
2 wet
Oct
63° / 35°
2 wet
Nov
53° / 28°
3 wet
Dec
46° / 24°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Big Bear Lake, CA, 2 mi away at 6,753 ft. The station sits about 700 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.
Nightmare Tower is a climbing area in the Mountaintop Ranger District of San Bernardino National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits about a tenth of a mile from Boulder Group Camp, which makes it an easy base for an overnight stay. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Big Bear Lake weather station, which sits a few hundred feet lower, show July highs around 80°F with lows near 50°F and only a couple of wet days a month. Winter is much colder, with highs in the mid-40s and lows in the mid-20s from December through February. Several other destinations are close by. The Plantation hike is about 0.2 miles away, and the Sleepy Bear and Nightmare Towers climbing area is about 0.3 miles away. Osita Camp Road offers mountain biking about 0.6 miles out, and Big Bear Lake is about 2.3 miles away.
Routes (6)
Nightmare Tower - East Face(2)
Nightmare Tower - West Face(4)
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