North Side
North Side in California has 5 climbing routes across 4 grades.
- 5 routes
- 5.7 – 5.11a
- Sport · Trad
Is North Side open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Mountaintop Ranger District. It doesn't name North Side, 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 North Side
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, 4.3 mi away at 6,753 ft. The station sits about 800 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.
North Side is a climbing area in California's San Bernardino National Forest, within the Mountaintop Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the area sits close to the town of Big Bear Lake, about 4 miles from a weather station that tracks typical conditions at a similar elevation. Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons to visit. Typical averages from that station run from highs near 66°F and lows around 37°F in May to highs near 63°F and lows around 35°F in October, with only a few wet days in each of those months. Winter is colder, with highs around 46°F and lows near 24°F. The climbing here is a mix of sport and trad routes, with five routes in total. The easiest is Agnes, a trad climb rated 5.7, and the hardest is Hy-Pro-Glo, a sport route at 5.11a. Observatory and Stellar Arete are both sport routes at 5.10b. South Side, a climbing area, lies just 0.1 mile away, and Lost Souls Slab is 0.3 mile off. Grays Peak Group Camp is about 0.7 mile away, and Big Bear Lake is roughly 1.9 miles away.
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