California · Rock climbing · Kyburz

Phantom Spires

Phantom Spires in California has 31 climbing routes across 14 difficulty grades.

Phantom SpiresPhoto: Ben Chun, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
31 routes
5.6 – 5.13a/b
Trad · Sport · Mixed

Is Phantom Spires open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Eldorado National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Eldorado National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Phantom Spires

Best months: May–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

    43° / 18°

    9 wet

  2. Feb

    43° / 19°

    9 wet

  3. Mar

    48° / 24°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    53° / 28°

    8 wet

  5. May

    62° / 33°

    7 wet

  6. Jun

    72° / 38°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    80° / 43°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    80° / 41°

    2 wet

  9. Sep

    73° / 35°

    3 wet

  10. Oct

    62° / 29°

    5 wet

  11. Nov

    51° / 23°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    43° / 18°

    10 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at South Lake Tahoe Ap, CA, 15.4 mi away at 6,314 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Closures we've recorded since August 2026

  • Fire Restrictions are in Effect Forest Wide

    Eldorado National Forest · Order dated September 22, 2026; seen Aug 23, 2026, no lift recorded · Forest Service

Phantom Spires is a climbing area in California's Eldorado National Forest, within the Placerville Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the spires sit close to the Middle Spire and Upper Spire climbing areas, both about 0.1 mile away. The climbing here is a mix of trad and sport routes, with 16 trad and 13 sport routes among the 32 listed. Grades run from 5.6 up to 5.13a/b, so there is something for climbers of all levels. Diamondback Crack is a trad route at the top end of that range, and Chockstone (The Chimney) is a trad 5.6 for those starting out. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at South Lake Tahoe show July and August highs around 80°F with lows in the low 40s and only about two wet days a month. Winter is much colder, with highs in the low 40s and lows near 18°F. The Pony Express Trail is about 0.7 mile away, and the South Fork American River offers paddling about 1.7 miles off. For an overnight stay, China Flat Campground is about 2.6 miles away.

Routes (31)

True Grit(1)

True Grit5.10a

Twin Owls(1)

Unnamed5.8

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