California · Rock climbing · Berkeley

Pinnacle Rock

Pinnacle Rock in California has 10 routes across 9 grades, offering bouldering and sport climbing.

Photo: Tbo47, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

10 routes

5.6 – 5.11d

Sport · Bouldering

Best time to visit Pinnacle Rock

Best months: Year-round. 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° / 43°
11 wet
Feb
62° / 44°
10 wet
Mar
65° / 46°
10 wet
Apr
67° / 47°
7 wet
May
70° / 49°
3 wet
Jun
74° / 52°
1 wet
Jul
74° / 53°
0 wet
Aug
75° / 54°
1 wet
Sep
76° / 54°
1 wet
Oct
73° / 52°
3 wet
Nov
65° / 47°
7 wet
Dec
59° / 43°
11 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Berkeley, CA, 1.2 mi away at 310 ft. The station sits about 500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Pinnacle Rock is a climbing area within Remillard Park in California, on city-managed land. It sits among several named climbing areas, including Plaque Rock and the Northeast Face, all within a tenth of a mile, which makes it easy to pair with other routes in the park. The climbing here mixes bouldering and sport routes, with 10 routes in total. The grades range from YDS 5.6 to 5.11d and from V0 to V3 on the V scale. Bucket Prow is a boulder route at 5.6, and Reachy Face Climb is a boulder route at 5.11d. Sport climbers can try Offwidth Crack at 5.8 or The Pocket Problem at 5.10d. Late summer and early fall are the driest and warmest stretch, with typical highs in the mid-70s and lows in the mid-50s from June through September, based on averages from a nearby weather station in Berkeley. Winter brings typical highs in the upper 50s and around 11 wet days a month. Other climbing areas in the park, like Plaque Rock, sit close by. For a change from rock, the Quarry Trail offers mountain biking about 0.8 miles away, and the Mineral Springs Trail, Selby Trail and Wildcat Gorge Trail are hikes roughly 0.9 miles off.