Rainbow
13-route climbing crag in California with bouldering pads and trad.
- 13 routes
- V1 – V6
- Bouldering · Trad
Is Rainbow open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Tahoe National Forest.
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Tahoe National Forest · Order 17-26-25 · USFS · Tahoe National Forest
Camping and Campfire Restrictions-Truckee and Sierraville Districts
Agency alert covering Tahoe National Forest · Order 17-25-05 · USFS · Tahoe National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Tahoe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Rainbow
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
44° / 25°
Feb
46° / 26°
Mar
51° / 27°
Apr
56° / 30°
May
64° / 37°
Jun
75° / 43°
Jul
82° / 48°
Aug
82° / 47°
Sep
76° / 44°
Oct
65° / 37°
Nov
51° / 30°
Dec
43° / 25°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lake Spaulding, CA, 6.7 mi away at 5,156 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.
Rainbow is a climbing area in California's Tahoe National Forest, within the Yuba River Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the area sits among several other climbing spots, with the Central Area and Left Side both about 0.1 mile away. The climbing here is a mix of bouldering and traditional routes. Of the 13 routes listed, 10 are boulders graded from V1 to V6, with the hardest at V6. Three are traditional routes, and their YDS grades run from 5.9 to 5.10b/c. The boulders include Crack and Jill (V1), Milano Munchkin (V4) and Ginja Ninja (V6). Summer is the warmest stretch. Typical averages from the nearby Lake Spaulding weather station, which sits about 760 feet lower, show July and August highs around 82°F with lows in the upper 40s. Winter highs there average in the low 40s. Big Bend Campground is about 0.2 mile away, and the Loch Leven hike is about 0.4 mile off. Hampshire Rocks Campground and the Salmon Lake Tie Trail are each within about a mile and a half.
Routes (13)
Double Wide(1)
Ginja Ninja(3)
Parking Lot Boulder(1)
Right Side(3)
Soda Punk Boulder(1)
Sugar Cube(3)
Upper Rainbow 1(1)
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