California · Rock climbing · Idyllwild

San Jacinto Mountains

San Jacinto Mountains in California offers 10 climbing routes across 9 difficulty grades.

San Jacinto MountainsPhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
10 routes
5.9 – 5.13b
Sport · Mixed · Bouldering

Is San Jacinto Mountains open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for San Bernardino National Forest.

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

Best time to visit San Jacinto Mountains

Best months: April–July and September–November. 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

    55° / 31°

    7 wet · 2 snow

  2. Feb

    54° / 30°

    7 wet · 3 snow

  3. Mar

    59° / 32°

    6 wet · 2 snow

  4. Apr

    64° / 35°

    4 wet · 1 snow

  5. May

    71° / 41°

    2 wet

  6. Jun

    80° / 48°

    1 wet

  7. Jul

    85° / 55°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    86° / 55°

    3 wet

  9. Sep

    81° / 50°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    72° / 42°

    2 wet

  11. Nov

    62° / 35°

    4 wet · 1 snow

  12. Dec

    54° / 30°

    6 wet · 2 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Idyllwild Fire Dept, CA, 3.6 mi away at 5,380 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

The San Jacinto Mountains are a climbing area in the San Jacinto Ranger District of the San Bernardino National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The district's nearest town is Idyllwild, and the surrounding network of climbing areas, hikes and campgrounds makes this a compact base for exploring the range. For comfortable weather, late spring and fall are the sweet spots. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 71°F and October highs around 72°F, while July and August climb to the mid-80s and winter brings highs in the mid-50s with a few snowy days a month. Seven Pines is the closest climbing area, about half a mile away, and Marion Mountain is a nearby hike. Fern Basin campground and the Central Corral climbing area are each within about a mile.

Routes (10)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Summit CorridorPhoto: simonov, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Summit Corridor

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The SummitPhoto: simonov, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Summit

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Buttermilk Boulder

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Tour De France Area

~4 min drive

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NRAPhoto: simonov, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

NRA

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Seven Pines

~1 min drive

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Central Corral

~2 min drive

7 climbing routes in California spanning 6 difficulty grades.

Marion Mountain Trail

~2 min drive

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Broken Heart

~2 min drive

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