California · Rock climbing · Truckee

Sawtooth Ridge

Sawtooth Ridge in California offers 3 sport climbing routes across 3 difficulty grades.

3 routes
5.10c – 5.11c
Sport

Is Sawtooth Ridge open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Tahoe National Forest.

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

Best time to visit Sawtooth Ridge

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.

  1. Jan

    40° / 21°

    11 wet · 7 snow

  2. Feb

    40° / 21°

    10 wet · 7 snow

  3. Mar

    45° / 24°

    10 wet · 7 snow

  4. Apr

    50° / 28°

    8 wet · 4 snow

  5. May

    59° / 34°

    7 wet · 1 snow

  6. Jun

    69° / 40°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    78° / 46°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    77° / 45°

    2 wet

  9. Sep

    70° / 41°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    59° / 33°

    4 wet · 1 snow

  11. Nov

    48° / 26°

    7 wet · 3 snow

  12. Dec

    40° / 21°

    10 wet · 6 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tahoe City, CA, 6.5 mi away at 6,230 ft. The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Sawtooth Ridge is a sport climbing area in the Truckee Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest, in California. The Forest Service manages the land, and the ridge sits among a cluster of climbing and biking routes, with Goose Meadows campground about a mile away. Three sport routes make up the crux of the ridge. Shock and Awe is rated 5.10c, Threat Level Orange is 5.10d, and Exit Strategy reaches 5.11c. All are rated for sport climbing. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. A nearby weather station in Tahoe City, about 6.5 miles away, records typical July averages of 78°F for the high and 46°F for the low. That station sits roughly 1,100 feet below the ridge, so expect conditions on the ridge to run cooler. Pentathlete Wall is just 0.1 mile away, and The Oven is 0.9 mile away. The Cena Lar Trail and Big Chief Trail (Lower) are both within a mile for mountain biking.

Routes (3)

Terrorist Wall(1)

Shock and Awe5.10c