California · Rock climbing · Lone Pine

The Shark's Fin

Shark's Fin, The is a climbing area in California with 7 routes.

The Shark's FinPhoto: mjhbower, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
7 routes
5.7 – 5.11c
Sport · Bouldering

Best time to visit The Shark's Fin

Best months: February–May and October–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

    58° / 30°

    4 wet

  2. Feb

    61° / 33°

    4 wet

  3. Mar

    69° / 39°

    3 wet

  4. Apr

    76° / 44°

    1 wet

  5. May

    85° / 53°

    1 wet

  6. Jun

    96° / 62°

    1 wet

  7. Jul

    102° / 67°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    101° / 65°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    93° / 58°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    81° / 48°

    1 wet

  11. Nov

    67° / 36°

    2 wet

  12. Dec

    57° / 29°

    4 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Independence, CA, 14.6 mi away at 3,950 ft. The station sits about 700 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.

Shark's Fin is a climbing area on Bureau of Land Management land within the Bishop Field Office in California, about 14 miles from the town of Bishop. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots, with Alabama Hills just 0.1 mile away and South Pile about 0.3 mile off. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Independence show April highs around 76°F and October highs around 81°F, while July and August average in the low 100s. The Alabama Hills Trail starts about 0.8 mile away, and the Arch Loop Trail is about a mile off. For an overnight stay, Tuttle Creek Campground is about 2.3 miles away and Lone Pine about 3.6 miles.

Routes (7)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Alabama HillsPhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Alabama Hills

~0 min drive

4 bouldering routes in California, grades range from 4.

South PilePhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

South Pile

~0 min drive

South Pile in California has 5 sport climbing routes across 3 difficulty grades.

Choss Not Proud Enough To Name aka Entrance PilesPhoto: m01229 from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Choss Not Proud Enough To Name aka Entrance Piles

~1 min drive

3-route crag in California with mixed protection and moderate to hard grades.

The HideoutPhoto: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Hideout

~1 min drive

The Hideout in California offers 2 sport climbing routes with distinct difficulty grades.

Kearsarge Dome aka The Battle ShipPhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Kearsarge Dome aka The Battle Ship

~1 min drive

Kearsarge Dome (The Battle Ship) in California has 12 climbing routes across 8 grades in mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Hideout WestPhoto: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Hideout West

~1 min drive

Hideout West in California has 14 routes spanning 7 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad climbing.

Hillbilly PillarPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Hillbilly Pillar

~1 min drive

Hillbilly Pillar in California has 5 sport climbing routes ranging across 5 difficulty grades.

Moonshine PillarPhoto: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Moonshine Pillar

~1 min drive

Moonshine Pillar in California has 6 climbing routes across 3 grades, offering sport and trad options.

Paul's BackyardPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Paul's Backyard

~1 min drive

Paul's Backyard in California has 19 climbing routes ranging across 9 difficulty grades.

The Poodle WallPhoto: hesyifei, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Poodle Wall

~1 min drive

Poodle Wall, The in California has 7 climbing routes in mixed, sport, and trad styles.