California · Rock climbing · Bridgeport

South Buttress

South Buttress in California has 5 climbing routes across 5 grades, featuring mixed and traditional styles.

Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

5 routes

5.5 – 5.11a/b

Trad · Mixed

Is South Buttress open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It doesn't name South Buttress, so check the source for the area it covers.

Elephant Fire Closure
Agency closure covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-26-01-04 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, Bridgeport Ranger District
Agency alert covering Bridgeport Ranger District · Order 04-17-02-26-03 · USFS · Bridgeport Ranger District
Area, Road, and Trail Closures (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-25-04 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Year-Round Fire Restrictions (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-24-01 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Vehicle Snow Chain Requirements during Inclement Weather (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-23-01 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

As of Oct 23, 8:10 pm PDT · Source: USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit South Buttress

Best months: May–September. 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
43° / 10°
5 wet · 4 snow
Feb
45° / 13°
5 wet · 3 snow
Mar
52° / 20°
4 wet · 3 snow
Apr
59° / 25°
3 wet · 1 snow
May
67° / 32°
3 wet · 1 snow
Jun
77° / 39°
2 wet
Jul
85° / 43°
3 wet
Aug
84° / 41°
2 wet
Sep
78° / 34°
2 wet
Oct
66° / 24°
2 wet
Nov
55° / 17°
3 wet · 1 snow
Dec
45° / 12°
5 wet · 3 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bridgeport, CA, 15.8 mi away at 6,470 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

South Buttress is a climbing area in California's Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, within the Bridgeport Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the area sits right beside Walker River Canyon, which makes it easy to pair the two for a longer day of climbing. The climbing here is trad-based, with one mixed route, and the grade range runs from 5.5 up to 5.11a/b. Walker Texas Ranger is the easiest at 5.5, and Maggie Walker is the hardest at 5.11a/b. Jimmy Walker and Luke Skywalker are both trad routes at 5.7 and 5.10a, and Walker Burger is the mixed option at 5.8+. The most comfortable climbing weather typically comes from June through September, when typical highs at the nearby Bridgeport weather station run in the upper 70s to mid 80s and snow is rare. Winter is cold, with typical January highs around 43°F and lows near 10°F, and snow days are common from December through March. Chris Flat Campground is half a mile away, and Bootleg Campground is about a mile off. Mill Canyon Trail (042) is roughly 2 miles away for mountain biking, and the West Walker River is about 3.7 miles away for paddling.