California · Rock climbing · South Lake Tahoe

South Shore

South Shore in California has 27 climbing routes across 13 difficulty grades.

27 routes
V5 – V10
Bouldering · Trad · Sport

Is South Shore open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. It doesn't name South Shore, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit South Shore

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.

  1. Jan

    43° / 18°

    9 wet

  2. Feb

    43° / 19°

    9 wet

  3. Mar

    48° / 24°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    53° / 28°

    8 wet

  5. May

    62° / 33°

    7 wet

  6. Jun

    72° / 38°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    80° / 43°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    80° / 41°

    2 wet

  9. Sep

    73° / 35°

    3 wet

  10. Oct

    62° / 29°

    5 wet

  11. Nov

    51° / 23°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    43° / 18°

    10 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at South Lake Tahoe Ap, CA, 2.6 mi away at 6,314 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

South Shore is a climbing area in California's Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, managed by the Forest Service. It sits within the Lake Tahoe Basin, about 2.6 miles from the South Lake Tahoe airport weather station, which makes it an easy reference point for planning a trip. The area is a bouldering destination, with 23 boulder problems among its 27 routes. The climbing runs from V5 to V10 on the V scale, and the hardest route listed is Juche at V10. The boulders are the main draw here, with only a few trad and sport routes to round out the options. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the nearby South Lake Tahoe airport station show July and August highs around 80°F with lows in the low 40s and only about two wet days a month. Winter is much colder, with highs in the low 40s and lows near 18°F from December through February. The Saxon Creek Trail and the Lower Saxon Connector are both about 0.3 miles away, and Hamburger Rock and Roof Boulder are each about 1.5 miles off. For an overnight stay, Hope Valley campground is about 4.2 miles away.

Routes (27)

Horse Head Boulder(1)

UnbridledV5

Tahoe Mountain Road(1)

Unnamed5.11+

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Cal Trans WallPhoto: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Cal Trans Wall

~5 min drive

Cal Trans Wall is a California climbing crag with 6 sport routes.

Christmas ValleyPhoto: Shea, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Christmas Valley

~5 min drive

Christmas Valley is a California climbing crag with 11 routes.

Berkeley Camp RocksPhoto: Missvain, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Berkeley Camp Rocks

~6 min drive

Berkeley Camp Rocks in California has 13 climbing routes across 12 grades, offering sport and trad options.

Echo EdgePhoto: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Echo Edge

~6 min drive

Echo Edge in California has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades.

Corkscrew AreaPhoto: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Corkscrew Area

~6 min drive

Corkscrew Area in California has 5 trad routes on 4 difficulty grades.

Flagpole Peak AreaPhoto: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Flagpole Peak Area

~6 min drive

Flagpole Peak Area in California has 6 traditional climbing routes across 4 grades.

Blind Man's BluffPhoto: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Blind Man's Bluff

~7 min drive

Blind Man's Bluff in California has 7 climbing routes across 6 grades.

Echo LakesPhoto: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Echo Lakes

~7 min drive

Echo Lakes is a climbing area in California with 3 routes.

Gold Finger AreaPhoto: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Gold Finger Area

~7 min drive

Gold Finger Area in California has 5 climbing routes ranging across 5 difficulty grades.

Gangsta WallPhoto: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Gangsta Wall

~7 min drive

Gangsta Wall is a climbing crag in California with 10 routes.