California · Rock climbing · Fawnskin

South Side

South Side in California has 7 climbing routes with 6 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

7 routes

5.6 – 5.12c

Sport · Trad

Is South Side open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Mountaintop Ranger District. It doesn't name South Side, so check the source for the area it covers.

Radford Fire Closure Area
Agency closure covering Mountaintop Ranger District · Order 05-12-52-24-06 · USFS · Mountaintop Ranger District
Safety Alert - Falling Rocks at Bonita Falls
Agency alert covering San Bernardino National Forest · USFS · San Bernardino National Forest
Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering San Bernardino National Forest · Order 05-12-00-26-05 · USFS · San Bernardino National Forest

As of Oct 24, 8:45 am PDT · Source: USFS · Mountaintop Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit South Side

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.

Jan
46° / 24°
6 wet
Feb
46° / 24°
6 wet
Mar
51° / 27°
6 wet
Apr
57° / 31°
4 wet
May
66° / 37°
2 wet
Jun
75° / 43°
1 wet
Jul
80° / 50°
2 wet
Aug
79° / 49°
3 wet
Sep
73° / 44°
2 wet
Oct
63° / 35°
2 wet
Nov
53° / 28°
3 wet
Dec
46° / 24°
6 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Big Bear Lake, CA, 4.3 mi away at 6,753 ft. The station sits about 800 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.

South Side is a climbing area in the Mountaintop Ranger District of San Bernardino National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits within the San Bernardino National Forest, about 0.1 mile from the North Side climbing area and 0.3 mile from Lost Souls Slab. The climbing here is a mix of sport and trad routes, with seven routes in total. The grades run from 5.6 to 5.12c, and the hardest is Under the Influence, a sport route at 5.12c. Harlan Pepper is a sport route at 5.7, and Around the Influence is a sport route at 5.10a. The area also has a few trad routes, including Hubert and Winkie, both at 5.6. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the nearby Big Bear Lake weather station, which sits about 767 feet lower than the area, show July highs around 80°F with lows near 50°F. Winter is much colder, with typical highs in the mid-40s and lows in the mid-20s. Nearby, Grays Peak Group Camp is about 0.7 mile away, and Big Bear Lake is about 1.9 miles away. Mountain bikers can head to Snow Slide 2n13, about 0.4 mile off, and to Hanna Flat Trail, about 1.2 miles away.