California · Rock climbing · Rimforest

Sphinx Rock

Sphinx Rock in California has 16 climbing routes with 14 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad options.

16 routes
5.6 – 5.13b
Sport · Trad

Is Sphinx Rock open right now?

Closure in the area

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

As of · Source: USFS · Mountaintop Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Sphinx Rock

Best months: April–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

    44° / 29°

    6 wet · 1 snow

  2. Feb

    45° / 30°

    6 wet · 1 snow

  3. Mar

    52° / 32°

    6 wet · 1 snow

  4. Apr

    60° / 36°

    4 wet · 1 snow

  5. May

    67° / 41°

    2 wet

  6. Jun

    76° / 49°

    1 wet

  7. Jul

    81° / 57°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    82° / 57°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    74° / 52°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    63° / 43°

    2 wet

  11. Nov

    52° / 34°

    3 wet

  12. Dec

    43° / 29°

    5 wet · 1 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lake Arrowhead, CA, 4 mi away at 5,205 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Sphinx Rock is a climbing area in the Mountaintop Ranger District of San Bernardino National Forest in California, about 0.1 mile from Temple Rock. The two areas sit close together, making it easy to pair a visit to one with the other. The climbing here is sport and trad, with 16 routes in total. The grades run from 5.6 up to 5.13b, and the median is 5.10d. Among the named routes are She Gave Him Blue Bolts at 5.10b and Old School at 5.13b. Ground Control to Major McNeely is a trad route at 5.6. Summer is the warmest stretch. Typical averages from the Lake Arrowhead weather station, about 4 miles away, show July and August highs in the low 80s with lows near 57°F. Winter brings highs in the low 40s and a few snow days a month. Lake Gregory Trail starts about 1.6 miles away, and Lake Gregory County Regional Park is about 1.7 miles off. Dogwood campground is about 2.3 miles away, and Tunnel 2 Trail is about 2.8 miles away.

Routes (16)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Lake Arrowhead AreaPhoto: bdearth, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lake Arrowhead Area

~7 min drive

Lake Arrowhead Area in California has 4 climbing routes with bouldering pads and sport options.

West PointPhoto: Michael McCarty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

West Point

~9 min drive

West Point in California has 8 climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad options.

East FacePhoto: Michael McCarty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

East Face

~9 min drive

East Face in California has 6 climbing routes ranging across 6 difficulty grades.

West FacePhoto: Michael McCarty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

West Face

~9 min drive

West Face in California has 5 climbing routes across 4 grades, offering sport and trad styles.

Upper ButtressesPhoto: Michael McCarty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Upper Buttresses

~10 min drive

Upper Buttresses in California has 2 climbing routes on 2 difficulty grades.

Pinnacle 2Photo: Michael McCarty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Pinnacle 2

~10 min drive

Pinnacle 2 in California has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades.

Champagne RockPhoto: Michael McCarty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Champagne Rock

~10 min drive

Champagne Rock is a climbing area in California with 6 routes.

Scot Rock

~6 min drive

Scot Rock in California has 2 sport climbing routes on 2 difficulty grades.

Lake Arrowhead Pinnacles

~9 min drive

Alpine pinnacle climbing in California's San Bernardino Mountains near Lake Arrowhead.

The Ugly Wall

~9 min drive

Ugly Wall in California has 14 climbing routes across 11 grades, offering sport and trad options.