California · Rock climbing · Lake Elsinore

Tenaja Falls

Tenaja Falls in California has 6 climbing routes with bouldering pads, sport, and trad.

Tenaja FallsPhoto: Seauton, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
6 routes
5.10 – 5.11+
Sport · Bouldering · Trad

Is Tenaja Falls open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Cleveland National Forest. It doesn't name Tenaja Falls, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Cleveland National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Tenaja Falls

Best months: October–May. 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

    66° / 42°

    6 wet

  2. Feb

    67° / 43°

    5 wet

  3. Mar

    72° / 46°

    5 wet

  4. Apr

    76° / 49°

    3 wet

  5. May

    82° / 54°

    1 wet

  6. Jun

    90° / 58°

    0 wet

  7. Jul

    97° / 64°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    98° / 65°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    93° / 61°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    83° / 54°

    2 wet

  11. Nov

    73° / 46°

    3 wet

  12. Dec

    65° / 40°

    5 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Elsinore, CA, 9.5 mi away at 1,268 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Tenaja Falls is a climbing area in the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness, part of the Trabuco Ranger District of Cleveland National Forest in California. The Forest Service manages the land. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Elsinore show April highs around 76°F and November highs around 73°F, while July and August average in the upper 90s. Upper Tenaja Boulder sits just 0.1 mile away, and the San Mateo hike is about half a mile off. Wildomar Campground, roughly 3.7 miles away, offers a place to stay. Climbers can also head to San Juan Canyon, about 4.5 miles away.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive