The Drive-In
Upper-middle difficulty among 17 routes at Patterson Left.
- 5.11+
- grade
- Sport Bolted
- style
Is The Drive-In open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Sierra National Forest. It doesn't name The Drive-In, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).
Safety Tips for Burned Areas: Garnet Fire Area
Agency closure covering Sierra National Forest · USFS · Sierra National Forest
Wilderness Food and Refuse Storage
Agency closure covering Sierra National Forest · Order 05-15-00-26-03 · USFS · Sierra National Forest
Food and Refuse Storage
Agency closure covering Sierra National Forest · Order 05-15-00-26-02 · USFS · Sierra National Forest
Forest Order removes Fish Camp, Soda Springs, and Little Jackass from closure list
Agency alert covering Sierra National Forest · Order 05-15-00-26-11 · USFS · Sierra National Forest
Ansel Adams and John Muir Wilderness Campfire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Sierra National Forest · Order 05-15-00-26-09 · USFS · Sierra National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Sierra National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The Drive-In
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° / 26°
9 wet
Feb
46° / 25°
10 wet
Mar
48° / 27°
10 wet
Apr
52° / 30°
7 wet
May
60° / 38°
5 wet
Jun
71° / 46°
2 wet
Jul
79° / 52°
1 wet
Aug
79° / 52°
1 wet
Sep
73° / 47°
2 wet
Oct
63° / 39°
4 wet
Nov
53° / 32°
6 wet
Dec
46° / 25°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Grant Grove, CA, 15.1 mi away at 6,580 ft. The station sits about 700 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
One of 17 routes catalogued at Patterson Left, this climb sits in the upper-middle range of the crag's 5.9 to 5.12c/d span.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Kurt Minard, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Voyager Rock
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Photo: Kurt Minard, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Tehipite Dome
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Tiger Cage, Upper Tier
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Punk Rock (West Face)
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Right Side of East Face
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Penstemon Dome (West Face)
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