California · Rock climbing · Santa Barbara

Upper Canyon

Upper Canyon in California has 9 climbing routes on 5 difficulty grades.

9 routes
V0 – V9
Bouldering

Is Upper Canyon open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Los Padres National Forest.

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

Best time to visit Upper Canyon

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

    61° / 33°

    6 wet

  2. Feb

    62° / 34°

    6 wet

  3. Mar

    66° / 37°

    5 wet

  4. Apr

    71° / 40°

    3 wet

  5. May

    80° / 45°

    2 wet

  6. Jun

    88° / 51°

    0 wet

  7. Jul

    95° / 57°

    0 wet

  8. Aug

    94° / 56°

    0 wet

  9. Sep

    89° / 52°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    78° / 43°

    1 wet

  11. Nov

    68° / 36°

    3 wet

  12. Dec

    61° / 32°

    5 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at New Cuyama Fire Stn, CA, 31.3 mi away at 2,160 ft. The station sits about 1,300 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.

Upper Canyon is a bouldering area in the Santa Barbara Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest in California, about 30 miles from the town of Santa Barbara. It sits among a cluster of climbing areas, with Morning Glory and Jacked and Tan both about 0.1 mile away. The area is a bouldering destination, with nine routes listed, all of them boulders. The grades run from V0 to V9, with the median at V6. Among the named routes are Pita Chip Stick Clip at V0, Abe's Oddysee at V6, and The Highway at V9. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 80°F and October highs around 78°F, while July and August average in the mid-90s. That station sits well below the canyon, so temperatures up high run cooler. For a longer outing, the Tunnel Connector and Rock Garden Trail are both about a mile away. Upper Oso Campground is roughly 6 miles off, and Sage Hill offers saltwater fishing about 6.6 miles away.

Routes (9)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Lower GibraltarPhoto: Mountain Mike Johans…, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Lower Gibraltar

~2 min drive

Lower Gibraltar in California has 6 climbing routes with mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Gibraltar RockPhoto: Mountain Mike Johans…, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Gibraltar Rock

~2 min drive

Gibraltar Rock in California has 23 climbing routes with 16 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Cold Springs DomePhoto: Mountain Mike Johans…, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Cold Springs Dome

~2 min drive

Cold Springs Dome is a California climbing area with 6 routes on 6 difficulty grades.

Cathedral PeakPhoto: dsearls, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Cathedral Peak

~3 min drive

Cathedral Peak in California has 7 climbing routes with 6 difficulty grades, offering bouldering and trad.

Hat Creek Cattle CompanyPhoto: bdearth, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Hat Creek Cattle Company

~3 min drive

Hat Creek Cattle Company in California has 6 bouldering routes across 5 grades.

San Ysidro (Bouldering)Photo: bdearth, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

San Ysidro (Bouldering)

~3 min drive

16 bouldering routes in California

Santa Barbara

~1 min drive

Santa Barbara, California has 9 climbing routes with mixed and trad styles.

Toxic Waste Wall

~2 min drive

Toxic Waste Wall is a climbing area in California with 6 routes.

Panic Town

~2 min drive

Panic Town is a climbing area in California with 1 route.

Wall 1

~2 min drive

Wall 1 in California has 13 climbing routes across 7 grades, featuring bouldering pads, sport, and trad.