California · Rock climbing · Santa Barbara

Upper Gibraltar

Upper Gibraltar in California has 8 climbing routes across 5 grades.

8 routes
5.8 – 5.11b
Sport · Trad

Is Upper Gibraltar 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 Gibraltar

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° / 36°

    8 wet

  2. Feb

    67° / 36°

    9 wet

  3. Mar

    70° / 38°

    7 wet

  4. Apr

    76° / 41°

    4 wet

  5. May

    80° / 46°

    2 wet

  6. Jun

    88° / 49°

    0 wet

  7. Jul

    94° / 55°

    0 wet

  8. Aug

    96° / 54°

    0 wet

  9. Sep

    91° / 51°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    83° / 45°

    2 wet

  11. Nov

    73° / 40°

    3 wet

  12. Dec

    64° / 34°

    6 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gibraltar Dam #2, CA, 3.2 mi away at 1,558 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 Gibraltar is a climbing area in the Santa Barbara Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Toxic Waste Wall about 0.1 mile away and Gibraltar Rock about 0.2 mile away, making it easy to pair with those areas on a single visit. The climbing here is a mix of sport and trad routes, with eight routes in total. The grades run from 5.8 to 5.11b, and the hardest is The Soul, a sport route at 5.11b. Among the trad routes, Slacker and The Crescent are both 5.8, and The Crescent Direct is 5.8+. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Gibraltar Dam show May highs around 80°F and October highs around 83°F, while July and August average in the mid-90s. That station sits well below the area, so temperatures at the crag run cooler. For a longer outing, West Fork Cold Spring is about 0.7 mile away and the Rattlesnake Connector Trail about 0.9 mile away. Upper Oso Campground is roughly 7 miles off.

Routes (8)

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