Upper Tier
Upper Tier in California has 22 sport climbing routes across 13 grades.
- 22 routes
- 5.7 – 5.13c
- Sport
Is Upper Tier open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for San Bernardino National Forest.
Safety Alert - Falling Rocks at Bonita Falls
Agency alert covering San Bernardino National Forest · USFS · San Bernardino National Forest
Upper Big Falls Area Closure
Agency alert covering Front Country Ranger District · Order 05-12-53-26-03 · USFS · Front Country Ranger District
Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering San Bernardino National Forest · Order 05-12-00-26-05 · USFS · San Bernardino National Forest
Applewhite Picnic Area Closure
Agency alert covering Front Country Ranger District · Order 05-12-53-26-01 · USFS · Front Country Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · San Bernardino National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Upper Tier
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.
Jan
44° / 29°
6 wet · 1 snow
Feb
45° / 30°
6 wet · 1 snow
Mar
52° / 32°
6 wet · 1 snow
Apr
60° / 36°
4 wet · 1 snow
May
67° / 41°
2 wet
Jun
76° / 49°
1 wet
Jul
81° / 57°
1 wet
Aug
82° / 57°
1 wet
Sep
74° / 52°
1 wet
Oct
63° / 43°
2 wet
Nov
52° / 34°
3 wet
Dec
43° / 29°
5 wet · 1 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lake Arrowhead, CA, 16.2 mi away at 5,205 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Upper Tier is a climbing area in the Front Country Ranger District of San Bernardino National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots, with Middle Tier and (c) Frustration Creek both about 0.1 mile away. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the Lake Arrowhead weather station, about 16 miles away, show May highs around 67°F and September highs around 74°F, with only a day or two of rain each month. Winter brings highs in the low 40s and a few snow days a month. Oak Glen Divide is a hike about 1.7 miles away, and the Yucaipa Ridge Truck Trail is about 2.4 miles off. For camping, Thomas Hunting Grounds Yellow Post Sites is about 3.3 miles away, and Barton Flats is about 7 miles away.
Routes (22)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Sport Boulder (NW Face)
~5 min drive
8 sport routes on the northwest face of a California crag, grades 5.10a to 5.12b.
Photo: Icy FaFez, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)(a) Mill Creek Wash Bouldering
~6 min drive
6 bouldering routes in California spanning 4 grades.
Photo: Clinton Steeds, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Forest Road 2N86
~15 min drive
Forest Road 2N86 in California has 2 climbing routes with alpine no fixed protection.
Photo: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)(b) Thurman Flat (Sport Boulder)
~5 min drive
Thurman Flat (Sport Boulder) in California has 3 sport climbing routes.
Middle Tier
~0 min drive
Middle Tier is a sport climbing area in California with 4 routes.
The Headwall
~0 min drive
Headwall, The is a sport climbing area in California with 8 routes on 6 difficulty grades.
Lower Tier (Left Side)
~0 min drive
Lower Tier (Left Side) in California has 21 climbing routes with 14 difficulty grades.
Malaria Crag
~2 min drive
Malaria Crag in California has 7 climbing routes across 7 grades, offering sport and trad styles.
(d) Mountain Home Creek
~2 min drive
(d) Mountain Home Creek is a California climbing area with 2 mixed routes.
Corpse Wall
~3 min drive
Corpse Wall in California has 5 sport climbing routes across 5 difficulty grades.
