California · Rock climbing · Yosemite National Park

Valley North Side

Valley North Side in California has 11 climbing routes across 8 grades.

Valley North SidePhoto: kalestews, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
11 routes
5.8 – 5.12b
Trad · Mixed · Alpine

Is Valley North Side open right now?

No closures listed

The National Park Service lists no closures for Yosemite National Park.

As of · Source: NPS · Yosemite National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Valley North Side

Best months: March–June and September–November. 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

    48° / 29°

    9 wet

  2. Feb

    51° / 30°

    9 wet

  3. Mar

    57° / 33°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    63° / 38°

    8 wet

  5. May

    70° / 45°

    6 wet

  6. Jun

    80° / 51°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    89° / 57°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    89° / 57°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    83° / 51°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    71° / 41°

    3 wet

  11. Nov

    56° / 32°

    6 wet

  12. Dec

    46° / 28°

    8 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yosemite Park Hq, CA, 2.9 mi away at 4,018 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.

Valley North Side is a climbing area in Yosemite National Park, within the Yosemite Wilderness, on land managed by the National Park Service. It sits in the high country of the park, and a fee is charged for access. The climbing here is a mix of traditional and mixed routes, with 11 routes in total. Grades run from 5.8 up to 5.12, and the hardest is The Twisted Road. Crest Jewel (and Crest Jewel Direct) is a mixed route at 5.10. Apathy Buttress and The Prude are both 5.9 trad routes. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 70°F and October highs around 71°F, while July and August average highs near 89°F. Snow Creek Trail is about half a mile away, and North Dome Trail is about a mile off. Half Dome and Washington Column are both within about 1.5 miles.

Routes (11)

K. Basket Dome(1)

Basket Case5.11b

O. YaSoo Dome(1)

The Chief5.12b

Facts about this crag

Rules & access

Fee
Yes

Source: National Park Service API

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