California · Rock climbing · Paicines

West Side

West Side in California has 32 climbing routes across 15 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

West SidePhoto: randomduck, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
32 routes
5.0 – 5.12b
Sport · Trad · Mixed

Is West Side open right now?

Alert in the area

The National Park Service lists an alert for Pinnacles National Park.

  • Fire Danger HIGH

    Park alert covering Pinnacles National Park · NPS · Pinnacles National Park

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

Best time to visit West Side

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

    63° / 34°

    12 wet

  2. Feb

    64° / 36°

    11 wet

  3. Mar

    68° / 38°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    72° / 39°

    6 wet

  5. May

    80° / 43°

    3 wet

  6. Jun

    89° / 47°

    1 wet

  7. Jul

    96° / 50°

    0 wet

  8. Aug

    96° / 50°

    0 wet

  9. Sep

    92° / 48°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    82° / 43°

    3 wet

  11. Nov

    70° / 37°

    7 wet

  12. Dec

    62° / 33°

    11 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pinnacles Nm, CA, 1.5 mi away at 1,307 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

West Side is a climbing area in Pinnacles National Park in California, managed by the National Park Service. It sits within the park's boundaries, and a fee is charged for park activities. 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 82°F, while July and August average about 96°F. Several climbing areas and trails start right around West Side. Bouldering Rock, The and Citadel Climber's Access Trail are each about 0.1 mile away, and Balconies Cliffs Trail is about 0.1 mile away. Main Face is about 0.2 mile away.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

The Bouldering RockPhoto: randomduck, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Bouldering Rock

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10 bouldering routes in California, 5 difficulty grades.

Main FacePhoto: randomduck, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Main Face

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Bad Man Mezzanine/Lower and Upper Terraces

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Lower Flumes Formation

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Machete RidgePhoto: randomduck, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Machete Ridge

~0 min drive

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The BalconiesPhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Balconies

~1 min drive

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High Peaks NorthPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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The Stronghold - Lower TierPhoto: Vadim Manuylov, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Condor CragsPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Condor Crags

~1 min drive

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The Stronghold - Upper TierPhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

The Stronghold - Upper Tier

~1 min drive

The Stronghold - Upper Tier in California has 7 routes ranging from moderate to hard, offering sport and trad climbing.