Idaho · Rock climbing · Bonners Ferry

Brush Lake crags

Brush Lake crags in Idaho has 9 climbing routes across 5 difficulty grades.

9 routes
5.9 – 5.12
Sport · Mixed · Bouldering

Is Brush Lake crags open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Idaho Panhandle National Forests. It doesn't name Brush Lake crags, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Brush Lake crags

Best months: April–July and September–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.

  1. Jan

    35° / 21°

    11 wet

  2. Feb

    40° / 22°

    9 wet

  3. Mar

    50° / 28°

    10 wet

  4. Apr

    60° / 34°

    9 wet

  5. May

    71° / 42°

    10 wet

  6. Jun

    76° / 48°

    10 wet

  7. Jul

    85° / 52°

    7 wet

  8. Aug

    86° / 50°

    5 wet

  9. Sep

    74° / 42°

    6 wet

  10. Oct

    58° / 33°

    9 wet

  11. Nov

    44° / 27°

    11 wet

  12. Dec

    36° / 21°

    12 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Porthill 1 Sw, ID, 10.3 mi away at 1,799 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.

Brush Lake crags is a climbing area in the Bonners Ferry Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, managed by the Forest Service. It sits in northern Idaho, about 0.7 miles from Brush Lake campground and within a short walk of the Brush Lake View and Brush Lake Loop hikes. The crags have nine routes, with six of them sport climbs and one a boulder problem. Grades run from 5.9 up to 5.12, and two of the routes are mixed. The hardest is Bomber pinky jam at 5.12, and the easiest is All my friend are flakes at 5.9. Classic Crack is a mixed route at 5.9, and sudoku is a sport route at 5.11+. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Porthill show July highs around 85°F with lows near 52°F, and August is the driest month, with about five wet days. That station sits roughly 1,300 feet lower than the crags, so temperatures at the crags run cooler. Nearby, Brush Lake campground is 0.7 miles away, and the Ball Creek Wall climbing area is about 10 miles off. The Lower Kootenai River Area offers river fishing about 8 miles away, and Snyder Guard Station Campground is about 7 miles away.

Routes (9)