The dam buttress
Dam Buttress in Idaho has 7 climbing routes with sport and trad options.
Photo: tinosa, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)- 7 routes
- 5.7+ – 5.11a
- Trad · Sport
Is dam buttress, The open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Sawtooth National Forest.
Paradise Prescribed Burn Restricted Access
Agency alert covering Sawtooth National Forest · USFS · Sawtooth National Forest
Grandjean Area, Road, and Trail Closure
Agency alert covering Sawtooth National Forest · Order 0414-04-165 · USFS · Sawtooth National Forest
Over-Snow Vehicle and Bicycle Prohibitions
Agency alert covering Sawtooth National Forest · Order 0414-00-028 · USFS · Sawtooth National Forest
Occupancy and Use - Food Storage
Agency alert covering Sawtooth National Forest · Order 0414-04-143 · USFS · Sawtooth National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Sawtooth National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit The dam buttress
Best months: July–August. 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
26° / -3°
Feb
33° / -1°
Mar
43° / 9°
Apr
50° / 18°
May
60° / 26°
Jun
69° / 31°
Jul
80° / 34°
Aug
79° / 32°
Sep
70° / 25°
Oct
56° / 19°
Nov
38° / 10°
Dec
25° / -2°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Stanley, ID, 10.3 mi away at 6,249 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
The Dam Buttress is a climbing area in Idaho's Sawtooth National Recreation Area, part of the Sawtooth National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the area sits within the recreation area's boundaries. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Stanley run to highs around 80°F with lows near 34°F in July, while winter highs stay in the mid-20s. The area has seven routes, six of which are trad and one is sport. The grades range from 5.7+ to 5.11a, with "Dam nation" at 5.10a/b and "Hydro electric" at 5.11a. The climbing is anchored by the nearby Towers at 202, about 0.1 mile away. Elk Creek Campground and Blind Creek Campground are both within a mile, and the Yankee Fork Crag lies about 1.3 miles off.
Routes (7)
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Fredlyfish4 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Roundabout Boulder
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Photo: treegrow, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Redfish Lake Bouldering
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Photo: tinosa, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)The towers at 202
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11-route climbing area in Idaho with mixed, sport, and trad styles.
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