Mother Lode Boulders
- 5 routes
- V2-3 – V7
- Bouldering
- May–Oct
- best months
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 5 h ago
Is Mother Lode Boulders open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Bitterroot National Forest.
Pile burning on West Fork Ranger and Darby-Sula Districts Nov. 3
Agency alert covering Bitterroot National Forest · USFS · Bitterroot National Forest
Two Prescribed Burns Planned for the week of Oct. 5 - Piquett Creek & Cameron Gap
Agency alert covering Bitterroot National Forest · USFS · Bitterroot National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Bitterroot National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Mother Lode Boulders is a bouldering area in the Darby Ranger District of Montana's Bitterroot National Forest, about 6 miles from the town of Darby. The Forest Service manages the land, and the boulders sit among a cluster of other climbing areas, hikes and campgrounds within a few miles. The climbing is all on boulders, with five routes ranging from V2-3 to V7. The most common grades are V5, with "Zulu Death Mask" and "The Dope Show Traverse" both at that level, and the hardest is "Spread 'Em Left" at V7. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Darby weather station run from highs around 82°F in July to about 71°F in September, with lows near 50°F. Winter is cold, with January highs around 34°F and lows near 19°F. Nearby, Hardvark Boulder is just 0.3 miles away, and Upper Roadside Boulders and Baboon Boulder are each about 0.4 miles off. Three Frogs Campground, roughly 2 miles away, offers a place to stay.
Best time to go · May–Oct
Best time to visit Mother Lode Boulders
Best months: May–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
34° / 19°
8 wet
Feb
38° / 21°
6 wet
Mar
47° / 27°
7 wet
Apr
54° / 31°
7 wet
May
64° / 39°
9 wet
Jun
72° / 45°
9 wet
Jul
82° / 50°
6 wet
Aug
81° / 48°
6 wet
Sep
71° / 42°
6 wet
Oct
57° / 33°
8 wet
Nov
42° / 25°
8 wet
Dec
32° / 19°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Darby, MT, 6.1 mi away at 3,880 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Routes (5)
Bolted Boulder(1)
Parrot Boulder, The(1)
Super Rad Boulder(3)
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