Montana · Rock climbing · Whitehall

The West Side

8 routes
V0 – V8
Bouldering
Jul–Sep
best months

The West Side is a bouldering area on Bureau of Land Management land in the Butte Field Office in Montana, about 10 miles from the town of Butte. It sits among several other climbing areas, including Warm Up Ridge Area, Hidden Boulder and Hidden Area, all within about a tenth of a mile. The climbing here is all bouldering, with eight routes spread across the V0 to V8 range. The easiest are Fear of Friction and Grit, both V0, and the hardest is Lap Dances are so Much Better When the Stripper is Crying at V8. The median grade is V2. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Butte show July highs around 81°F with lows near 46°F, while winter highs stay around freezing. For more time on the land, Lower Rader Creek Road offers mountain biking about 2 miles away, and Toll Mountain Campground is about 3.8 miles off. Pigeon Creek Campground and Big Pipestone Creek are a little farther, at roughly 7 miles and 4.4 miles.

  • Best time to go · Jul–Sep

    Best time to visit The West Side

    Best months: July–September. 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

      32° / 8°

      7 wet

    2. Feb

      35° / 10°

      7 wet

    3. Mar

      44° / 19°

      9 wet

    4. Apr

      51° / 26°

      11 wet

    5. May

      61° / 34°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      70° / 41°

      13 wet

    7. Jul

      81° / 46°

      9 wet

    8. Aug

      80° / 44°

      8 wet

    9. Sep

      69° / 36°

      7 wet

    10. Oct

      54° / 27°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      40° / 16°

      8 wet

    12. Dec

      31° / 7°

      7 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Butte Bert Mooney Ap, MT, 10.8 mi away at 5,506 ft. The station sits about 600 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.

Routes (8)