Nevada · Rock climbing · Mount Charleston

Blue Sky Bluff

Blue Sky Bluff in Nevada has 9 sport climbing routes spanning 8 difficulty grades.

Photo: stevelyon, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

9 routes

5.8 – 5.12a

Sport

Is Blue Sky Bluff open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It doesn't name Blue Sky Bluff, so check the source for the area it covers.

Elephant Fire Closure
Agency closure covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-26-01-04 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, Spring Mountains National Recreation Area
Agency alert covering Spring Mountains National Recreation Area · Order 04-17-05-26-02 · USFS · Spring Mountains National Recreation Area
Area, Road, and Trail Closures (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-25-04 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Year-Round Fire Restrictions (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-24-01 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Vehicle Snow Chain Requirements during Inclement Weather (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-23-01 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

As of Oct 25, 10:20 am PDT · Source: USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Blue Sky Bluff

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
44° / 22°
6 wet
Feb
44° / 22°
6 wet
Mar
49° / 26°
6 wet
Apr
55° / 30°
4 wet
May
63° / 37°
4 wet
Jun
74° / 46°
2 wet
Jul
79° / 52°
5 wet
Aug
78° / 52°
6 wet
Sep
72° / 44°
4 wet
Oct
62° / 35°
3 wet
Nov
51° / 27°
4 wet
Dec
44° / 21°
5 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mt Charleston Fire Stn, NV, 0.9 mi away at 7,460 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Blue Sky Bluff is a sport climbing area in the Mt. Charleston Wilderness, part of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area in Nevada's Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the area sits within designated wilderness, so expect the rules and expectations of a protected backcountry setting. The climbing here is all sport, with nine routes spread across a range from 5.8 to 5.12+. The easiest is Free Flying is Neither at 5.8, and the hardest is Big Black Cadillac at 5.12+. The Flying Oehlers and Bad Seed fall in the 5.11 and 5.12 ranges. Tom Petty is the first ascender of several of these routes, and Keoni Onsaga is listed for Big Black Cadillac. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at a similar elevation show July highs around 79°F with lows near 52°F, while winter highs sit in the mid-40s. The Stanley B Springs Trail starts just 0.3 miles away, and Pirate's Cove, another climbing area, is about 0.9 miles off. Fletcher View campground and Kyle Canyon R.V. Group Campground are both under a mile away.