Nevada · Rock climbing · Carson City

Dinosaur Rock

Dinosaur Rock in Nevada has 18 climbing routes across 10 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Dinosaur RockPhoto: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
18 routes
5.6 – 5.12-
Mixed · Sport · Trad

Is Dinosaur Rock open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Carson Ranger District. It doesn't name Dinosaur Rock, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Carson Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Dinosaur Rock

Best months: March–June 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

    45° / 24°

    6 wet · 2 snow

  2. Feb

    50° / 27°

    6 wet · 1 snow

  3. Mar

    56° / 32°

    5 wet · 1 snow

  4. Apr

    62° / 36°

    3 wet

  5. May

    70° / 43°

    3 wet

  6. Jun

    81° / 49°

    2 wet

  7. Jul

    90° / 55°

    1 wet

  8. Aug

    88° / 53°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    81° / 46°

    1 wet

  10. Oct

    68° / 36°

    2 wet

  11. Nov

    55° / 28°

    3 wet · 1 snow

  12. Dec

    45° / 24°

    5 wet · 1 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Carson City, NV, 1.9 mi away at 4,761 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Dinosaur Rock is a climbing area in the Carson Ranger District of Nevada's Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, about 1.9 miles from Carson City. It sits within the Carson Ranger District, and the closest town is Carson City. The area has 18 routes, with mixed and sport styles making up the bulk of them. The YDS grades run from 5.6 to 5.12-, with Afternoon Corner at 5.6 and Big Bang at 5.12- as two of the standouts. The Left Seam is a sport route at 5.9+, and Lizard King is a sport route at 5.11b. For timing, late spring and early fall are the most comfortable. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Carson City show May highs around 70°F and September highs around 81°F, while July averages about 90°F. Nearby, the Dirt path and Clear Creek Trail are both within about 1.5 miles. The Carson City Area climbing area is about 3.7 miles away, and Washoe Lake State Park Campground is about 8.4 miles away.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive