Nevada · Rock climbing · Las Vegas

Lava Boulder

Lava Boulder in Nevada has 9 bouldering routes across 3 grades.

Photo: BLM Nevada, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

9 routes

V0 – V2

Bouldering

Best time to visit Lava Boulder

Best months: February–May and October–November. 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
53° / 32°
4 wet
Feb
56° / 35°
5 wet
Mar
64° / 41°
4 wet
Apr
70° / 47°
2 wet
May
80° / 56°
1 wet
Jun
90° / 66°
1 wet
Jul
95° / 73°
2 wet
Aug
94° / 72°
2 wet
Sep
87° / 62°
2 wet
Oct
75° / 50°
2 wet
Nov
62° / 38°
2 wet
Dec
52° / 31°
3 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Red Rock Canyon - Spg Mt Rch S, NV, 6.7 mi away at 3,780 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Lava Boulder is a bouldering area on Bureau of Land Management land in Nevada, within the Red Rock/Sloan Field Office. It sits among a cluster of other climbing spots, including Cube Area, The Cube and Chess boulder, all about 0.1 mile away, and Shady Lady Boulder, also about 0.1 mile off. The climbing here is all bouldering, with nine routes spread across the area. The grades run from V0 to V2, with V1 as the median. Squeeze Job and The Groove are both V1, and Red Ball Jets is V2. The routes are short and sit close together, so the area works well for a quick session of bouldering. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show April highs around 70°F and October highs around 75°F, while July and August average in the mid-90s. For a longer outing, Ash Spring Trail is about 0.3 mile away and Calico Loop about 0.4 mile. Red Rock Canyon Campground, roughly 2.8 miles off, offers a place to stay.