Nevada · Rock climbing · Glenbrook

Main Rock

Main Rock in Nevada has 18 climbing routes across 14 difficulty grades.

18 routes
5.8 – 5.13a
Sport · Trad

Is Main Rock open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. It doesn't name Main Rock, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Main Rock

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.

  1. Jan

    36° / 23°

    9 wet

  2. Feb

    37° / 23°

    8 wet

  3. Mar

    42° / 26°

    7 wet

  4. Apr

    48° / 29°

    5 wet

  5. May

    56° / 35°

    4 wet

  6. Jun

    66° / 42°

    2 wet

  7. Jul

    75° / 49°

    2 wet

  8. Aug

    74° / 49°

    1 wet

  9. Sep

    67° / 44°

    2 wet

  10. Oct

    55° / 36°

    3 wet

  11. Nov

    43° / 28°

    5 wet

  12. Dec

    35° / 23°

    7 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Dagget Pass, NV, 8.5 mi away at 7,334 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Main Rock is a climbing area in Nevada, within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit of the national forest system. The Forest Service manages the land. The climbing here is sport-dominated, with one trad route among 18 routes. The range runs from 5.8 up to 5.13a, with the median grade around 5.10d. Maxwell's Hammer is the only trad route, a 5.8 first ascended by Max Jones and Mark Kaminsky in 1991. Yellow Finger, a 5.13a, is the hardest climb listed. Summer is the most comfortable season. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Dagget Pass show July highs around 75°F with lows near 49°F and only about one or two wet days a month. Winter highs there stay in the mid-30s. The closest neighbor is Spooner Crag, about 0.1 mile away. The Captain Pomin Trail and Spooner Loop are both within half a mile. For camping, Nevada Beach Campground lies about 8.4 miles off.

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive