Nevada · Rock climbing · Carson City

Prison Hill

Prison Hill in Nevada has 14 climbing routes across 12 grades, offering bouldering, sport, and trad.

Prison HillPhoto: Nouhailler, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
14 routes
5.6 – 5.11c/d
Sport · Bouldering · Trad

Best time to visit Prison Hill

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, 2.1 mi away at 4,761 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Prison Hill is a climbing area in Nevada, about 2 miles from the town of Stewart. It sits close to several hiking routes, including the Odyssey Trail, which starts just 0.1 mile away, and the Prison Hill Trail, about 0.3 mile off. The Carson River Trail is roughly a mile away. The climbing here is a mix of sport and trad routes, with a few boulders. There are 14 routes in total, and the grades run from 5.6 up to 5.11c/d. The hardest of the sport routes is Snot at 5.11c/d, and the easiest is Origin, a trad route at 5.6. The boulders sit at the V6 to V10 level. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Carson City show May highs around 70°F and October highs around 68°F, while July averages about 90°F. The station sits a few hundred feet lower than the hill, so temperatures on the rock may run a little cooler.

Routes (14)

Diamond, The(1)

Gale Force5.11a

Salt and Pepper Tower(1)

Snot5.11c/d

Tuna Tower(1)

Hole Tuna5.10b

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