Oregon · Rock climbing · Prineville

Barnes Butte

12 routes
V0 – V5-6
Bouldering
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
best months

Barnes Butte is a climbing area in central Oregon, about 1.7 miles from the town of Prineville. It sits close to town, making it an easy addition to a day spent exploring the surrounding trails. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Prineville show May highs around 69°F and September highs near 79°F, with July and August the warmest months, peaking in the mid-80s. Several hikes start within a few miles. South Ridge is just 0.2 miles away, and Wetlands Trail is about 1.1 miles off. The Grade Trail lies roughly 2.6 miles away, and Green Mountain Trail is about 7.7 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct

    Best time to visit Barnes Butte

    Best months: April–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

      43° / 25°

      9 wet

    2. Feb

      48° / 26°

      7 wet

    3. Mar

      55° / 29°

      8 wet

    4. Apr

      60° / 33°

      8 wet

    5. May

      69° / 40°

      7 wet

    6. Jun

      76° / 45°

      5 wet

    7. Jul

      87° / 49°

      3 wet

    8. Aug

      86° / 48°

      2 wet

    9. Sep

      79° / 42°

      3 wet

    10. Oct

      65° / 34°

      6 wet

    11. Nov

      51° / 29°

      8 wet

    12. Dec

      42° / 24°

      8 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Prineville, OR, 1.8 mi away at 2,876 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (12)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Steins OverlookPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Steins Overlook

~20 min drive

Steins Overlook in Oregon has 8 sport climbing routes ranging from 5.10a to 5.12c.

Steins PillarPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Steins Pillar

~20 min drive

Steins Pillar in Oregon has 5 climbing routes with 4 difficulty grades, offering sport and traditional styles.

Mud PilePhoto: Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mud Pile

~27 min drive

Mud Pile in Oregon has 20 routes across 11 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.

(zz) Upper GorgePhoto: Kris Arnold from New York, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

(zz) Upper Gorge

~27 min drive

Upper Gorge in Oregon has 33 climbing routes across 20 grades, offering sport and trad options.

East SidePhoto: Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

East Side

~27 min drive

East Side in Oregon has 8 traditional climbing routes across 4 grades.

(5) Shakespeare CliffPhoto: Jordan Beard, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

(5) Shakespeare Cliff

~27 min drive

Shakespeare Cliff in Oregon has 16 routes ranging across 10 difficulty grades, offering sport and traditional climbing.

(3) Hand Job WallPhoto: Jordan Beard, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

(3) Hand Job Wall

~27 min drive

Hand Job Wall in Oregon has 20 climbing routes across 13 grades.

(2) Windfall WallPhoto: Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

(2) Windfall Wall

~27 min drive

19 climbing routes at Windfall Wall, Oregon, ranging across 11 grades and offering sport and trad options.

(4) Arrington ColumnsPhoto: Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

(4) Arrington Columns

~27 min drive

Arrington Columns in Oregon has 6 traditional climbing routes across 4 difficulty grades.

(3) Catwalk CliffPhoto: Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

(3) Catwalk Cliff

~27 min drive

Catwalk Cliff in Oregon has 37 climbing routes ranging across 16 difficulty grades.