The Drive In
- 12 routes
- 5.4 – 5.9-
- Trad · Bouldering
- Apr–Oct
- best months
The Drive In is a climbing area in Oregon's Oregon Badlands Wilderness, managed by the Bureau of Land Management's Prineville Deschutes Field Office. It sits within designated wilderness, so the surrounding land is protected, and the climbing here is part of the broader network of trails and rock in the area. The climbing at The Drive In is a mix of traditional routes and a single boulder problem. There are 12 routes in total, with 11 of them rated between 5.4 and 5.9- on the YDS scale. The easiest is Eightball at 5.4, and the hardest is The Needle at 5.9-. The boulder route is V1. The area also has a social trail about a mile away, and Castle, another climbing area, is just as close. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Bend show July highs around 84°F with lows near 49°F and only about two wet days in the month. Winter brings highs in the low 40s and a few snow days each month from December through February. Several trails lie within a short distance. The Castle Trail is about 1.4 miles away, and the Homestead Trail and Flatiron Rock Trail are each about 2 miles off.
Best time to go · Apr–Oct
Best time to visit The Drive In
Best months: April–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.
Jan
43° / 25°
9 wet · 4 snow
Feb
46° / 24°
7 wet · 3 snow
Mar
52° / 28°
6 wet · 1 snow
Apr
58° / 31°
6 wet · 1 snow
May
66° / 37°
5 wet
Jun
74° / 42°
4 wet
Jul
84° / 49°
2 wet
Aug
83° / 48°
2 wet
Sep
76° / 41°
2 wet
Oct
63° / 34°
4 wet
Nov
49° / 28°
7 wet · 2 snow
Dec
41° / 23°
8 wet · 4 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bend, OR, 13.9 mi away at 3,660 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington from Portland, America, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Castle
~2 min drive
Castle in Oregon has 13 climbing routes across 8 grades, offering bouldering and trad.
Photo: OSU Special Collections & Archives : Commons, No restrictions (via Wikimedia Commons)East
~39 min drive
Oregon climbing area with varied routes and accessible climbing.
Photo: OSU Special Collections & Archives : Commons, No restrictions (via Wikimedia Commons)Warmup-Hangout Zone
~39 min drive
Warmup-Hangout Zone is a bouldering area in Oregon with 15 routes.
Photo: OSU Special Collections & Archives : Commons, No restrictions (via Wikimedia Commons)Downstream Boulders
~39 min drive
5 bouldering routes at Downstream Boulders in Oregon.
Photo: Bill Reynolds from Lake Oswego, Oregon, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)(5) Southern Tip
~44 min drive
Southern Tip in Oregon has 13 climbing routes across 11 grades.
Photo: Kris Arnold from New York, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)(zz) Upper Gorge
~45 min drive
Upper Gorge in Oregon has 33 climbing routes across 20 grades, offering sport and trad options.
Photo: clocky, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Gorilla Cliff
~45 min drive
Gorilla Cliff in Oregon has 15 bouldering routes across 9 difficulty grades.
Photo: Bill Reynolds from Lake Oswego, Oregon, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)(7) Flounder and Cod Rock
~45 min drive
Flounder and Cod Rock in Oregon has 8 routes with 6 difficulty grades, offering sport, top-rope, and trad climbing.
Photo: Theoweesnerpdx, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)(m) Smith Rock Group
~45 min drive
Smith Rock Group in Oregon has 4 climbing routes across 3 grades.
Photo: Oregon Department of Transportation, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Mud Pile
~45 min drive
Mud Pile in Oregon has 20 routes across 11 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
