Guillotine Area
- 8 routes
- 5.9 – 5.11-
- Trad
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Guillotine Area open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Willamette National Forest. It doesn't name Guillotine Area, so check the source for the area it covers.
Cedar Creek Fire Closure
Agency closure covering Willamette National Forest · Order 06-18-10-26-04 · USFS · Willamette National Forest
FIRE CLOSURES: Current wildfire closures on the Willamette National Forest
Agency alert covering Willamette National Forest · USFS · Willamette National Forest
2026 Active Wildfire
Agency alert covering Middle Fork Ranger District · USFS · Middle Fork Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Willamette National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Guillotine Area is a climbing area in the Waldo Lake Wilderness, part of the Middle Fork Ranger District of the Willamette National Forest in Oregon. The Forest Service manages the land, and the area sits within designated wilderness. The climbing here is all trad, with eight routes ranging from 5.9 to 5.11. The names Guillotine and Pool Guy stand out, with the latter at 5.11. Drew's Cruise and Age Before Beauty are both 5.10. The Lost Art Area and Elements of Style Area are both within a quarter mile, so climbers can easily pair this spot with those. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Wickiup Dam show July highs around 83°F with only about three wet days, while winter highs sit in the upper 30s and lows near 20°F. That station sits roughly 1,200 feet lower than the area, so temperatures up high run cooler. Fisher Creek, a hike about 0.3 miles away, and the North Fork Middle Fork Willamette River, a paddling route about a mile off, round out the options. For an overnight stay, Box Canyon Guard Station Cabin is about 4 miles away.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Guillotine Area
Best months: May–September. 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
40° / 21°
13 wet
Feb
43° / 22°
11 wet
Mar
48° / 26°
12 wet
Apr
54° / 30°
10 wet
May
63° / 36°
9 wet
Jun
71° / 42°
6 wet
Jul
83° / 47°
3 wet
Aug
82° / 46°
3 wet
Sep
75° / 38°
4 wet
Oct
62° / 31°
8 wet
Nov
46° / 26°
11 wet
Dec
38° / 21°
13 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Wickiup Dam, OR, 26.3 mi away at 4,358 ft. The station sits about 1,200 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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