Oregon · Rock climbing · Prineville

Steins Pillar

Steins PillarPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
5 routes
5.9 – 5.11+
Sport · Trad
May–Oct
best months

Is Steins Pillar open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Ochoco National Forest. It doesn't name Steins Pillar, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Ochoco National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Steins Pillar is a climbing area in the Lookout Mountain Ranger District of Ochoco National Forest in Oregon, managed by the Forest Service. It sits about 0.1 mile from Steins Overlook, another climbing area, which makes the two easy to pair on a single visit. The climbing here is a mix of sport and trad routes, with five routes in total. The sport routes run from 5.9 to 5.11+, and the trad routes are 5.10d and 5.11. The hardest is Shasta's Spirit, a sport route at 5.11+. The NE Face, a trad route at 5.11, was first climbed by F. Richardson, G. Richardson, D. Baars, L. Rice and R. Shay in 1970. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the Grizzly weather station, about 17 miles away, show July highs around 84°F with only about four wet days, while winter brings highs near 41°F and a few snow days a month. Nearby, the Giddy-Up-Go and Giddy-Up-Go Tie hikes are about 2.4 to 2.6 miles away, and Wildcat Campground is about 2.9 miles off. Ochoco Creek, a paddling spot, is about 4.9 miles away.

  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Steins Pillar

    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

      42° / 23°

      10 wet · 2 snow

    2. Feb

      45° / 23°

      9 wet · 2 snow

    3. Mar

      51° / 25°

      10 wet · 1 snow

    4. Apr

      57° / 27°

      10 wet

    5. May

      66° / 33°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      73° / 37°

      7 wet

    7. Jul

      84° / 41°

      4 wet

    8. Aug

      83° / 41°

      3 wet

    9. Sep

      75° / 36°

      4 wet

    10. Oct

      62° / 30°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      48° / 26°

      11 wet · 1 snow

    12. Dec

      41° / 22°

      11 wet · 3 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Grizzly, OR, 17.4 mi away at 3,635 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (5)

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

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

Steins Overlook

Next door

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

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

Mud Pile

~43 min drive

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

(vv)Staender RidgePhoto: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

(vv)Staender Ridge

~43 min drive

Staender Ridge in Oregon has 6 routes spanning 4 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

~43 min drive

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

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

(2) Windfall Wall

~44 min drive

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

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

(3) Hand Job Wall

~44 min drive

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

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

(4) Arrington Columns

~44 min drive

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

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

East Side

~44 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

~44 min drive

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

Student WallPhoto: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Student Wall

~44 min drive

Student Wall is a climbing crag in Oregon with 1 top-rope route.