Big Butte - West Face
Big Butte - West Face in Washington has 6 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.
- 6 routes
- 5.3 – 5.10d
- Trad · Sport · Mixed
Is Big Butte - West Face open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Tonasket Ranger District. It doesn't name Big Butte - West Face, so check the source for the area it covers.
Sinlahekin Fire Closure Terminated on Tonasket Ranger District
Agency closure covering Tonasket Ranger District · Order 06-21-09-26-15 · USFS · Tonasket Ranger District
Colville National Forest Terminates Fire Public Use Restrictions
Agency alert covering Colville National Forest · Order 06-21-00-26-14 · USFS · Colville National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Tonasket Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Big Butte - West Face
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.
Jan
34° / 23°
Feb
42° / 26°
Mar
54° / 31°
Apr
64° / 37°
May
74° / 44°
Jun
79° / 50°
Jul
88° / 55°
Aug
87° / 54°
Sep
77° / 46°
Oct
61° / 37°
Nov
44° / 29°
Dec
34° / 24°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tonasket 4 Nne, WA, 6.7 mi away at 960 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Big Butte - West Face is a climbing area in the Tonasket Ranger District of Colville National Forest in northwest Washington, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among several other climbing areas on Big Butte, including the South Face and West Wall, all within about a tenth of a mile. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Tonasket show May highs around 74°F and September highs around 77°F, while July and August average in the upper 80s. Whistler Canyon Trail is about 2 miles away for a hike, and Tonasket Creek offers canoeing about 5 miles off. Spectacle Lake and the Similkameen Trail are both roughly 7.5 miles away.
Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive
Photo: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)West Face
~3 min drive
West Face in Washington has 4 sport climbing routes at 4 difficulty grades.
Photo: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)South Side
~4 min drive
South Side in Washington has 8 routes with 7 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
Photo: Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)West Side
~4 min drive
West Side in Washington has 5 climbing routes on 4 difficulty grades.
Photo: BLM Oregon & Washington, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)East Side
~27 min drive
East Side in Washington has 5 sport climbing routes ranging across 5 difficulty grades.
Photo: BLM Oregon & Washington, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Little West Canyon
~28 min drive
Little West Canyon in Washington has 3 climbing routes ranging from easy to hard.
West Wall
~0 min drive
West Wall in Washington has 18 climbing routes across 7 grades.
Turtle Island
~1 min drive
Turtle Island in Washington has 13 climbing routes across 9 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.
Bowsaw Ridge - South End
~2 min drive
5 routes at Bowsaw Ridge - South End in Washington span 4 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
Upper Canyon - South Side
~2 min drive
South-facing Washington canyon climbing with varied routes and scenic canyon walls.
Upper East Canyon
~3 min drive
Upper East Canyon in Washington has 8 routes across 4 grades, offering sport and trad climbing.
