Washington · Rock climbing · Index

The Blues Cliff

Blues Cliff, The in Washington has 13 climbing routes with mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Photo: Laurel Fan, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

13 routes

5.9 – 5.12c

Sport · Trad · Mixed

Is Blues Cliff, The open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. It doesn't name Blues Cliff, The, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

Grand Park 2 Fire Closure Update
Agency closure covering Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · Order 06-05-26-16 · USFS · Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Bell Creek Bridge Damaged
Agency closure covering Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · USFS · Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Rescission of Shooting Restrictions
Agency alert covering Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · USFS · Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Electric Fire Closure Order
Agency alert covering Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · Order 06-05-26-19 · USFS · Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Mountain Goats Have Been Present on Yellow Aster Butte
Agency alert covering Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · USFS · Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

As of Oct 25, 1:15 pm PDT · Source: USFS · Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit The Blues Cliff

Best months: July–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
42° / 31°
20 wet · 4 snow
Feb
47° / 32°
17 wet · 2 snow
Mar
52° / 34°
19 wet · 2 snow
Apr
59° / 38°
18 wet
May
66° / 44°
16 wet
Jun
69° / 48°
13 wet
Jul
77° / 52°
7 wet
Aug
77° / 52°
7 wet
Sep
71° / 48°
11 wet
Oct
58° / 41°
16 wet
Nov
47° / 36°
20 wet · 2 snow
Dec
41° / 32°
20 wet · 5 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Baring, WA, 5.2 mi away at 770 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Closures we've recorded since August 2026

Campfire Ban in Effect Forest-wide
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · Order dated July 21, 2026; seen Aug 23, 2026 → lifted Sep 15, 2026 · Forest Service

The Blues Cliff is a climbing area in Washington's Forks of the Sky state park, within the Skykomish Ranger District of Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The land is managed by State Park and Recreation, and the area sits among several other climbing spots and trails, including The Country and the Index Town Wall Trail, all within about a tenth of a mile. The climbing here is sport and trad, with 13 routes in total. The grades run from 5.9 up to 5.12c, and the hardest is Blue in the Face, a sport route at 5.12c. Twelve Gauge IQ is a trad route at 5.12b. Blues Riff, a sport route at 5.11a, and Cry Baby, a sport route at 5.11, are also among the options. Summer is the most comfortable time to climb. Typical averages from the nearby Baring weather station show July and August highs around 77°F with only about seven wet days a month, while winter brings highs in the low 40s and frequent snow days. Heybrook Lookout, about 1.8 miles away, offers camping, and Anderson Creek, about 2 miles off, is a paddling option.