Washington · Rock climbing · Leavenworth

Hammerhead and nearby crags (not Playground)

11-route climbing area in Washington with mixed, sport, and trad styles.

11 routes

5.6 – 5.10d

Trad · Mixed · Sport

Is Hammerhead and nearby crags (not Playground) open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for Wenatchee River Ranger District.

Little Giant Fire Closure Order Reduced on the Wenatchee River and Entiat Ranger District
Agency alert covering Wenatchee River Ranger District · Order 06-17-07-2026-46 · USFS · Wenatchee River Ranger District
Cle Elum River Restoration Area Closure on the Cle Elum Ranger District
Agency alert covering Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest · USFS · Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Gold Creek Restoration Project Area Closure on Cle Elum Ranger District
Agency alert covering Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest · USFS · Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Grouse Creek Aquatic Project Road Closure on the Wenatchee River Ranger District
Agency alert covering Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest · USFS · Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Termination of Stage 1 Public Use Restrictions and Campfire Ban
Agency alert covering Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest · Order 06-17-00-2026-16 · USFS · Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

As of Oct 25, 12:50 pm PDT · Source: USFS · Wenatchee River Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Hammerhead and nearby crags (not Playground)

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° / 19°
14 wet
Feb
42° / 21°
10 wet
Mar
52° / 26°
9 wet
Apr
61° / 32°
7 wet
May
71° / 40°
7 wet
Jun
77° / 46°
5 wet
Jul
87° / 51°
3 wet
Aug
87° / 50°
3 wet
Sep
78° / 42°
4 wet
Oct
62° / 33°
9 wet
Nov
44° / 26°
13 wet
Dec
34° / 20°
14 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Leavenworth 3 S, WA, 2.5 mi away at 1,128 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.

Hammerhead and the nearby crags sit in the Wenatchee River Ranger District of Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington, on Forest Service land. Playground Point and Mad Meadows, two climbing areas, lie just 0.1 mile away, so this is a cluster of crags rather than a single route. The climbing here is a mix of trad, mixed and sport styles, with 11 routes in all. Grades run from 5.6 up to 5.10d, with the hardest being Deb's Crack. Among the routes are the 5.6 Dihedral and the 5.8 Face, both mixed, and the trad Ticks are for Kids at 5.10-. Late spring and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Leavenworth show May highs around 71°F and September highs around 78°F, with July and August reaching about 87°F. The station sits lower than the crags, so temperatures on the rock run cooler. Nearby, Bruce's Boulder Trail is a short hike at 0.2 mile, and the Eightmile Group Site campground is about 2 miles away.